The Trustees, in cooperation with Bouchard Transportation Company and its representatives have surveyed shorelines, collected and analyzed oil, water, sediment, and shellfish tissue samples, and conducted modeling. They are analyzing data on oiled and dead birds and have examined lost recreational use of Buzzards Bay. To date, the Trustees have identified impacts to the following natural resources and associated services:

• Shoreline habitat. An estimated 90 miles of shoreline were oiled to varying degrees. Of this amount, 53 miles of shoreline were directly oiled and more than 40 miles of shoreline experienced occasional tar ball stranding. The Trustees collected and analyzed water, sediment, and shellfish tissue samples to determine oil exposure. The Trustees are currently finalizing the injury report that examines the impact of the spill on three principal shoreline habitat categories – tidal marshes, sand beaches, and coarse substrates. The Trustees have begun restoration planning activities and will seek public input on proposed projects soon. A Feasibility Study for potential restoration at Ram Island is being conducted and is expected to be completed this summer.
• Birds/wildlife. Approximately 450 birds were immediately killed by the oil spill including; loons, scoters, mergansers, oyster catchers, terns (including roseate terns), eiders, and piping plovers. The Trustees are particularly concerned about the impact on roseate terns and piping plovers, two federally protected species. The bird Injury has been broken down into three injury categories,:
  • Plovers
  • Terns
  • Other Birds
  The bird injury assessment is complex and requires not only determining the immediate impact to the birds, but also calculating delayed mortality and future lost productivity. Due to the migratory nature of birds, and to processes such as natural animal scavenging, determining the magnitude of injuries to bird resources is often a difficult and lengthy process The Trustees are in the midst of the injury assessment and have initiated restoration planning activities for all three subcategories of birds.
  
  The Trustees explored potential impacts to the northeastern beach tiger beetle (federally listed threatened species), the American burying beetle (federally listed endangered species), and the diamondback terrapin (a state-listed threatened species), and determined that no significant injuries occurred. These assessment reports can be viewed in the Administrative Record. The Trustees are also examining potential injury to some marine mammals.
• Recreational uses. The state of Massachusetts closed substantial parts of Buzzards Bay to shellfishing soon after the spill. Most of the shellfish beds were reopened by the fall of 2003. A few areas remain closed. Additionally, there was limited access to some parts of the Bay for boating and some shoreline areas following the spill. The Trustees have assessed the spill’s effects on recreational shellfishing, boating, and general shoreline use The Trustees are currently finalizing the Injury Report and will add it to the Administrative Record for public review and comment when it is completed.
• Aquatic resources.The Trustees collected samples from the water column and utilized the data with a hydrodynamic model to assess biological damages to the water column in Buzzards Bay. Potential adverse impacts to American lobster were also investigated, but no significant injuries were identified. The Trustees expect to complete the Aquatic Resources Injury Report and add it to the Administrative Record for public review and comment this summer.