Turning the tide on climate change at UMass Boston

At the edge of Boston Harbor, researchers and communities are testing solutions that could shape how cities worldwide adapt to the climate crisis.

By CAROL THORNBER, DEAN, SCHOOL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT UMASS BOSTON

We are living in the age of climate resilience. Our water, air, energy, health, and even our economies are all impacted as temperatures increase locally and globally each year. Scientists warn that the accelerated pace is outrunning the solutions we currently have. But there is hope and optimism, if we act boldly and together.

Three people stand near the edge of the water examining textured concrete panels installed on a stone seawall. The panels have a sculpted, coral-like design, and the group appears to be discussing or observing them closely on a sunny day. — North America’s first Living Seawalls habitat panels were installed by the Stone Living Lab at two locations on Boston Harbor in 2024. The panels are specially designed to create habitat for marine life to flourish on what would otherwise be inhospitable flood barriers. Photo credit Javier Rivas.

At UMass Boston, Boston’s only public research university, perched on the edge of Boston Harbor, we are uniquely positioned — and morally obligated — to lead. Our work requires more than science. It’s about an ethic of care: listening to communities, understanding lived experiences of climate impacts, and developing solutions that are both nature-based and technology-driven.

One of the most exciting expressions of this vision is the Stone Living Lab.  A partnership between UMass Boston’s School for the Environment and Boston Harbor Now, the Lab brings research directly into the community: the harbor, beaches, and neighborhoods of our city. It is science in action — scientists, policymakers, and community members working side by side to test and scale innovative solutions for coastal resilience. A “living lab” brings research out of the traditional laboratory and into the real world by creating a user-centered, open, innovative ecosystem that engages scientists and the community in collaborative design and exploration.

This year, thanks to a transformational $10 million gift from The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation, the Stone Living Lab is taking its work to the next level. New projects will:

Build and test living seawalls that protect shorelines and foster marine life
Deploy boulder fields to reduce wave energy and erosion
Address the growing challenge of compound coastal and inland flooding
Expand their climate change observatory
And launch a national competition to spark fresh, nature-based innovations

These projects turn research into action. They are beacons of what is possible — proof that we can adapt, innovate, and lead with courage.

A group of people stand and walk along a waterfront stone wall, where a series of textured concrete panels are attached near the waterline. One person leans over the railing with a measuring tape extended toward the water, while others look on under clear blue skies. — The Condor Street Urban Wild in East Boston and Fan Pier in the South Boston Waterfront neighborhood are now home to 240 Living Seawalls panels, which mimic beneficial natural habitats like rock pools. The project is exploring how Living Seawalls panels can help increase biodiversity and abundance of ocean life, improve water quality, and potentially soften wave impact while also mitigating the environmental downsides of existing seawalls. Photo credit Javier Rivas.

Here in Boston, with the leadership and vision of Governor Healey, we are showing the world that resilience is about more than survival. It’s about transformation. It’s about building a future where our children and grandchildren inherit a planet where they can live and thrive.

At UMass Boston, we believe resilience is hope in action. And together — with science, with community, with vision — we can turn the climate crisis into a turning point for humanity.

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