Over the past few months, the Mass Department of Public Health, working with the Department of Recreation and Conservation, has deemed dozens of water locations throughout the state closed due to high bacteria levels.

A gray whale, presumed extinct in the Atlantic for over 200 years, was spotted by the New England Aquarium team south of Nantucket, suggesting climate change effects.

Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with one city declaring a state of emergency.