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11-507: Waquoit Bay is a public national estuary, which is typically used as a research reserve. It is a part of Nantucket Sound and is located on the southern shore of Cape Cod in Massachusetts , USA. This bay forms the border of the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee, Massachusetts. The name Waquoit comes from the Wompanoag word "Weeqayut" (Waquoit) meaning "Place of Light". Due to the pressures on

22-518: A path to the beach below it and hosts many activities to educate visitors about the marine wildlife in the bay. The eastern section of the reserve is 432 acres (175 hectares) and encompasses South Cape Beach State Park , Sage Lot Pond and Flat Pond. This eastern section offers a swimming beach that is a noted fishing site during the annual bluefish and striped bass migrations. It is also a sanctuary for protected species such as piping plover and least tern . Sage Lot and Flat Ponds are salt ponds to

33-467: A variety of commercially and recreationally valuable fisheries . The Sound is located at a confluence of the cold Labrador Currents and the warm Gulf Stream . This creates a unique coastal habitat representing the southern range for Northern Atlantic species and the northern range for Mid-Atlantic species. Nantucket Sound has much biological diversity and contains habitats that range from open sea to salt marshes , as well as warm-water beaches on

44-533: Is a small nature reserve within the bay. During World War II Washburn Island was used by the Army Amphibious Command as a landing area. This camp was home to the 594th Engineer boat and shore regiment. In the early 1960s Norwegian researcher Johannes Kr. Tornöe suggested Waquoit Bay as the location of Leifsbudir ("Leif's booths or houses"), the long-sought site of the Norse colony of Vinland . Fish seen in

55-543: Is enclosed by Cape Cod on the north, Nantucket on the south, and Martha's Vineyard on the west. Between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard it is connected to the Vineyard Sound . Ports on Nantucket Sound include Nantucket and Hyannis, Massachusetts . Nantucket Sound possesses significant marine habitat for a diversity of ecologically and economically important species. "The Sound" has particular significance for several federally protected species of wildlife and

66-523: The Cape and Islands coasts. Nantucket Sound is well known for the numerous shoals within its boundaries. 41°20′0″N 70°14′58″W  /  41.33333°N 70.24944°W  / 41.33333; -70.24944 This Massachusetts state location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vineyard Sound Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates

77-437: The bay and its connecting waters include the blueback herring , brook trout , golden shiner , banded killifish , and northern pipefish . Crustaceans present include the blue crab, hermit crab and barnacles . Nantucket Sound Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts . It is 30 miles (48 km) long and 25 miles (40 km) wide, and

88-489: The bay at the northern side and offer kayaking and fishing: Bog Pond, 2.8 acres (1.1 hectares) Bourne Pond, is just over 10 acres (4.0 hectares) in surface area and consequently is considered a Great Pond under the laws of the Massachusetts. It is kept in trust for all citizens and is not privately owned. Caleb Pond is 5.7 acres (2.3 hectares) in size. Childs River: Abandoned cranberry bogs and pine woodlands. Washburn Island

99-747: The coastal resources of the United States, Congress enacted the Coastal Zone Management Act which gave federal aid to operate estuarine areas as natural field laboratories. Waquoit Bay is one of these natural field laboratory zones. The areas that the Coastal Management Act Encompass the Visitor Center/Headquarters Property. The Visitor Center is a 28-acre (11 ha) piece of land. It is open year-round, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The center has

110-642: The cranberry bog channel into a river. Waquoit Bay is 825 acres (334 hectares) in size. Freshwater enters the Bay from four principal sources: the Quashnet/Moonakis River, Red Brook, Childs River, and groundwater overflow. The following rivers and bodies of water are salt ponds traced back to the east of the bay, reachable by kayak : the Hamblin Pond, 141 acres (57 hectares), Jehu Pond, 172 acres (70 hectares) Abigail's Brook The following freshwater ponds drain to

121-414: The east of the bay. The Quashnet River Property is 361 acres (146 ha) in size. The Quashnet River is the primary source of fresh water reaching the bay, which is mostly surrounded by upland forests. A three-mile (5 km) trail loops along the river. North Quashnet Woodlands is 25 acres (10 ha) in size. These pine woodlands encompass an abandoned cranberry bog. Trout Unlimited converted

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