Clean and Green Boater's Guide
Learn how to be environmentally conscious when boating
An environmentally friendly approach to boating:
Seaside Sustainability was inspired to take on this project after realizing that the Massachusetts Clean Marina Guide, published in 2001 by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), had not been updated since 2007. The guide is hard to find unless you know where to look for it. As a result, we created this supplemental guide to be used as an easy to find resource for individual boaters to make environmentally friendly decisions when operating their vessels, as well as making it more accessible to a variety of people. The supplemental guide covers derelict fishing gear, single use plastics, the Massachusetts ecosystem, boat maintenance, and marine contaminants. More information on each individual chapter can be found below. When used in tandem with the CZM's official guide, boaters will have more up-to-date knowledge about how boating impacts the environment and what they can do to keep the ecosystem healthy. In addition, the information included in our guide can be beneficial to anyone interested in keeping marine debris and contaminants out of the water.
Clean and Green Boater's Guide Chapter Summaries
Derelict Fishing Gear
Old fishing gear is commonly left behind for various reasons, such as fishing line breaking, gear falling out of boats, and old materials being improperly discarded in the ocean. As a result, marine life can become entangled and injured.
Plastics Management
Plastic pollution impacts every kind of waterway, including the ocean, and presents dangers such as poisoning wildlife with harmful chemicals and injuring unsuspecting marine animals. Learn about some common forms of plastic pollution as well as ways they continue to impact the marine environment.
Massachusetts Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
Take a deep dive into the various coastal and marine ecosystems found right in Massachusetts. This chapter discusses the ways in which these ecosystems are being negatively impacted and laws meant to protect and preserve them.
Sustainable Boat Maintenance
Boat maintenance is one of the most important things to consider when becoming a boat owner. Learn how to properly care for your vessel using sustainable methods that keep our waterways clean and healthy
Marine Contaminants
Although plastic pollution is a major problem for marine environments, it is not the only contaminant to be concerned about. Discover three more major marine contaminants, their use in boating and marinas, and laws that regulate them.
Work We've Done
Read the Clean & Green
Boater’s Guide
The Marine Science & Education team has completed extensive research to put together a guide for Massachusetts boaters to use in addition to the CZM’s Clean Marina Guide. Each chapter was put together by Seaside Sustainability interns with information about updated laws, new technologies, and impacts individual boaters may have when entering the waterways.
Coming soon!