A Recently Published Report Details the Relationship Between Weather, Water Quality, and Osprey Survival
Water Quality Monitoring Station
If you were in New Hampshire during the summer of 2023, you likely remember the historic amounts of rainfall our community experienced, which exceeded over 21 inches from June to August. Have you ever wondered how that weather impacted the estuary or the wildlife that live here? In the recently published 2023 System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) Report, you can find a data-driven account of weather and water quality conditions from that year and the resulting impact on ospreys in the region.
These SWMP weather and water quality reports are produced each year by research staff at the Great Bay Research Reserve and at the University of New Hampshire’s Jackson Estuarine Lab. Over the course of the year, four water quality stations and one weather station distributed throughout the estuary collect data every 15 minutes. Visualizing and analyzing these datasets can help us identify trends or abnormalities in weather and water quality over time.
Data from the SWMP stations in 2023 revealed that water clarity was low and rainfall was high between June and August, just after young ospreys hatch in the nest. These two events together created a stressful environment for local ospreys, including the birds at the Great Bay Discovery Center. Low water quality in the bay resulted in the adult birds traveling further to find fish, and excessive storms soaked the young birds. Eventually, all three chicks from our local nest perished due to food scarcity or falling from the nest. As of April 2025, the osprey breeding pair has returned to the local nest and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of this year’s egg clutch and eventual hatchlings. You can follow along as well via the Great Bay Osprey Cam which streams live 24/7.
The link between environmental conditions and wildlife health is direct, and it is critical that we study these connections to better understand how to support ecosystem health. For more details on the 2023 weather and water quality report, or to view previous years’ reports, visit the monitoring page of our website.
