Squibnocket Pond, Aquinnah, Martha’s Vineyard

Squibnocket pond is home to a population of over-wintering Striped Bass. In the Fall of 2023, SBM and The Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah Natural Resources Dept. embarked on a multi-year collaborative study to examine the seasonal behaviors and movements of this holdover population. Of particular interest to the Tribe was the predatory impacts of holdover striped bass on a declining population of River Herring that spawn in Squibnocket and the narrow creek the connects it to Menemsha Pond. The Tribe is working to rebuild this traditional and historic native fishery and assessing the temporal-spatial movements of a major predator and the degree of predation is a critical part of understanding spawning success and rehabilitating the population of the herring.

The Southwestern end of Martha’s Vineyard showing the location of Squibnocket Pond, Menemsha Pond, and the Herring Creek (below) that connects the two ponds. 

Members of the tagging team from WTGHA Natural Resources Dept. and MBL. Fall 2023.