Tuckernuck Island


Tuckernuck is an island in the town and former whaling port of Nantucket, Massachusetts, west of Nantucket Island and east of Muskeget. Its name allegedly means "a loaf of bread". The island has an area of about. The highest point is about.

Settlement

The island is privately owned by its summer residents. Approximately 35 houses have been built on Tuckernuck; the oldest home on the island was built in the mid-18th century. The island has no paved roads or public utilities. Electricity is generated by gas powered generators and solar panels. Water comes from several wells on the island and water heaters are generally gas powered, as are the stoves. The island has some cars, but most of the motorized transportation is provided by golf carts.

Geology

Tuckernuck was originally formed by the terminal moraine of the last glacial episode. It still retains remnants of the moraine as low hills, but the southern half of the island consists of outwash plains characterized by coastal heathland, a globally restricted and endangered plant community.

Flora and fauna

Coastal heathland occurs only in the Northeast United States, from Long Island, NY, to Cape Cod, MA. Dominant species include little bluestem, bearberry, and low ericaceous shrubs. There are extensive areas of scrub oak vegetation of up to in height, along with pitch pine, black huckleberry and sweet pepperbush. Red maple and black gum trees occur in kettlehole swamps. Other plants include American beachgrass, seaside goldenrod, poison ivy, bayberry, beach plum, saltspray rose and other shrubs on the stabilized dunes. There are a few small freshwater marshes and a salt marsh dominated by cordgrass.
The largest concentration of Long-tailed Duck in the western Atlantic occurs nearby, along with thousands of common eiders and three species of scoter. In late summer a thousand or more roseate terns, a U.S. endangered species, feed near here in preparation for their southward migration. Extensive sandspits on Tuckernuck are favored haul-out points for large numbers of harbor and gray seals. The island also supports many other state and federally rare species, including Nantucket shadbush, a candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act; several pairs of short-eared owl ; piping plover, a U.S. threatened species; least tern ; northern harrier and common tern.

Public access

The southeast end of the island has a grass airstrip, which is seldom used.