The Martha’s Vineyard Commission presented a water quality management policy with an emphasis on the high nitrogen in coastal ponds.

Phragmites can be a valuable tool for removing nitrogen in Vineyard ponds, according to new research presented to a packed meeting in the West Tisbury Library Monday afternoon.

Torrents of rain from recent storms have caused Vineyard Great Ponds to rise to historic levels, threatening shellfish and surrounding homes.

Regular removal of phragmites is an effective and efficient way to improve the health of coastal ponds, a study has found.

The overall health of the Edgartown Great Pond has shown significant improvement over the past decade, according to a report released Tuesday from the nonprofit Great Pond Foundation.

With funding approved to pilot a new type of septic system in the Lagoon Pond and Lake Tashmoo watersheds, Tisbury may soon find itself a step ahead in a race to preserve coastal ponds.

Voters in Oak Bluffs and Tisbury this year will be asked to move forward on ambitious plans to expand each town’s sewer district, with a common goal of benefitting both local business and coastal ponds.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is revising its 2007 water quality policy, with an eye toward stricter rules for developments that contribute nitrogen to saltwater ponds from wastewater.

As communities on the Island and across the region look to shellfish as a possible strategy to restore the health of coastal ponds, a study on the Cape provides numbers to back up their work.

The Vineyard Gazette’s series on coastal ponds was recognized with an award for outstanding journalism this week by the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Alex Elvin was the principal reporter on the series.