The marina will clean up all foam debris within a 2,500-foot radius of the marina, which includes this salt marsh and a nearby beach.

As we wrote about last year, the floating docks at Leisure Shores Marina on Brandt Island Cove have been held up for years with large squares of old, deteriorating foam. Pieces of foam now litter the nearby salt marsh – some as tiny as grains and pebbles. Clean, healthy salt marshes are important to protect because they provide habitat for fish, shellfish, and birds.

Over the past two years, the Coalition has asked the marina to take action to stop this litter and supported the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission as it worked to require the marina to remove the foam floats. We also partnered with Harvard Law School’s Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic to come up with ideas to resolve the problem.

After receiving several complaints and inspecting the marina and salt marsh, MassDEP discovered several violations. As a result, the marina owner and MassDEP agreed to an order that will clean up the salt marsh and protect it for years to come.

This spring, the marina replaced all its old, decaying floats with new floats that are encased in hard plastic. This covering will prevent the floats from breaking down in the future like the old ones did. The marina will also clean up all foam debris within a 2,500-foot radius of the marina, which includes the salt marsh and a nearby beach.

This is great news for the health of Brandt Island Cove and all the fish, wildlife, and people that live there. Thanks to MassDEP, the Mattapoisett Harbormaster, and the Mattapoisett Conservation Commission for their commitment to stopping pollution and protecting clean water in Buzzards Bay!