| In order for vernal pools to be fully protected in Massachusetts they must be certified by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program(NHESP). Certification of vernal pools requires evidence that the pool dries up during part of the year and, therefore, can not support predatory fish. The pool must also hold water for at least two consecutive months. Finally certain obligate species use this pool as a breeding ground. |
| The NHESP also requires that the location of the pool be shown on a United States Geological Survey map and a Town Assessor's map. The pool's location must also be noted by metes and bounds, a professional survey, or an aerial photograph(Kenney, 1995). A certified pool is protected from discharge of fill, stormwater, runoff, and all other substances, under the Massachusetts Water Quality Standards Act. It is illegal to fill in a certified vernal pool, to build a septic system in, near, or around a vernal pool, and to do anything to the pool which would damage it's status as a natural habitat(Colburn, 1995). |
| Certification is a process that is fairly simple and can be done by most citizens. It takes about a year for all the documentation to be completed and with the help of a few guides to vernal pools or amphibians certification can be a fun and rewarding process. |
| During the 1996-97 school year, a study was conducted of a vernal pool in Norton, MA at Woodward Woods. We began our study in September 1996 documenting the pool as being dry and observing the fauna within and around the pool. As the year went along we assessed the water level change and the change in fauna. In the spring we observed several breeding obligate species including spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, and wood frogs. We want to thank the town Conservation Commision and the Norton Land Preservation Society for their help aquiring the appropriate maps and land ownership permission. In February 1998 we received official notification from NHESP that the pool had been certified. |
| As part of out effort to certify additional vernal pools we are conducting a search for marbled salamanders. The marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum, is black with a white pattern extending from the neck to the tip of the tail and is listed as a rare species in Massachusetts. Males tend to be brighter and shinier while the females have a more dull color. The marbled salamanders unlike the other mole salamanders, breed in the fall. The unique thing with the marbled salamander is that the female often remains with her eggs for a few days. The eggs are usually hatched a few days after being immersed in water. The larvae begin to metamorphose in late spring and are out of the ponds by May or June. It is unsure where the juveniles and adults go overwinter. It is thought that they hibernate in the surrounding forest under leaf litter and in rotting logs(Tyning 1990). |
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 October 1996 |
 November 1996 |
 March 1997 |
 Spotted Salamander |
 Salamander Egg Mass |
 Wood Frog Egg Mass |
 Fairy Shrimp |
 Spotted Turtle |
Current PIs: Jessica Fahey and My Linh Lee
Faculty Sponser: Scott Shumway