The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will host a conference next week to talk about how Vineyarders can adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the Island’s coast.

WHOI Sea Grant, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and The Trustees of Reservations will join for the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Conference on Oct. 1.  

The conference is held annually, alternating between the Vineyard and Nantucket. The theme this year is “Building Coastal Resilience,” and will highlight resiliency projects on the Island and across the region. Flood risk and economic impacts of coastal change will also be presented by experts. 

Though geared towards coastal managers, experts, organizations, town staff and researchers, the event is open and free to the public.  

The keynote presentation will be delivered by Deanna Morgan. Ms. Morgan is the chief coastal resilience officer for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Management.  Ms. Morgan leads the state’s new ResilientCoasts initiative, which takes a holistic and proactive strategy to guide coastal resiliency projects.

“This conference is a critical connector, enabling communities to collaborate to meet these challenges together through information sharing, networking and the development of shared solutions,” WHOI Sea Grant coastal resilience specialist Shelly McComb wrote in a statement. 

The day-long conference will be held at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center. For registration and more information, visit seagrant.whoi.edu.