OUR MISSION
Coonamessett Farm Foundation's (CFF) mission is to conduct scientific research and educational projects that support sustainable fisheries operations, local small-scale agriculture and aquaculture, and renewable energy sources for the benefit of the public.
What's new at CFF?
11/ 2 / 23
In October, CFF scientists had a great trip for our Seasonal Survey project on board the F/V Beiningen. Thanks to the captain and crew of the vessel for making this trip happen and all their hard work at sea. This ongoing project continues to collect fishery and biological data about sea scallops and other commercially important species on Georges Bank.
9 / 5 / 23
Introducing CFF’s newest member, Monique Arsenault! Monique received her B.S. in Biomedical Science: Medical & Veterinary Science from the University of New Hampshire in 2016. During her undergraduate studies, Monique assisted in mark-recapture studies on green sea turtles in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. After graduating, she worked as a taxonomist on the Hudson River Project and then as an observer for the Northeast Groundfish Observer Program and Industry Funded Scallop Program. Monique then transitioned to her role as Lead Coordinator and Offshore Marine Safety Trainer for the observer program, working as a supervisor and instructor for three years. This week, Monique joined CFF’s team as a full-time instructor for our ASM Program. Let's give her a warm welcome!
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8 / 22 / 23
It has been a productive last couple of weeks! We had the privilege of working with an amazing group of trainees in our most recent At-Sea Monitoring (ASM) class. We were delighted to witness their enthusiasm and dedication throughout the session and sincerely appreciate their participation and contribution to the class.
8 / 15 / 23
Yesterday, our team returned from their field research trip, marking the first successful excursion of our 2023 RSA Seasonal Survey Project. We are proud of the hard work our researchers put in to make this trip a success, and we look forward to the important data they collected that will help us make informed decisions moving forward.
8 / 11 / 23
CFF staff member and Senior Marine Biologist, Dr. Samir Patel, was recently featured in the Provincetown Independent's article, "Warmer Waters Put Sea Turtles on Collision Course With Humans" by Georgia Hall. In his interview with this local news source, he provides insight into the effects of rising temperatures on sea turtle migration in the North Atlantic Ocean, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to fishing pressures. Dr. Patel's expertise in turtle behavior and marine resource surveys is invaluable in understanding the impacts of climate change on our marine ecosystems.
8 / 7 / 23
Today marks an exciting new chapter for the At-Sea Monitoring Program, as we embark on a new session. Our dedicated staff are eager to get to work and continue making a positive impact. Here's to a successful session!
7 / 18 / 23
The HabCam v3 season is officially over! CFF had a very successful season having completed over 1500nm of tracks for the annual RSA stock assessment survey.
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6 / 27 / 23
It’s a wrap on Leg 1! We’re proud of our HabCam team for completing over 600nm in the Nantucket Lightship-South, Southern Flank, and Closed Area 2 South before returning to the dock last week. This past Friday marked the start for Leg 2 of HabCam, which will have us venturing over 900nm throughout the Mid-Atlantic from Block Island to the Elephant Trunk.
6 / 2 / 23
Introducing Andrew Corso! Andrew is CFF's newest member, a project manager and research associate for the marine surveys and offshore wind project. Andrew received his Ph.D. in Fisheries Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2023. Andrew’s doctoral research was focused on the diversity and impacts of climate change on Antarctic fishes. During his Ph.D., he also created several outreach programs, completed a sub-concentration in Marine Policy with a focus on aquaculture law, and taught an undergraduate course on marine bioinspiration. Andrew is excited to contribute to the responsible development of offshore wind while preserving ecosystem health and promoting positive stakeholder relationships.
5 / 26 / 23
We hope you have a wonderful and restful Memorial Day weekend! We’re gearing up for our field season so get ready for a whole lotta updates! In the meantime, please enjoy this beautiful sand tiger shark from one of our recent trips using the ROV in North Carolina (permit #23639)
5 / 15 / 23
CFF board member Cheryl Milliken (right) was awarded the Massachusetts 2023 Marine Educator Award at the Massachusetts Marine Educators annual conference in Woods Hole. Cheryl has taught marine ecology and other STEM topics for the last 20 years at Falmouth High School. We are very grateful to have Cheryl on our board and we're ecstatic she is getting the recognition she deserves for her outstanding work!
For photo credit &
to read more about Cheryl, click the button below.
Pictured here with Grace Simpkins (left), Woods Hole Sea Grant Education Coordinator for MA.
5 / 10 / 23
A beautiful day for a HabCam calibration! Led by research biologist Tasha O'Hara, the HabCam team set off to the Sundance tank at WHOI last week for some pre-season testing for a multiyear system upgrade which began this year #habcamszn
4 / 12 / 23
Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, April 26th from 4-8PM CFF will be partnering with @aquaticbrewing and @sippewissettoysters to bring you BEER, OYSTERS, and SCIENCE! Our very own Dr. Samir Patel will be presenting his work on loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles with a focus on tracking information and video footage. We hope to see you there!
HELP CFF'S WORK IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL FISHERS AND FARMERS IN OUR REGION WHEN YOU SHOP
Designate CFF as your charity at Smile Amazon and support our research every time you shop! Click the image above to visit Coonamessett Farm Foundation's Amazon Smile page.