Introduction to a Special Issue

Abstract

Boston Harbor Islands national park area includes 34 discrete islands and peninsulas, ranging in size from small rock outcrops (e.g., The Graves, Little Calf Island) to Worlds End, a complex of woodland, grassland, freshwater and coastal wetlands, and intertidal habitats (Fig. 1). Given a large mean tidal range of 2.9 m (9.5 ft) within Boston Harbor, many of the islands have extensive intertidal areas of sandflats and mudflats, cobble and coarse sand beaches, salt marshes, and rocky shores. Intertidal areas are almost equal to the terrestrial area of the islands (Table 1). A geographic grouping of the islands would include the outer islands or Brewster Islands, the inner islands or Dorchester Bay Islands, the Quincy Bay Islands, and the Hingham Bay Islands. Aside from the few outcrops of exposed bedrock, most of the islands are geologically classified as drumlins, elongate landforms of unconsolidated glacial tills (Rosen and Leach 1987). As these drumlin islands erode, the sediment is reworked to form sand and gravel spits, beaches, and tombolos (beaches or bars connecting islands to each other or the mainland). The park includes approximately 55 km (34 mi) of shoreline, most of which is relatively undeveloped. All of the islands have a rich history of human use; many islands have structures, and some islands (e.g., Deer, Little Brewster, and Thompson) are still occupied with institutional uses. These various landforms, the interface of marine and terrestrial environments, and past land use within an urban region all contribute to a diversity of habitats found throughout the islands. Visitors to the national park area are likely to be drawn to the different habitats that are represented, the historical and cultural attractions, and the beaches and recreational facilities.