Despite being a rather small area, Nantucket is home to a wide variety of ecosystems which are home to diverse flora and fauna.  Here is a quick snapshot of just some of the interesting life on Nantucket.

Beaches and Coastal Habitat

Just over 80 miles of beach surround Nantucket, although that figure is constantly changing as beaches erode and accrete each season.   American beach grass provides much of the stability for sand dunes as well as habitat for a variety of migratory and year-round birds.  Piping Plovers, Oystercatchers,  Least Terns and (of course) Sea Gulls, feed or nest here.  In areas where more soil is present, Rusa Rugosa and Beach Peas take root and even thicker coastal shrub communities include bayberry, Scrub Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, Low-bush Blueberry, Eastern Prickly Pear and Beach Plum.  These also provide homes for upland birds such as Ring-neck pheasants, Crows, Savannah Sparrows and Robins.    On occasion Gray and Harbor seals can be found lounging on the beaches, although the nearby island of Muskeget has become their favorite breeding ground.

Sandplain Grasslands and Heathlands

Once covering much of New England's coastal areas, Nantucket is fortunate to still have large swaths of sandplain grasslands.  Feeding grounds for Norther Harrier, Osprey, Red-Tail Hawk and Short-Eared Owl, the sea of rare wildflowers is also home to White-footed field mice, Meadow Voles and the ubiquitous Eastern Cotton Tail rabbits.  New England Blazing Star, Sandplain Blue-Eyed Grass, Mayflower (Trailing Arbutus) and Goldenrod bring punches of color to these level open areas.  Monarch butterflies, Honeybees and Praying Mantis can all be found, along with the infamous Deer Ticks.

Heathlands or "The Moors" are more dominated by Pitch Pine, Scrub Oak Huckleberry and Bayberry, whereas these larger plants exist only in smaller pockets in the grassland areas.  Geologically formed by the masses of sand and rock left by a receding glacier, this ecosystem was essentially created through centuries of use by humans who cut down larger trees, and allowed sheep to graze freely preventing tree and shrub saplings from outgrowing grasses. Similar to the Grasslands, low-growing groundcover plants such as Bearberry, Sandplain flax, Alpine Reindeer Moss and wild grasses are found throughout.

Forests

Not counting the older American Elms that line the streets in town, most trees were cut by early settlers to build houses and boats, so only a few stands of hardwoods and evergreens can be found on the island.  White and Black Oak share space in Coskata Woods with hazelnut, huckleberry, wintergreen, and Poison ivy abounds.   Squam swamp and the hidden forest near Almanack Pond are host to wiry Sassafrass, American Beech, and the occasional American Holly.  Most of the upland bird species spend time in these areas as do the numerous White-tailed deer.

Saltmarshes

Most commonly found in the areas where creeks flow into harbors are the saltmarshes and tidal ponds.  Flooded daily by the tides, these areas are home to salt-resistant Cordgrass above water and Eelgrass below.  Myriad shellfish including Bay scallops, Oysters, various Crabs, Quahogs, Soft-shell and Razor Clams find their homes here.   Happily feeding on this gourmet feast are Egrets, Herons, Kingfishers and (naturally) Oystercatchers.  Of course mosquitos also love these areas and like many other towns, ditches have been constructed to increase the tidal waterflow in order to prevent the full number of eggs from hatching. 

Freshwater

Without any rivers or streams and only 2 springs where water surfaces from the underground aquifer, Nantucket's freshwater exists mostly in the form of ponds.  Amidst Cattails and Phragmites, waterfowl such as egrets, herons, Red-winged blackbirds, Mallards and Canada geese feed and rest along with Bull frogs and Spring Peepers.  Painted and Snapping turtles abound and the more rare Spotted turtle can also be found.  In addition to the larger ponds, Nantucket has numerous wetlands and during the Spring Vernal pools in which Fairy Shrimp spend their entire life cycle.