About - Cape Cod Rivers

About CCRO

Everyone knows about Cape Cod’s magnificent beaches, estuaries, and ocean. But Cape Cod also has critically important rivers that support spectacular and threatened biodiversity, and serve as sentinels of the health of their watersheds. The Cape Cod Rivers Observatory (CCRO), an initiative of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, focuses world-class river science on these hidden treasures. We currently sample five rivers each week, contributing essential water quality data that help protect and restore these marvelous and under-appreciated ecosystems and the estuaries into which they flow. Whether you are concerned about nitrogen pollution in Cape Cod estuaries or are passionate about protecting the rare sea-run brook trout that inhabit some of these streams, the Cape Cod Rivers Observatory is here to help.

Our Team

Robert Max Holmes, Ph.D.

President and CEO, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Dr. Max Holmes spent decades studying rivers and their watersheds across the globe. He led international projects investigating how climate change and other disturbances are impacting watersheds in the Russian, Canadian, and Alaskan Arctic, and in the tropics in the Amazon and the Congo. In 2016 Dr. Holmes established the Cape Cod Rivers Observatory (CCRO). As the President and CEO of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, Dr. Holmes is motivated by a vision of science that connects people with each other and the natural world, and which drives urgently needed solutions to the climate crisis.

Rob Stenson, M.S.

Research Assistant, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Rob has been an essential part of Cape Cod Rivers Observatory since its beginning in 2016. He started as a community-scientist and continues to lead the weekly sampling, and he assists with sample analyses. In 2023, Rob was hired as a Research Assistant at Woodwell Climate to continue collecting and processing samples and measuring river discharge. Through many years of observation of rivers as a team member of CCRO, Rob has become an expert in identifying patterns and changes in temperature, water level, and cyanobacteria. His knowledge is an invaluable asset to the project.

Gregory J. Fiske, M.S.

Senior Geospatial Analyst, Senior Research Associate, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Greg is a geographer and data analyst interested in the use of Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to facilitate and communicate science. He manages the many technical aspects of the Woodwell Climate Research Center’s geospatial activities. As a Senior Research Associate and a spatial data expert, he applies his skills to various research projects, both within and outside the Center. Spearheading new technical approaches to problem-solving, he participates in several collaborative and ongoing research projects as an analyst and as an advisor on geospatial activity. Prior to joining the Center, Fiske worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and has over 15 years of experience working with river-related spatial data.

Anya Suslova, M.S.

Research Assistant, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Anya leads river flow and chemistry data sharing and nutrient load estimations for CCRO. When not helping out with the Cape Cod Rivers Observatory, Anya focuses primarily on the implementation of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory (arcticgreatrivers.org). Rivers have been part of her life from the start, having been born and raised along the Lena River in the Siberian Arctic. Anya has been involved with Woodwell Climate on various aspects of the Arctic Great Rivers Observatory as well as the Polaris Project since 2003. She holds a Diploma in World Economics from North-Eastern Federal University in Russia and a M.S. in Climate Science and Policy from Teri University in New Delhi.

Andrea Norton, M.S.

Research Assistant, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Andie is an ecologist with expertise in freshwater chemistry, aquatic ecology, water conservation, and science outreach and education. Andie leads the laboratory analyses and data management for Cape Cod Rivers Observatory. When not in the lab, Andie analyzes the temperature and nutrient data to help understand the response of watersheds to human impact and climate change. Andie graduated from Michigan Technological University with a B.S. in Biology-Ecology in 2018 and holds a Master’s degree from Texas Tech University in Aquatic Science and Management. She joined Woodwell Climate in 2022, contributing her expertise to many of the Rivers projects at Woodwell Climate. She loves that she can participate in all aspects of the science; from collecting samples in remote Alaska to writing reports on data trends.