www.longislandsoundstudy.net August/September 2007 e-newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS)Hypoxia Sets in Later
Nine water quality monitoring stations experienced hypoxia (dissolved oxygen levels of 3.5 mg/liter of water or less) during sampling conducted by the CT DEP from July 19 through July 24. The stations represent an estimated 120 square miles. The worst occurrence of hypoxia in recent years during this time period was in 2000 when hypoxia occurred in 260 square miles of water. Hypoxia is low dissolved oxygen levels in the water that can potentially harm aquatic animal and plant life. It was not recorded in the early July water quality survey (July 9-July 11) for the first time in three years. DEP’s water quality monitoring program, which is funded through LISS, will be posting this year’s hypoxia survey results on its Web site by August. |  |
| LIS Radio Nature Series Available On-Line
A radio series on Long Island Sound’s natural environment, produced by Laurie Sanders of WFCR in Amherst, MA, is airing this summer on Connecticut's public radio stations. It’s also available on-line at Field Notes. The eight-part series began with a profile of the Project Limulus horseshoe crab monitoring project. There are also features about endangered birds, tidal wetlands, and hypoxia. The series was funded through a small grant from the Sound Futures Fund. | |  |
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| NFWF Announces DO Fund Projects
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded almost $1.6 million in grants to fund 12 water quality and restoration projects in Long Island Sound and Jamaica Bay. The source of the grant money is the Dissolved Oxygen Environmental Benefit Fund for the Western Long Island Sound and Jamaica Bay, designed to support restoration and water quality projects that reduce pollution, particularly nitrogen, threatening the health and living resources of these estuaries. See news release
| CAC hosts LIS Survey Director
What do Long Island Sound residents think about the water quality of Long Island Sound? How much do they care about the environment? Do they know what lawn care practices will help keep the Sound clean? These types of questions were asked last year as part of a Public Perception Survey of Long Island Sound. In September, Leonie Huddie, director of the Center for Survey Research at Stony Brook University, will discuss the findings of the survey, which will be used by LISS to help identify ways to engage local citizens in the Sound's restoration. The talk is on the agenda for the Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, which is being held at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12 in New York City. For more information, call 203-977-1541. See survey to read the survey findings. |
| Learn About LIS Restoration Projects
Case studies of Long Island Sound Habitat Restoration Initiative projects from 2000-2004 are now available as part of the annual summaries reports to the Habitat Restoration manual, on LISS’s Web site. Summaries for 2005 and 2006 will be posted soon. |
| Around the Sound| • Beach Cleanups: Want to help clean up your local shoreline? On Sept. 15 volunteer for beach cleanups, and be part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup of The Ocean Conservancy. For volunteer information in New York, call the American Littoral Society’s Beach Cleanup Hotline, 1-800-449-0790, or visit www.alsnyc.org. In Connecticut, call Emily Schaller at Save the Sound, 203-787-0646, ext.113 or e-mail her at eschaller@savethesound.org. | |  |
• WET Educator Workshop: The CT DEP will conduct a “Land and Water” workshop on Sept. 7 at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. This teacher workshop includes the science of water and the formation of Connecticut’s geology to see how current day watersheds and structures were formed. Project WET curriculum guides and supplemental information will be provided. Registration is required. Visit CT DEP’s event listing Web page for details.
• National Estuaries Day: Sept. 29 has been designated as a national day to celebrate estuaries, the unique coastal waterbodies (such as the Sound) where fresh water mixes with water from the ocean. Sites on the Sound to celebrate will include Port Jefferson, Alley Pond in Queens, and Mystic. Check the LISS Web site in September for more information. |
| Funding Opportunities
• Army Corps Grants: The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers is soliciting project proposals for estuary habitat
restoration projects. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 20. • STAR Grants: The EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, and its interagency partners, NOAA and NASA, are seeking applications proposing targeted research projects for the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms. Applications will be accepted until Oct. 4. • NOAA Grants: NOAA has two competitive grant programs currently available – the Habitat Restoration Program (applications due Sept 27) and Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Project Grants (applications due Oct. 21).Please see the NOAA Restoration Center Web page for full text and application instructions. |
| Award for LIS Seaweed Book
Seaweeds of Long Island Sound by Peg Van Patten of CT Sea Grant received an Award of Excellence in the 19th Annual Apex Awards for Publication, a competition for communications professionals. The book was entered in the One-of-a-Kind Print category. The book was funded with a grant from LISS. |
| Biennial Report Available On-Line
LISS’s 2005-2006 Biennial Report, Protection and Progress, is now available on-line at LISS’s Web site. The report highlights projects in the past two years that have helped in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to restore the Sound. | |  |
|  | | Water Fact
The typical single-family suburban household uses at least 30 percent of their water outdoors for irrigation. Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of landscape water use goes to waste due to evaporation or runoff caused by overwatering. Water-efficient irrigation systems help to waste less water, potentially saving more than 11 billion gallons per year across the United States. Source: EPA. Back to top
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Long Island Sound Study EPA Long Island Sound Office
888 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06904-2152 Phone: (203) 977-1541 Fax: (203) 977-1546
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