www.longislandsoundstudy.net August/Setember 2008 e-newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS)LISS Happenings:
LISS Hosts Social Marketing Workshop
The Long Island Sound Study will be hosting two social marketing workshops to help local organizations understand how to identify the barriers that prevent people from practicing good environmental behaviors and to develop common-sense strategies to engage people in making changes. These workshops will take place on Sept. 9 (in Norwalk, CT) and Sept. 10 (in Oyster Bay, NY). Visit the Long Island Sound Study website for registration information.
Celebrate National Estuaries Day
On Sept. 27, celebrate Long Island Sound and all estuaries on National Estuaries Day. The Long Island Sound Futures Fund is helping to fund four National Estuaries Day programs at Port Jefferson Harbor, Stony Brook Harbor, Alley Pond in Little Neck Bay, Queens, and Mystic Aquarium. See estuaries for more information about estuaries and National Estuaries Day.
Sound Health 2008 is now available
A new 16-page report published by the LISS on the health of Long Island Sound is now available. Find out about the status and trends in water quality in Long Island Sound's three distinct basins, populations of finfish and shellfish, the amount of natural habitats, and the impact of development in the watershed. Sound Health also has a special section on climate change with local scientists discussing how warming temperatures are affecting the Sound's environment. You can view the report on-line at www.LIShealth.net.National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration
Restore America's Estuaries is primed to hold this year's Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 11-15. Highlights include a keynote speech by Nick Spitzer, a folklorist specializing in American music and the host of public radio's American Routes, and plenary addresses from Dr. Eric Higgs (Director and Professor at the School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria) and Michael Grunwald (senior national correspondent for Time Magazine) about their views on how to meet the challenges that estuaries face. For registration information, please visit the conference’s website.
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| Soundwide NEWS  Back to top
Alexandrium Bloom Ends on North Shore of Long Island, Shellfishing Reopens
All of the Northport-Huntington Harbor Complex was closed to shellfishing in May and June due to intense blooms of a toxin producing alga, Alexandrium fundyense. Those restrictions have recently been lifted and shellfishing has resumed in these areas. Shellfish beds were reopened in two phases, the first to be reopened were Huntington Bay and Lloyd Harbor on June 14th. Then Northport Bay, Duck Island Harbor, and Centerport Harbor were reopened on June 28th. The decision to reopen was made by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR) based on toxin levels in shellfish. BMR has a total of six monitoring stations throughout this harbor complex where they placed blue mussels for toxin detection. Additionally, they dug soft clams from five local beaches. In order for shellfish beds to be reopened, toxin levels from these shellfish had to come back as non-detectable or well below the 80mg/100g action limit in three consecutive samplings over a two week period. For more information on this particular bloom, see the article from the last edition of ‘Sound Bytes.’
Settlement Paves Way for Sewer/Stormwater Upgrades and Green Infrastructure in NYC
New York City has agreed to pay a $1 million fine and fund $4 million worth of environmental-benefit projects to settle violations related to delays in making sewer-system and stormwater-system upgrades to prevent overflows into waterways. The issue centered around New York City's obligation to improve mechanical structures, foundations, substructures, pumping stations and other infrastructure-related systems. The projects are designed to improve the capacity of the city's wastewater and stormwater systems. Visit the DEC’s website for more information about the NYC projects.
Beach Clean-ups
September 20, 2008 is Annual International Coastal Cleanup day! For more information about beach cleanups in your area, visit the American Littoral Society’s Web site or Save the Sound’s Web site .
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| Web Links
New "Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads" Web Site
EPA recently released a new "Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads" (TMDLs) homepage. The new Web page features an overview of the Clean Water Act section 303(d) program activities, highlights new resources, and provides easier access to program resources, such as EPA’s new Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information Web site.
The WaterSense program educational materials
A Day in the Life of a Drop teaches students about the connections between the sources of the water they use and how that use affects human health and the environment. The new curriculum can be found on EPA’s Web site.
New Fish Kids Web site
EPA’s National Fish Advisory Program just released a new Fish Kids website that uses interactive stories and games to teach kids ages 8-12 about contaminants in fish and fish advisories. Whether they catch their own fish, or buy it at a store, kids and their families can use this site to learn how to choose fish wisely!
Don't Trash the Ocean websites
Summer is here and everyone is heading to picnics, parties, pools, parks, and beaches, but it is important to remember to put trash and recyclable materials in their proper place to help protect oceans and coasts from marine debris. Read more about marine debris and ways to reduce waste. | | | Please note: This email message is being sent to subscribers of the Long Island Sound Study E-Newsletter. PLEASE DO NOT REPORT THIS MESSAGE AS SPAM. Unsubscribe or update your subscription at http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/cgi-bin/list.htm |
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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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