SLL grant from 11th Hour Racing to support Salt Marsh Health Assessment in East Boston

by Alexis McLean

The Stone Living Lab (SLL) is kicking off a new research project to conduct a salt marsh health assessment and restoration work at Condor Street Urban Wild in East Boston, made possible with support from 11th Hour Racing. This is one of three initiatives supported by the $123,000 grant awarded to the Lab through Boston Harbor Now earlier this year.

Photo of the salt marsh from the SLL Chronolog Station at Condor St Urban Wild taken July 31, 2025.

The salt marsh along the shoreline of Condor St Urban Wild was previously restored by the City of Boston. In collaboration with the Stone Living Lab, the City’s Urban Wilds program has been monitoring the growth and health of the salt marsh for the past three years through a Chronolog photo station.

The Stone Living Lab will launch a study to assess the health of the salt marsh and develop a conceptual plan to support recovery of this urban ecosystem. Researchers are beginning a health assessment of the salt marsh to understand its evolution since restoration, any current stressors, and resilience to future environmental change. This work will be done in partnership with the City of Boston, with an additional goal of identifying lessons that can be applied to salt marshes throughout the city and region.

Photo of the SLL Boston Harbor Entrance Wave Buoy, which is part of the Real-time Monitoring Network.

In addition to the salt marsh health assessment, the grant will provide support for the Stone Living Lab’s Real-Time Monitoring Network which currently consists of 26 instruments and stations that assess changing climate conditions throughout Boston Harbor and beyond. This additional funding to support operations and maintenance, including site visits and any necessary repairs, will help ensure that the network continues to operate smoothly and deliver real-time data on coastal conditions to researchers, decisionmakers, and the public.

2025 Stone Living Lab Conference

The grant from 11th Hour Racing will also support the 2027 Stone Living Lab Conference, a biannual conference which attracts 350 regional, national, and global attendees. Convenings like this create space for researchers, community organizations, students, and climate resilience leaders to learn from one another and make connections to advance climate solutions. Because climate permeates and affects all areas of life and work, the conference brings together participants and keynote speakers with expertise in not only science, but also in fields that are essential to this work such as art, education, policymaking, and communication.

The Stone Living Lab continues to explore how nature-based approaches can benefit urban environments such as Boston in the face of climate change, and funding from philanthropic organizations like 11th Hour Racing are essential to support this work.