This went out in the newsletter of the Center for Student Coastal Research thanks to Jack Buckley: We take a moment today to express our condolences to the family of Pam Fahey. As the Director of Public Health for the town of Cohasset, Pam was the leader of the town's bacteria monitoring collaboration with CSCR students. Pam guided scores of students over the years to ensure that the town's beaches were properly monitored. In addition to her enthusiasm for involving students in her work, she was deeply passionate about making sure everyone understood the science behind the regulations for beach closures. For example, responding to a July 2024 newsletter from CSCR highlighting student monitoring work, Pam sent us an email. "I just read your newsletter and it was full of great information. Confirming that samples collected off of the Sailing Club dock are representative of Bassing Beach was very useful. Also the graphics and writeup for the question – is it safe to swim in the harbor - were really interesting to see and read as well." Her passion for getting the science right, however, and ensuring that our collaboration was always well informed, she provided critical feedback. "In terms of risk communication to the public, the concept of being either above or below a maximum value of 104 MPN is an easy concept to understand. Explaining a geomean limit is a lot tougher concept to communicate, but it's something to consider in a future newsletter, especially if the beach is shut down in the upcoming weeks due to the geomean limit of 35 MPN." Continuing, she shared her expertise in an encouraging manner. "The geomean was likely created for this type of recreational water body that is not completely open to the ocean like Sandy [Beach] and has consistent potential sources of contamination. After a while there can be a baseline low level bacterial contamination, particularly as the water temperature continues to increase. Where the 104 MPN is protective of a one-day acute exposure to bacteria, the geomean limit of 35 MPN is meant to be protective of chronic exposures to someone that might be exposed to the harbor on a daily basis. As these hot weeks of summer continue the geomean could become an issue at some point."
Though the excerpt we share is a bit of a deep dive into bacteria monitoring, Pam's words exemplify the professionalism and integrity she brought to her work in community health.
Additionally, Pam was incredibly supportive of very recent student research investigating PFAS in the Gulf River system and in Cohasset Harbor's foam and ambient waters. Upon receipt and review of data from Elsie and Katie (featured below), she issued a public health advisory. As was Pam's way, she was in the process of working with the students to reach out to other towns experiencing similar issues.
We will miss her friendship, guidance, collaboration, and spirit of community. And we will be honored to carry our collaboration forward in her memory.
Susan Bryant adds: we also so appreciate her "can" attitude that enabled us to mark out 6' of distance on our boat and in our lab, to keep students engaged in the real-world during Covid. My Marjot-funded eelgrass team did great work that year and have gone on to do very well in the world! Working with her was a delight! I wish I'd been able to spend more time with such great person just for fun.
For family: I know that when we lose a person who thrived with such vitality and vivaciousness in this earthly world, its ecosystems, environments, and joyful people, we survivors who've now completed the organizing of funerals etc, are lucky that the next thing we can do to honor them is to do just that: immerse ourselves and thrive in the vitality, energy and beauty of all that this world offers. Instead of a heavy cross to bear, it's a blessing to do that and to encourage others to do that. Thus wonderful spirits like Pam's continue!
And be exquisitely kind to yourselves, take time, eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and don't operate heavy machinery for a bit. If you need to take a trip to Bassings Beach please borrow my dinghy.
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