Page title
Where is Casco Bay?
A lighthouse at the mouth of Casco Bay stands atop Halfway Rock, so named because it is almost
exactly halfway between the boundaries of Casco Bay—Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small
in Phippsburg.
Toward the southern end of Casco Bay, Maine’s most famous lighthouse—Portland Head
Light—welcomes mariners into Portland Harbor. Imagine these lighthouses with signs that read,
“Welcome to Casco Bay! Come on in, but wipe your feet. We are all working to keep Casco Bay
clean!”
Data from our Continuous Monitoring Stations
Where is Casco Bay?
A lighthouse at the mouth of Casco Bay stands atop Halfway Rock, so named because it is almost
exactly halfway between the boundaries of Casco Bay—Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small
in Phippsburg.
Toward the southern end of Casco Bay, Maine’s most famous lighthouse—Portland Head
Light—welcomes mariners into Portland Harbor. Imagine these lighthouses with signs that read,
“Welcome to Casco Bay! Come on in, but wipe your feet. We are all working to keep Casco Bay
clean!”
Click on the parameter below (in the blue boxes) to see daily mean values based on the data and
measurements we are collecting. A description of each parameter is below the graph. We add data to
these graphs monthly to document changes in water quality conditions in Casco Bay.
Water Temperature in Celsius (C)
The temperature of the water, measured in degrees Celsius. The growth, reproduction,
and survival of marine life are influenced by temperature.
Water Temperature in Celsius (C)
The temperature of the water, measured in degrees Celsius. The growth, reproduction,
and survival of marine life are influenced by temperature.
Water Temperature in Celsius (C)
The temperature of the water, measured in degrees Celsius. The growth, reproduction,
and survival of marine life are influenced by temperature.
Water Temperature in Celsius (C)
The temperature of the water, measured in degrees Celsius. The growth, reproduction,
and survival of marine life are influenced by temperature.
Water Temperature in Celsius (C)
The temperature of the water, measured in degrees Celsius. The growth, reproduction,
and survival of marine life are influenced by temperature.Where is Casco Bay?
Our Water Reporter program was launched with versatility in mind, designed to adapt to the
capabilities and schedules of our volunteers. In general, there are two ways that Water Reporters
participate in the program:
Creating a Post: a Visual Guide
Before you begin, make sure you have downloaded the app and have made an account.
See how here.
1. Find your location.
Every post must have a location.
Your best option here is to grant access to the Water Reporter app to your location services. When this action is turned on, Water Reporter will find your location automatically.
If you are posting away from the original location, you can type in a location. The location pin will drop to that address. Then you can move the pin manually to adjust.
2. Describe your photo and observations.
Describe what you see and add any hashtags that are relevant to your observation. Hashtags
help us by grouping and categorizing posts. Once you’ve completed your comment, tap on the blue save button in the upper right-hand corner.
Include our suggested hashtags, as they apply to your post.
Think WATERS!
- W #wildlife (Share the wildlife you see)
- A #algae (Report algae blooms or areas that are known to have algal blooms, but don’t at this time)
- T #trash (Report marine trash)
- E #eelgrass (Share changes in eelgrass growth) and #erosion (Identify coastal erosion sites)
- R #reportpollution (Report pollution: sheen, foam, discolored discharges)
- S #sealevelrise (Revisit the same location to capture high tide impacts) and #saltmarsh (Share changes in areas of saltmarsh over the seasons and years)
You may use multiple hashtags. You may also use hashtags not on this list, even creating your own. Just be sure to use the ones above every time you post about those topics.
3. Add an image.
Take a picture through the app or select an existing photo on your phone.
Click on the camera icon, then select “Take a picture” and take a new photo.
Alternatively, you can choose “Select a saved photo” and choose a photo from your Photo Library, if you already took the image through your device’s camera app. This can be a better option for areas with poor data coverage. It ensures you don’t lose the image.
4. Share with us.
Share with us to make sure we are notified of your post and it displays on our map! Tap the small green circle next to “Friends of Casco Bay”.
You will know you clicked the circle because it will fill in.
Troubleshooting: Sometimes the tagging a group feature does not work. If this happens to you, skip this step and continue to post your photo. Once it is posted, you can edit your post and share it with the Friends of Casco Bay group. You can see how to do that in the Troubleshooting section below.
5. Review and submit your post.
Review your post to ensure it is complete and accurate.
Click the checkmark in the upper right-hand corner to complete and save your post.
You will be taken to your profile page, and if you have good data service, you will immediately see the post. If you do not see it, tap the globe icon, and see if it is there. Be patient, especially when you do not have good cell phone data coverage.
Still not seeing it? Contact us at volunteer [at] cascobay [dot] org.
Note: All times recorded on the map are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
References
1 “‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ urges UN, as microplastics now outnumber stars in our galaxy,” United Nations Clean Seas Campaign, UN News, February 23, 2017
2 “The New Plastics Economy — Rethinking the future of plastics,” World Economic Forum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and McKinsey & Company, 2016
3 Lisbeth Van Cauwenberghe with Colin R. Janssen, “Microplastics in bivalves cultured for human
consumption,” Environmental Pollution, October 2014, Vol. 193, October 2014, pp. 65-70
4 Yukie Mato et al., “Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment,” Environ. Sci. Technol., 2001, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 318–324
5 Mark Anthony Browne et al., “Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Worldwide: Sources and Sinks,” Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, Vol. 45, No. 21, pp. 9175–9179
6 “Freshwater’s Macro Microplastic Problem,” Nova Next, May 11, 2017
7 Understanding Plastic Film: Its Uses, Benefits and Waste Management Options, American Plastics Council, December 1996
8 “Toxnet Hazardous Substances Data Bank, Styrene, CASRN: 100-42-5 (Human Health Effects)” National Library of Medicine, revised November 1, 1994
9 Claire LeGuern, “When the Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide,” Coastal Care, coastalcare.org, updated March 2018
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