The town of Aquinnah will seek a cultural designation for the area around Aquinnah Circle, including the Gay Head Light, from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which promotes arts, sciences and humanities in the state.

Cape Pogue was closed to vehicles this week as plovers and terns begin to hatch. Shorebird protection programs have been in place for decades. But this year’s closure has fueled the concerns of local fishermen who have been enjoying one of the best bluefish runs on Chappaquiddick in years.

Rhode Island Fast Ferry has partnered with Deepwater Wind to build a new transport vessel for technicians working on the country’s first offshore wind energy project, located between Block Island and the Vineyard.

Carefully lifting up a panel of plywood near Oyster Pond in Edgartown on Monday, Liz Baldwin uncovered a rare sight: a black racer, the Island’s largest and least common snake species. It was her first encounter with the species, which has been in decline here since the 1970s.

The Gay Head Light relocation project continues, with a foundation of concrete blocks slowly rising around a gridwork of steel beams that supports the 400-ton structure. On May 30, the lighthouse was moved inland from the eroding cliffs.

With a goal of cultivating one million oysters a year, Chilmark officials are expanding available aquaculture grants for Menemsha Pond.