Steve Kirk
Coastal Program Director, Massachusetts
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Areas of Expertise
coastal conservation, living shorelines, climate adaptation, marine policy, aquaculture
Biography
Steve Kirk is the coastal program director for The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. His leadership has played a pivotal role in advancing market and nature-based solutions to address the complexity of coastal environmental challenges. Steve and the coastal team are committed to protecting and restoring critical coastal ecosystems to benefit both people and nature.
Steve advances coastal conservation strategies across Massachusetts and beyond, using tools like aquaculture, habitat restoration and living shorelines. He collaborates with a wide range of partners on research and implementation projects that harness the power of nature to influence policy and promote the broader adoption of sustainable, nature-driven practices.
Steve holds a master’s in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Vermont. He also maintains a 500-ton Ocean Master U.S. Coast Guard License. Steve holds a seat on the Massachusetts Shellfish Advisory Panel, is a member of the MassBays National Estuary Partnership management committee and participates in many state and regional industry and policy committees.
Steve has had a lifelong connection to the water. He grew up sailing small boats in Buzzards Bay, and went on to be a captain of tugboats and tall ships. He also farmed oysters. Steve continues to spend time at the coast–whether in, on or around the water–with his family.
In the Media
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Island aquafarmers try new ways to grow oysters
Steve Kirk emphasizes the importance of collaborating with oyster farmers for reef restoration. Read more
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Island shellfish and a parallel in the Chesapeake
The Nature Conservancy’s Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program in Massachusetts has supported several oyster growers on Martha's Vineyard. Learn more
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Documentary to Highlight Briny Delicacy
A documentary film produced by Vineyard Haven resident Sandy Cannon-Brown is screened ahead of a panel discussion with Steve Kirk. Read more
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Oysters for sale: Fairhaven oyster farmers trade bivalves for cash
Local oyster farmers teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to grow the oyster aquaculture industry in Fairhaven. Read more
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What's An Oyster Reef? Mass Program Looks To Bring Oysters To Former Glory
Steve Kirk spoke to WBZ NewsRadio in honor of World Reef Day to share that TNC is trying to maintain the oyster reefs that still exist along the Massachusetts coast, and bring back reefs that have disappeared. Read more
Publications
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Addressing constraints to shellfish aquaculture
Quantifying public perceptions and attitudes along the Atlantic coast of the US to address shellfish aquaculture constraints. Read the paper
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A global monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for aquaculture
Helping nature thrive through aquaculture. Read the paper
Keep Reading
Diving Deep on Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration
To safeguard the health of coastal environments, TNC is both restoring natural shellfish reefs and working directly with shellfish farmers.
New England Living Shorelines
Learn about five New England projects that are models for nature-based methods of protecting our vulnerable coasts and coastal communities as we deal with the effects of a changing climate.
Researching a Remarkable Halibut Recovery
There are some big unknowns that need to be addressed to increase chances for Atlantic halibut's recovery. TNC, fishermen and researchers are pursuing answers.