Final Report Now Available

From 2024 to 2026, CFF partnered with commercial fishermen to study Atlantic surfclams and seafloor habitat on Nantucket Shoals within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area under EFP 23073.

Using vessel-mounted multibeam sonar and underwater drop-camera surveys, we mapped seafloor features and measured sediment composition, rock abundance and size, and the presence of hydrozoans and bryozoans on the seafloor. 

By repeatedly surveying the same areas, we documented a dynamic seafloor that changed over time and explored how habitat characteristics were reflected in sonar data. 

Data collected during commercial fishing trips were also used to examine fishing effort, surfclam catch rates, and size distributions across the study areas. 

Read the full final report