Massachusetts
Shellfish dying, lobster leaving: Mass. marine ecosystem faces hotter, harsher future as climate warms – The Boston Globe
The Boston Research Advisory Group report found that deadly hot marine heat waves — once extremely rare — could become commonplace. Scientists warn that those and other impacts are only going to get worse if the climate continues to warm with dire and possibly irreversible impacts on the ocean.
If the planet does not stop emitting planet-warming greenhouse gasses, marine heat waves could occur off the coast of Massachusetts once every decade if the planet reaches 2 degrees Celsius of warming and perhaps every other year with 3 degrees of warming. The vast majority of excess heat generated by anthropogenic warming is absorbed by the planet’s oceans.
“The possible impacts described in this report are not pleasant,” said Paul Kirshen, a professor of climate adaptation at the University of Massachusetts Boston and an author of the report. “We need to get to net zero emissions and below as soon as possible.”
Unlike on land, where humans can build a seawall to protect from coastal flooding, for example, there is very little that can be done to help ecosystems adapt to warmer water and higher acidity, experts said. The trends noted in the report will be “very difficult” to respond to, Kirshen said.
The report was created to answer questions posed by leaders of coastal Massachusetts towns and cities about what communities could expect over the next few decades as the climate continues to warm. Many of those towns have local economies that are at least in part dependent on commercial fishing, an industry that is likely to be dramatically changed by a warmer and more acidic Massachusetts Bay.
Native fish populations will likely continue their decline off of Massachusetts’ coast, while species from further south will move in, scientists found. The bay will continue to get acidic and inhospitable for the many fish, plants, and shellfish that live there now.
Oceans absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide that’s released into the atmosphere. When absorbed, carbon dioxide makes sea water more acidic through chemical reactions, putting the entire food web in the marine ecosystem at risk, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
One example: Higher acidity causes shells to deteriorate, which kills shellfish. That will be an early marker of a shift in fishing ecology in Massachusetts Bay, the Boston-area researchers warned.
“Shell fisheries should be monitored … for warning signs,” the report said. As acidity increases, there are fewer carbonate ions in the water, an essential ingredient to build shells.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic Cod’s numbers have already declined and the American lobster population is moving north. Scientists further expect populations of winter flounder, silver hake, and Atlantic herring to decline as well.
As others move out, species more suited to warmer temperatures are expected to move in, such as summer flounder, black sea bass, blue crab, and butterfish among them.
Jason Krumholz, an oceanographer and associate professor at the University of Connecticut, said that when he started graduate school in 2005, only very rarely did he catch blue crabs in nets. Now, more than half the crabs he catches are blue crabs, he said.
“I’m not that old yet, and this is a change that I’ve seen just in my career,” said Krumholz, one of the authors of the report. “It’s pretty fast.”
The fishing industry could likely adapt to this change by convincing buyers to push different offerings on the menu, Krumholz said. “We may have a lot more flags outside of restaurants with blue crabs on them instead of lobsters in 20 years.”
Scientists have also observed that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is slowing down. It’s one of the planet’s most prominent and powerful ocean currents and helps to moderate the climate at sea and on land near the shore.
That’s a wild card for ocean temperatures, said Bruce Anderson, an oceanographer and professor at Boston University and one of the lead authors of the report. The phenomenon could weaken and broaden the Gulf Stream, which brings warm tropical waters to the region.
“It’s really unclear what the Gulf Stream is going to do and how that change is going to affect things like the fisheries or even our climate here in Massachusetts,” Anderson said.
If the Gulf Stream slowdown continues, the water offshore of Massachusetts could see “substantial” warming as subtropical waters diffuse northward into the region, scientists found, further compounding the problems.
Another area of uncertainty: How President-elect Donald Trump’s administration could impact the trajectory of offshore ecosystems.
Environmental advocates are worried that the incoming Trump administration will try to slash budgets for federal environmental agencies, which could both slow the energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy and affect efforts to clean up marine pollution.
Many federal grants finance beach cleanups, water quality testing, and other programs to manage the marine environment, said Jeff Watters, vice president of external affairs of the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit organization.
“I think they’re more at risk now than they were under the first [Trump] administration,” Watters said, because Congress was able to block some of those defunding efforts last time. “Pollution could absolutely go up; that’s a real possibility.”
Those fears come as marshes and coastal ecosystems are already threatened by plastic and pharmaceutical pollution, and runoff pollution is expected to increase due to stronger storms and an increase in coastal populations, according to the new report.
The pollution in Massachusetts Bay is affected by the behavior of people: What they buy, where they fish, how they recreate, and where they live, said Anderson of Boston University.
Yet, perhaps in that relationship lies a glimmer of hope: Towns, cities, and individuals can prevent further pollutants from entering the ecosystem. “This is a very sensitive environment to everyday decisions,” Anderson said.
Erin Douglas can be reached at erin.douglas@globe.com. Follow her @erinmdouglas23.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts High School Football 2025 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (MIAA) – November 2, 2025
The 2025 Massachusetts high school football playoffs begin on Friday, November 7, and go into Saturday, November 8, with 64 games in the round of 16.
High School On SI has brackets division in the Massachusetts high school playoffs.
Round of 16
No. 1 Nashoba Valley Tech vs. No. 16 Sabis International – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 8 Frontier Regional vs. No. 9 KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 4 Randolph vs. No. 13 Oxford – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Hoosac Valley vs. No. 12 Blackstone-Millville – 11/08 at 12:00 p.m.
No. 2 Lee vs. No. 15 Narragansett Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 7 Cathedral vs. No. 10 Prouty – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 3 West Boylston vs. No. 14 Bartlett – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 6 Bourne vs. No. 11 Lynn Vo-Tech – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 Cohasset vs. No. 16 Leicester – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 8 Rockland vs. No. 9 Tyngsborough – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 4 Northbridge vs. No. 13 Seekonk – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 5 Manchester Essex vs. No. 12 Millbury – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 2 Amesbury vs. No. 15 South Hadley – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 7 Uxbridge vs. No. 10 Blue Hills RVT – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 3 West Bridgewater vs. No. 14 St. Bernard’s Central Catholic – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 6 Clinton vs. No. 11 Mashpee – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 Norwell vs. No. 16 Case – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 8 Pentucket Regional vs. No. 9 Nantucket – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 4 Wilmington vs. No. 13 Old Rochester Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Hudson vs. No. 12 Bellingham – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 2 Abington vs. No. 15 Triton Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 7 Bishop Fenwick vs. No. 10 Medway – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 3 Fairhaven vs. No. 14 East Bridgewater – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 6 Stoneham vs. No. 11 Winthrop – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 Shawsheen Valley Tech vs. No. 16 Salem – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 8 St. Mary’s vs. No. 9 Greater Lawrence Tech – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 4 Medfield vs. No. 13 Northeast Metro RVT – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 5 North Reading vs. No. 12 Marlborough – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 2 Foxborough vs. No. 15 Norton – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 7 Gloucester vs. No. 10 Auburn – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 3 Hanover vs. No. 14 Weston – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 6 Archbishop Williams vs. No. 11 Swampscott – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 Scituate vs. No. 16 Tantasqua Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 8 Bedford vs. No. 9 Walpole – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 4 Duxbury vs. No. 13 Holliston – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Burlington vs. No. 12 Dartmouth – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 2 Tewksbury Memorial vs. No. 15 Middleborough – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 7 Ashland vs. No. 10 Danvers – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 3 Canton vs. No. 14 Wakefield Memorial – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 6 Marblehead vs. No. 11 Shepherd Hill Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 King Philip Regional vs. No. 16 Chicopee Comp – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 8 Mansfield vs. No. 9 Plymouth South – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 4 Hingham vs. No. 13 Minnechaug Regional – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 5 Marshfield vs. No. 12 Malden Catholic – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 2 Barnstable vs. No. 15 Doherty Memorial – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 7 North Attleborough vs. No. 10 Milford – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 3 Milton vs. No. 14 Reading Memorial – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 6 Masconomet Regional vs. No. 11 Melrose – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 Catholic Memorial — BYE
No. 8 Wellesley vs. No. 9 Plymouth North – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 4 Winchester vs. No. 13 North Quincy – 11/07 at 6:30 p.m.
No. 5 Lincoln-Sudbury vs. No. 12 Concord-Carlisle – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 2 Bishop Feehan — BYE
No. 7 Quincy vs. No. 10 Chelmsford – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 3 Bridgewater-Raynham vs. No. 14 Woburn Memorial – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 6 Billerica Memorial vs. No. 11 Beverly – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
Round of 16
No. 1 St. John’s Prep vs. No. 16 Framingham – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 8 Leominster vs. No. 9 Franklin – 11/07 at 7:00 p.m.
No. 4 Natick vs. No. 13 Weymouth – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 5 Central Catholic vs. No. 12 St. John’s – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 2 Central vs. No. 15 Taunton – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 7 Methuen vs. No. 10 Lowell – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 3 Xaverian Brothers vs. No. 14 Brockton – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
No. 6 Wachusett Regional vs. No. 11 Andover – 11/07 at 6:00 p.m.
Massachusetts
Seven high school sports takeaways from the final day of the MIAA football regular season – The Boston Globe
Find all the scores here. Final football conference standings live here. We also have final boys’ and girls’ soccer standings. Today’s headlines:
▪ It was the biggest win of the day, and a monumental one for St. John’s Prep coach Brian St. Pierre, who notched his 100th career win with a 43-28 defeat of No. 3 Catholic Memorial. St. Pierre is in his 12th season at the helm of his alma mater, where he was named Gatorade Player of the Year and quarterbacked the Eagles to a 1997 Super Bowl title before going on to play at Boston College and earn a fifth-round draft selection to the NFL, where he played for four teams in an eight-year career.
He is the third coach in Prep history to reach 100 wins, joining Fred Glatz and Jim O’Leary.
▪ Andover senior Naomi Vajda recorded her 100th career block among three rejections in a 3-0 Division 1 first-round girls’ volleyball win over Boston Latin. Vajda added six kills and four aces.
▪ Despite an 0-5 start, Brockton rallied to win the Big Three Conference with a 23-0 blanking of Durfee, which came a week after they destroyed New Bedford, 41-0. Casey Rhodes, Marcio Semedo, and Jarred Mighty scored Saturday as the Boxers (3-5, 2-0) also punched their ticket to the Division 1 tournament.
▪ With a 31-28 win over Loomis Chaffee, Avon Old Farms (Conn.) wrapped up an undefeated season (8-0) and captured the Founders League title.
▪ Nobles boys’ soccer defeated Brooks, 3-1, to secure the Independent School League crown.
▪ Minuteman boys’ soccer dispensed with McCann Tech, 5-1, to win the State Vocational Small School championship. The Greater New Bedford boys defeated Greater Lowell, 3-0, for the Large School title.
Congratulations to our Boys ⚽️ Team for reclaiming the seat a top Vocational Boys Soccer with the 2025 State Vocational Championship. The team defeated Gr Lowell 3-0 pic.twitter.com/8atj06V8kp
— GNBVT Athletics (@GNBVTathletics) November 2, 2025
Ellis Barnes, BB&N — The senior defensive back, who is committed to Columbia, came up big for the Knights in a 17-7 NEPSAC win over St. Paul’s (N.H.), picking off two passes and making seven tackles.
Peter Bourque, Tabor — A regular in this space, the Michigan-bound quarterback showed off his legwork in the second half, rushing for three touchdowns in a come-from-behind 39-21 NEPSAC win over St. Sebastian’s. The junior QB finished with 232 passing yards and five total touchdowns.
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick — The sophomore threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a third score in a 34-6 Catholic Central League road win.
Elai Machado, KIPP — The 6-foot-4-inch junior quarterback ran for touchdowns of 15, 45, and 40 yards, and tossed a 20-yard scoring strike for the Panthers in a 41-6 Commonwealth Conference win over Lowell Catholic.
Jalen Morris, Rivers — The biggest rushing performance of the day belonged to the junior, who took 23 carries for 259 yards and four scores in a 47-6 NEPSAC win over Governor’s.
Brady Shuffain, Sharon — The junior had himself a day, throwing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-6 win over Fitchburg that featured several big performances, including Matt Khrakovsky’s 207 rushing yards and three scores and Joseph Seaman’s 119 receiving yards and two TDs.
Jake Strojny, Roxbury Latin — The senior quarterback combined three passing TDs with one on the ground to beat St. George’s, 30-0, in NEPSAC action.
Here’s betting Classical (R.I.) senior Bam Adebayo had quite the interesting Saturday morning.
The 6-foot, 160-pound cornerback/safety posted that he got his first preferred walk-on offer from URI. No doubt a big moment. A chance to play Division 1 football in his homestate.
Then Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell took notice, quote-tweeting the post and tagging Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo, who ironically, uses the X handle @Bam1of1.
“Congrats bro!! Keep working” Mitchell wrote.
Brady Shuffain, Sharon, 381
Chris Vargas, St. John’s Prep, 268
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 232
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick, 192
Brady Shuffain, Sharon, 4
Chris Vargas, St. John’s Prep, 4
Jake Strojny, Roxbury Latin, 3
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 2
Andrew Kiricoples, Bishop Fenwick, 2
Jalen Morris, Rivers, 259
Matt Khrakovsky, Sharon, 207
Dylan Patturelli, Bishop Fenwick, 142
Aavian Peña, KIPP, 116
Zack Deschenes, Nashoba Valley Tech, 4
Jalen Morris, Rivers, 4
Peter Bourque, Tabor, 3
Matt Khrakovsky, Sharon, 3
Elia Machado, KIPP, 3
Ryan Beede, Northeast, 2
Xavier Hairston, Taft, 2
Ziah Herring, Greater Lawrence, 2
Joel LaChapelle, Northbridge, 2
Dylan Patturelli, Bishop Fenwick, 2
Nikki Santos, Cambridge, 130
Riley Selvais, St. John’s Prep, 130
Joseph Seaman, Sharon, 119
Riley Selvais, St. John’s Prep, 2
6. Field hockey leaderboard
Jordi Higgins, Bishop Feehan, 4
Alexa Heller, Wellesley, 2
Sydney Kim, Wellesley, 2
Annie Liebhoff, Rivers, 2
Ciara Maloney, Medway, 2
Lauren Mattia, Lynnfield, 2
Olivia McCormick, Hanover, 2
Natalie McMenamy, Medway, 2
Effie Parsons, St. Mary’s, 2
Caroline Vaughan, Andover, 2
Jordi Higgins, Bishop Feehan, 4
Bridgette McGinnis, Bishop Feehan, 3
7. Volleyball leaderboard
Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 25
Tess Madden, Hanover, 22
Erin Root, Old Rochester, 14
Mia Milani, Bellingham, 13
Lila Arkinstall, Wakefield, 12
Victoria Reposa, Reading, 12
Mia Kenny, Wakefield, 11
Lila Moniz, Marblehead, 11
Anna Fernandez, Westford, 10
Bonnie Politzer, Chelmsford, 10
Sadie Stants, Needham, 10
Jessie Wang, Andover, 10
Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 10
Elizabeth Willis, East Bridgewater, 10
Madison Blanchet, Central Catholic, 38
Maya Morrison, Old Rochester, 37
Sadie Chadwick, Hanover, 35
Eva Burke, Marblehead, 29
Bella Lee, Needham, 27
Ellen Griswold, Chelmsford, 25
Erin Bigham, Canton, 24
Tori Grace, Wakefield, 18
Gianna Miceli, Reading, 16
Addison Parent, Somerset Berkley, 14
Cara Carangelo, Wakefield, 33
Julie Hall, Central Catholic, 20
Soley Rodriguez Martinez, Canton, 7
Sophia Soto, Bellingham, 14
Sydney Faris, Marblehead, 13
Olivia Lesswing, Haverhill, 10
Ryleigh Brown, Somerset Berkley, 9
Erin Bigham, Canton, 8
Addison Parent, Somerset Berkley, 8
Kaitlyn Pepin, Westford, 6
Kaely Dos Santos, Somerset Berkley, 5
Piper Newell, Old Rochester, 4
Katie Ferrara, Somerset Berkley, 3
Mary Furey, Reading, 3
Norah Schweitzer, Westford, 3
Naomi Vajda, Andover, 3
Ellen Griswold, Chelmsford, 7
Bella Lee, Needham, 7
Bonnie Politzer, Chelmsford, 7
Faith Najem, Whitinsville Christian, 6
Claire Zhang, Andover, 6
Brie Cairns, Chelmsford, 5
Alicia Marcal, Chelmsford, 5
Kaitlyn Pepin, Westford, 5
Dylan Poirier, Hanover, 5
Sophia Soto, Bellingham, 5
Kyra Ward, Chelmsford, 5
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Massachusetts
Sewage could be dumped into Charles River under new proposal from Massachusetts water authority
A new proposal by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to change the Charles River’s water-quality classification is sparking controversy, with advocates saying that sewage dumping could undo decades of cleanup.
The plan announced at a meeting on Wednesday would declassify the Charles River as swimmable and allow sewage to flow into the water.
Advocates were shocked to hear the news.
“There could be more sewage, more trash, more debris, more odors,” she said. “We could be going back to what we worked so hard to improve,” said Laura Jasinski, executive director of the Charles River Conservancy.
The Charles River is now one of the cleanest urban rivers in the country, according to the MWRA. Jasinski says that the state of the river has come a long way.
“There was a time when people used to talk about the stench,” she said. “We used to get a ‘D’ letter grade, like on a report card, from the EPA. Back up to we’re getting a ‘B’, ‘B+’ these days.”
What would this mean for recreational activities?
Visitors like Rangan Gajural worry that the change could make it unsafe for recreational activities.
“I think it’s kind of disgusting,” he said. “I come over here to do paddleboating and canoeing. So this will definitely change my mind if it’s going to stink.”
“It’s a place where people come to make memories. It’s a place where you can come and watch a sunset. People get engaged here,” Jasinski said.
The MWRA says the proposal would not make the river less safe.
In a statement, the agency said, “The draft plan as presented reflects a responsible approach that balances potential environmental benefits with rate impacts to all MWRA customer communities.”
Officials said they are working with the cities of Cambridge and Somerville to reduce sewage overflows. The MWRA Board plans to discuss the proposal at its next meeting on Nov. 19.
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