Long
Island
Sound
Study
A Partnership to Restore and Protect the Sound
-------
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
WELCOME!
The Sound Health Report Tracks Key Measures
of the Health of Long Island Sound
Millions of people visit Long Island Sound each year to swim, boat,
and enjoy the view, enriching their own lives and stimulating the
local economy. Below the surface of this 110-mile long body of
water and along its 600 miles of coastline, hundreds of species of
finfish, birds, and other animals also call the Sound their home.
Maintaining this healthy ecosystem, while balancing human uses, presents a
challenge. Hundreds of years of development have compromised the Sound's ability
to fully function as a natural resource. At times, for example, oxygen levels in some
areas of the Sound drop to levels that could cause fish to flee or die. The legacy of pol-
lution discharged into the Sound from industrial sources also has led to state adviso-
ries on how much fish can be consumed without health concerns.
Progress, however, has been made in cleaning up the Sound since the 1970s
when the environmental movement first put a spotlight on polluted waterways.
More recently, the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) has been implementing a
comprehensive management plan to restore the ecosystem that recognizes human
habitation as integral to the Sound's character (see sidebar, below).
The purpose of this report, Sound Health 2010, is to look back at environ-
mental conditions in the Sound and its watershed over the last two years and
compare them to conditions from the last 20 to 30 years (a separate report, Protec-
tion and Progress, details the management actions taken to improve the Sound).
What is the LISS?
AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS in 1985, the Long
Island Sound Study (LISS) is a collaborative effort to
restore and protect the Sound. Sponsored by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the states
of Connecticut and New York, partners include fed-
eral, state, interstate, and local government agencies,
industries, universities, and community groups. LISS
partners work together to implement a Comprehen-
sive Conservation and Management Plan to maintain
the health of the ecosystem, restore coastal habitats,
and increase public awareness of the Sound. The envi-
ronmental concerns affecting the Sound cross political
boundaries; by working together LISS partners can
share ideas, coordinate actions, and leverage scarce
financial resources to protect an entire ecosystem.
For more information about LISS visit the About Us
section of www.longislandsoundstudy.net.
Sound Health 2010 uses
environmental indica-
tors—developed from data collected by research and monitoring programs—that
highlight trends in pollutant levels, land use and development, water quality,
living resources, and sensitive habitat. From this snapshot, Sound Health 2010
addresses questions such as: Is the water cleaner? Are the fish safe to eat? Is the
water safe to swim in? Are fish still abundant?
We encourage you to look at the data and analyses, and assess for yourself
the health of the Sound. To learn more, go to the Status and Trends Web page at
www.longislandsoundstudy.net/status-and-trends for the complete indicator set.
Also, at www.LIShealth.net you will find links to learn more about the health
of the Sound from organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency,
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation.
Sound Health 2010 is being circulated in newspapers in communities across
the Sound in New York and Connecticut and posted on the newly designed Web
site, www.longislandsoundstudy.net. The report, issued biennially, was started
10 years ago to better inform citizens about the efforts to restore and protect
the Sound. With this knowledge, citizens can become stewards of the Sound,
galvanizing support in their local community, participating in volunteer
efforts, and engaging in the types of behaviors that reduce pollution and
keep the Sound a special place. Jj*
THE FOUR BEARDED
ROCKLING, Enchelyopus
cimbrius, photographed in
a rocky seafloor habitat in
western Long Island Sound.
The fish is one of about
50 to 70 different species
surveyed each year in the
Long Island Sound Trawl
Survey (p. 11). The fish
gets its name from the four
whisker-like organs it has
beneath its head.
CONTENTS
INDICATORS
Hypoxia + Nutrients 3
Toxic Contaminants 4
Pathogens 5
Invertebrates 10
Finfish 11
Coastal Birds 12
Habitats 13
Altered Landscapes 14
FEATURES
Oil Spills 6
Climate Change 7
Conditions by Basin 8
What You Can Do 15
What's On the Web 16
ON THE COVER
Cunner, Tautogolabrus
adspersus, and juvenile
blackfish, Tautaug onitis,
swim near an underwater
eelgrass meadow off Fishers
Island in New York. The
Fishers Island coastline is
a Long Island Sound
Stewardship Area.
ABBREVIATION KEY
CT DEP Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
LISS Long Island Sound Study
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NYSDEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
UCONN University of Connecticut
Unsure about a term used in this report?
See www.LIShealth.netfor a definition.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Eelgrass off Fishers Island (cover), photo courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program (www.xagrassli.org)', Rockling, photo by Robert Bachand.
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WATER QUALITY
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{HYPOXIA + NUTRIENTS}
SOUND POINTS
X- Hypoxia occurs in
waters when oxygen
drops to levels that
cannot support fish
and other wildlife. In
the Sound, hypoxia
is most severe in the
western basin.
X- In 2010, the area of
hypoxia was the third
smallest since 1987.
Find a link to an
animation of how
hypoxia is formed,
and LISS's complete
water quality indic-
ators dataset, at
www. LIShealth.net
THE NUMBER OF DAYS
of hypoxia (purple line)
and the area of hypoxia
(orange bars) have varied
from year to year since the
Long Island Sound Water
Quality Monitoring Program
began in 1987. Hypoxia
in the Sound is defined as
dissolved oxygen levels at
3 mg/L or less.
Area of Hypoxia
(square miles)
400
A SCIENTIST samples
concentrations of A. fun-
dyense, an organism that
can produce a neurotoxin,
during a May 2008 cruise
in Northport Harbor aboard
the Stony Brook University
research vessel Mako II.
Plants produce oxygen
during photosynthesis,
absorbing the sun's energy
to grow. But in coastal
waters, excessive growth
of microscopic plants, also called phy-
toplankton or algae, can lead to condi-
tions that have the opposite effect—
life-threatening depletion of oxygen.
This condition, called hypoxia,
results when the organic matter produced by the algae sinks to the
bottom. Bacteria decompose the organic matter, consuming oxygen
in the process. Waters are considered hypoxic when oxygen drops
to levels too low to support fish and shellfish. Hypoxia can kill
non-mobile marine organisms such as clams or worms, and cause
the large scale migration of mobile animals, such as fish, to seek
oxygenated water elsewhere.
In the Sound, hypoxia occurs mostly in the summer months and
usually in the western basin and narrows (see Conditions by Ba-
sin, p. 8). From 1987 through 2010, the maximum area of hypoxia
averaged 195 square miles—an area about nine times the size of
Manhattan. The area of hypoxia has been below average for 11
out of the last 15 years. The summer of 2010 was the third least se-
vere year of hypoxia since 1987, with hypoxia affecting 101 square
miles. The duration of hypoxia in 2010 was 40 days, the fourth
shortest duration since 1987, and 14 days fewer than average.
There are many factors that contribute to hypoxia. The region's
large population and development patterns have increased the
supply of nutrients into the Sound, particularly nitrogen, stimulat-
ing increased plant production. Major sources of nitrogen include
deposition from power plants and vehicles, fertilizer runoff, and
treated sewage discharged from wastewater treatment plants.
There are also physical, chemical, biological, and geographical
factors that affect hypoxia. Warmer water in the summer naturally
holds less oxygen than colder winter waters. Also, during the sum-
mer the surface water of the Sound warms and forms a distinct layer
floating over the bottom water, which is denser due to greater salinity
and cooler temperatures. This layering (or stratification) of the water
column leads to a pycnocline, a sharp
density gradient that restricts oxygen-
rich surface waters from mixing with
the less oxygenated bottom. Wind in-
tensity and direction can also affect the
degree of mixing between surface and
bottom waters. Coves and protected
harbors also can restrict the circulation
of oxygen-rich tidal waters. Jj*
Duration of Hypoxia
(days)
80
I. duration
••
70
20
10
0
'87 '90 '93 '96 '99 '02 '05 '08 '10
Harmful Algal Blooms
in Long Island Sound
IN 2008,10,000 ACRES of shellfish beds were closed by the NYSDEC
Shellfish Sanitation Division for six weeks because of a harmful algal
bloom in the Long Island harbors of Northport, Centerport, and Hun-
tington. The bloom was likely a result of above average temperatures,
nutrients discharged from a wastewater treatment plant, and wind pat-
terns that spread the bloom and nutrients out of Northport Harbor and
into adjacent waters, according to a research project led by Stony Brook
University scientist Christopher Gobler.
Gobler's research team collected water quality samples in 17 sites in
the Northport-Huntington Bay complex in 2007 and 2008 to examine
the causes of an algal bloom of the phytoplankton species Alexandrium
fundyense. Commonly known as red tide, A. fundyense blooms are be-
coming increasingly common in coastal areas and are a concern because
this algae can produce saxitoxins, a type of neurotoxin. These toxins
can be ingested by shellfish such as mussels or clams. Humans who eat
the shellfish can get paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can lead to
severe illness or death. In the Sound, blooms containing elevated levels
of saxitoxins were first detected in 2006 when 2,000 acres of shellfish
beds were closed for six weeks in the same harbor complex.
The research showed that the nitrogen taken up by the bloom of A.
fundyense in 2008 was likely supplied by a wastewater treatment plant
in Northport Harbor. In addition, temperatures that were above average
from late winter and early spring, and that stabilized near 15°C from mid-
April to June, created an ideal growing environment for A. fundyense to
bloom. Southeasterly winds also may have spread the blooms from North-
port Harbor to the entire Northport-Huntington Bay complex.
Gobler's team also found that ammonium, a waste
product in treated sewage, promoted the formation of
A. fundyense blooms and increased toxicity of the
blooms. Gobler and co-investigators Theresa Hatten-
rath of Stony Brook and Donald Anderson of Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution reported their
findings in the May 2010 issue of Harmful Algae.
The research was supported by funding from the LISS
Research Grant program and from NYSDEC.
CREDITS: Alexandrium fundyense, photo by Christopher Gobler; US Field Sampling, photo by Theresa Hattenrath.
SOURCES: Area and Duration of Hypoxia chart, LIS Water Quality Monitoring Program/CT DEP.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
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WATER QUALITY
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{PATHOGENS}
SOUND POINTS
X- 80% of pollution
in the marine
environment comes
from the land. One of
the biggest sources
is stormwater runoff,
which occurs when
rainwater hits the land
and picks up pollutants
on its way to the
closest body of water.
Jj- Polluted storm-
water runoff can
lead to the closing of
coastal beaches and
shellfish beds.
For many, the most obvious sign of poor water quality occurs when a "no
swimming" or "no shellfishing" sign gets posted because of potential
pathogen contamination. Pathogens are disease-causing bacteria and
viruses that enter the Sound from inadequately treated human sewage
and domestic and wild animal wastes. Sources of pathogens include
stormwater runoff carrying animal waste from paved surfaces and lawns, and hu-
man waste from improperly maintained septic systems. While modern wastewater
treatment plants effectively remove pathogens, some cities still use an early generation
of sewer system that collects stormwater runoff and sanitary sewage into the same
pipe. During dry weather, these combined sewer systems transport wastewater to the
sewage treatment plant. During rainfall, if the combined wastewater and stormwater
volume exceeds the capacity of the plant, the system overflows and excess wastewater
is discharged directly into the Sound without adequate treatment. Other sources of
pathogens can be leaking sewage pipes, illegal connections that bring sanitary waste to
storm drains, sewage treatment equipment failure, and discharge of sewage from boats.
Generally, the Sound's 193 monitored bathing beaches are safe for swimming.
To avoid illnesses caused by pathogens, health departments will close beaches when
monitoring data indicate contamination or "preemptively" after a rainstorm at sites
known to be susceptible to contamination. Most of the closings happen in the west-
ern Sound, where many beaches are downstream from densely populated areas that
have more potential sources of pollution. Many of these beaches also are located in
narrow, protected harbors, where there is less mixing action with cleaner waters from
the open Sound. In general, the number of beach closures per year is dependant on
the number of rainfall events.
Shellfish beds are also regularly monitored to assure that shellfish harvested in
commercial and recreationally approved areas are safe to eat. Resource managers
in Connecticut are concerned that inland and coastal development (and as-
sociated impervious surfaces) have resulted in increased stormwater run-
off and elevated bacteria levels in coastal shellfish growing waters. This
has resulted in a need to downgrade beds from approved (where beds
stay open unless there is a rainfall event of greater than three inches)
to conditionally approved (where rainfall events less than three
inches can trigger automatic temporary closures, based on location).
Polluted runoff is a significant reason why almost 16,000 acres of ap-
proved growing areas were downgraded from 2005 to 2009. In New
York, most certified shellfish beds are in open areas of the Sound away
from where stormwater discharges could potentially have an impact. >'c
Coastal Debris
TRASH FLOATING IN COASTAL WATERS and bays or washed up on the beach is called
floatable debris. Floatable debris reduces the enjoyment of the Sound, can be a nuisance
or hazard for boaters, and can harm wildlife.
People who litter and improperly dispose of their waste are the ultimate sources of
floatable debris. Litter anywhere in the Sound's drainage basin can ultimately enter the
Sound, including through dumping by shoreline visitors and boaters, and when debris gets
washed into storm drains and enters the Sound through its tributaries.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has booms or floating
barriers installed at 24 locations, including nine sites that discharge into the East River
and the Sound, to capture floatable debris discharged from combined sewers. In 2009, the
program collected 1,600 cubic yards of debris, including 939 cubic yards from Long Island
Sound sites. It also deploys a large vessel, the Cormorant, to capture and collect debris in
open waters around New York City.
As part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup, the American Littoral Society and
Save the Sound organize volunteer cleanups of area beaches. During Coastal Cleanup week-
end in September 2009, volunteer crews along 140 miles of Long Island Sound beaches col-
lected more than 55,000 pounds of debris, an average of 396 pounds of garbage per mile.
BEACH CLOSURES increase in years with frequent
rainstorms (top). Approved shellfish beds were downgraded
to conditionally approved, in part because of high bacteria
counts after rain events (middle). Volunteers collect
hundreds of pounds of debris per mile every year at
coastal cleanups (bottom).
Beach Closure Days
(There are 193 monitored beaches along Long Island Sound's shoreline)
1,200 CT a NY
1,000
800
600
'09
Approved Shellfish Acreage, CT
(Acres)
160,000 * Approved • Conditionally approved
140,000-
120,000-
100,000-
80,000-
70,000-
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Beach Debris Collected
(Pounds of debris collected per mile of beach)
1,200
1,000
'01
'04
'07 '09
CREDITS: Jordan Cove shellfish area closed sign, photo by Kara Bonsack/UConn; Beach cleanup, photos by Save The Sound.
SOURCES: Beach Closures chart, CT DEP, NYSDEC, and EPA; Approved Shellfish Beds chart, CT Dept. of Agriculture's Aquaculture Division;
and Beach Debris Collected chart, Save the Sound and American Littoral Society northeast chapter.
SOUND HEALTH 2010 5
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WATER QUALITY
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{OIL SPILLS}
SOUND POINTS
X- Medium and large
oil spills are rare occur-
rences in the Sound, but
multiple contributions
of small spills can pose a
threat to aquatic life.
>'c Sources of oil spills
include leaks from fill-
ing stations, boat and
car engines, and illegal
dumping.
Jj- Oil that does not
evaporate can break
down into chemical
compounds and deposit
onto the seaf loor. They
can persist in the envi-
ronment for decades.
Find links on how to
report local oil spills and
read the summer 2010
Sound Update issue on
oil contamination at
www.LIShealth.net.
Medium or large oil and gasoline spills, as defined by
the Clean Water Act, are rare occurrences in Long
Island Sound. Oil spills on the scale of the Gulf of
Mexico disaster have never occurred here. But spills
do happen, and the chemical components of oil and
gasoline that dissolve in the water column or sink to the bottom and
linger can become a long-term threat to marine life.
What are the sources of oil spills into the Sound?
Oil tanker accidents (near and offshore), oil transfers from barges
to warehouse facilities, poorly maintained boat engines, and illegal
dumping are all sources. On land, leaks from filling stations, build-
ing heating equipment and motor vehicle engines can enter storm
drains and tributaries and end up in the Sound. Also, atmospheric
deposits of oil and gasoline compounds from automobile and factory
emissions can enter surface waters in the Sound.
How much oil or gas is spilled into the Sound each year?
It is difficult to accurately estimate how much oil from land and
air ends up in the Sound. There are multiple indirect contributions
from small incidents such as vehicle accidents. It is also difficult
to determine the amount of oil in "mystery sheens" that are from
unidentified sources such as illegal dumping. We know that from
January 2006 to June 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard Long Island
Sound sector responded to 791 petroleum spills in the Sound. The
Coast Guard estimates that nearly 85,000 gallons of petroleum
spilled from these incidents.
When was the last medium- or large-sized oil or gas spill?
The last medium-sized oil or gas spill in the Sound was in January
2006 when a barge spilled 49,000 gallons of gasoline in New Haven,
while transferring oil to a terminal. In 1996, a major spill occurred
in nearby Block Island Sound when a barge ran aground and spilled
829,000 gallons of home heating oil.
What happens to the oil when it
reaches the Sound?
Depending on weather conditions, some
of the oil will evaporate into the atmo-
sphere and some will remain dissolved
in the water and enter the food chain.
There it will be taken up by fish or
broken down by bacteria. The rest will
deposit onto the seafloor where it will
be buried or broken down further. The
proportions will vary with time of year,
location, and sediment type.
THE CRUMPLED SADDLE TANK from a
tractor trailer rests in shallow water on the
bank of the Mystic River in Groton in June
2010. The truck had struck a guard rail on the
I-95 Mystic River Bridge, rupturing the saddle
tank, which then fell into the river. Old Mystic
firefighters deployed an oil containment
boom across the river to contain the oil
before it was collected.
A DUCKLING is fed with an eyedropper at the Greenburgh Nature Center
after being contaminated by oil on the Bronx River in early June 2010.
A building in White Plains had leaked 200 gallons of heating oil, which
got into a storm drain that discharged into the river.
Is there a potential for offshore drilling in the Sound?
Drilling is unlikely, according to Ralph Lewis, the former state Ge-
ologist for Connecticut. Lewis said that the hard metamorphic rocks
underneath most of Long Island Sound would be an extremely poor
source of petroleum.
Do the oil/petroleum chemicals pose a threat to marine life?
The hydrocarbons tend to persist in the environment. Half lives of
individual components can span from hours to decades. Once these
chemicals are released, they can be consumed by small marine life
and move up the food chain. Short-term and long-term exposure can
have severe health related risks including suppression to the immune
system, organ damage, carcinogenicity, and birth defects that can lead
to a decline in population levels.
Who's responsible for responding to oil spills?
Various agencies from the federal, state, and local government
respond to oil spills. The U.S. Coast Guard is the federal on-scene
coordinator for oil spills that occur in the Sound and in the lower
parts of rivers navigable by large boats. Further upstream, the EPA is
the on-scene coordinator.
What is being done to prevent oil spills?
The number of commercial spills is decreasing due to Coast Guard
efforts to deter illegal dumping through chemical "fingerprinting" to
identify sources of spills. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which was
passed following the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound,
Alaska, requires safer, double-hulled vessels on boats transferring oil
and other toxic substances. Boats in New York and Connecticut wa-
ters transferring toxic chemicals are also required to have booms that
can be deployed immediately after an accident. Improved engines for
recreational vessels are also helping to reduce leaks.
What can you do?
Recycle used oil. Maintain automobile and boat engines. If you
see an oil spill on land or in the Sound contact the CTDEP Oil
and Chemical Spill Response Division at 860-424-3338 or the
NYSDEC spill hotline at 800-457-7352. *
Penny Vlahos, a chemistry professor at UConn's Department
of Marine Sciences in Groton, contributed to this section.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Duckling, photo courtesy of Greenburgh Nature Center; Truck in river, photo by Sean D. Elliot/The Day.
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LAND AND WATER
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{CLIMATE CHANGE}
SOUND POINTS
X- Scientists and
resource managers
are seeing changes in
species populations as
a result of warming
temperatures.
>'c Municipalities
and state and federal
agencies are using
climate change
projections to map out
what future conditions
might look like on the
coast as a result of
climate change.
Find links on climate
change adaptation ef-
forts by New York, Con-
necticut and ICLEI and
an article about the
"Great New England
Hurricane of 1938,"
also called the "Long
Island Express," at
www.LIShealth.net.
The United Nations' Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change projects that
heat trapped by increased greenhouse gas
emissions will increase temperatures by 3.2
to 7°F by 2100, and sea levels will rise be-
tween seven and 21 inches. Some scientists expect even
greater sea level rise by 2100 as a result of rapid ice melt
in the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets.
In the U.S., the Union of Concerned Scientists'
Northeast Climate Impact Assessment (NECIA)
projects that over the next several decades, air tempera-
tures across the Northeast will rise 2.5 to 4°F in winter
and 1.5 to 3.5°F in summer regardless of the emissions
choices we make now.
The NECIA and a report from the New York City
Panel on Climate Change also document climate-relat-
ed changes occurring in the region since 1970, includ-
ing more frequent days with temperatures above 90°F,
more heavy rain events (defined as two inches or more per event), and an earlier
spring snowmelt, which is causing changes to stream flows.
In Niantic Bay, in the eastern basin of the Sound, the year-round average surface
water temperature has increased by about 1°C (1.8°F) since 1976, according to data
collected by Millstone Environmental Laboratory. Resource managers also are find-
ing that higher temperatures may be affecting the abundance of some finfish species
and lobsters (see pages 10 and 11).
Both current warming trends and climate change projections prompted LISS in
2010 to fund a CT DEP partnership with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustain-
ability, a world-wide organization of municipalities, to assess potential impacts of
climate change to the Town of Groton's coastline and infrastructure. The partner-
ship worked with the town (as a model community) to begin planning to cost-
effectively adapt to climate change. At workshops held in Groton in 2010, the
New England Environmental Finance Center (NEEFC) showed what "economic
flood plain" maps for residential and commercial districts would look like if the
Connecticut coastline faced a sea level rise of one meter combined with a 10-year
flood. In historic downtown Mystic, the economic flood plain map showed esti-
mated losses of nearly $9 million if the town took no preventive action. But the
NEEFC showed workshop participants how economic impacts could be reduced if
adaptation strategies such as hurricane barriers, road elevation, wetland restora-
tion, and building dikes were constructed in the most vulnerable areas.
New York and Connecticut are using climate change projections to assess poten-
tial impacts to coastal areas, including state-owned parks and wildlife management
areas. For example, at Bluff Point, an 806-acre park and coastal reserve in Groton,
road and parking facilities are projected to be submerged under a 36-inch sea level
rise scenario. Existing dunes and tidal wetlands—valuable coastal habitats that con-
tain rare plants and animals—could also be underwa-
ter. Sea level rise projection maps help resource manag-
ers assess opportunities for coastal resources such as
dunes and wetlands to migrate to upland areas. These
assessments can also determine whether short-term
capital improvements can protect coastal resources. Jf-
THE MAP SHOWS the range of losses
for parcels in downtown Mystic if no
adaptation actions are taken and there
is a 10-year flood event occurring with
1 meter of sea level rise.
THE PURPLE AND BLUE areas inside the white lines are
coastal habitats and roads at Bluff Point that would be
under water in a 36-inch sea level rise scenario (fop); ero-
sion from increased stream flows underneath River Road
in Groton following a Nor'easter in March 2010 caused the
street to collapse (middle); and surface water temperatures
in Niantic Bay have increased since 1976 (below).
Rising Surface Water Temperature
(degrees Celsius)
25 Spring Summer *Fall 'Winter
15-
i '
76
'81
'86 '91 '96 '01 '06 '09
CREDITS: Bluff Point Sea Level Rise scenario, map by Kevin O'Brien/CT DEP; Groton Flooding at River Road, photo courtesy of Town of Groton Planning and Development Department;
Flood Damage in Downtown Mystic projection map, courtesy of New England Environmental Finance Center.
SOURCES: Surface Water Temperature chart, Millstone Environmental Laboratory.
SOUND HEALTH 2010 7
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www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{CONDITIONS BY BASIN}
COASTAL
CONDITION
REPORT
The information used
for Conditions by Basin
was collected by CT
DEP and Stony Brook
University for the EPA's
National Estuary Pro-
gram Coastal Condition
Report, and includes
updated data from CT
DEP. The EPA uses mon-
itoring data from 28
National Estuary Pro-
grams such as the Long
Island Sound Study to
track conditions across
coastal regions around
the country.
Estuaries are transi-
tion zones between the
fresh water from rivers
and the saline condi-
tions of the oceans.
The nation's estuaries
are a subset of U.S.
coastal waters and en-
compass a wide variety
of coastal habitats,
including wetlands, salt
marshes, coral reefs,
mangroves and kelp
forests, seagrass mead-
ows, tidal mudflats,
and upwelling areas.
These habitats produce
unique environments
that support wildlife
and fisheries and con-
tribute substantially to
the U.S. economy.
Describing the condition of a body of water 110 miles
long poses a challenge. Hydrology (the movement of
water) and sediment characteristics vary within each
of the Sound's three basins, as does the degree of
shoreline development. Water quality in any location
varies by season. And in some locations, historical contaminant dis-
charges still affect present-day conditions. In other words, the Sound
can be described as healthy and vibrant, or distressed and impaired,
depending on location, season, and issue.
To help understand varying conditions in coastal waters, the EPA's
Office of Research and Development has developed an approach
to characterize water quality and the toxicity of sediments on the
seafloor. Using an index of different indicators for each of these mea-
sures, the Sound's western, central, and eastern basins can be rated
as good, fair, or poor.
The Western Basin is the Most Stressed
The densely populated and developed western basin, which includes
"the Narrows," a narrow section connecting with the East River, is
the most stressed, with fair water quality the majority of the time,
and with sediment conditions rated as poor for half of the basin area.
Water quality improves moving eastward. The central basin has good
water quality conditions more than 50 percent of the time, and the
eastern basin has good conditions more than 80 percent of the time.
Sediment conditions also improve in the central and eastern basins.
The gradient in conditions from west to east reflects the decrease
in development and human population density between basins. In
the lands comprising the western Long Island Sound watershed, 44
percent of the area is developed compared to nearly 20 percent in
the central watershed and 16 percent in the eastern watershed. An
increase in development indicates the potential for more pollutants
to be flushed from hard surfaces such as roads and parking lots into
storms drains that connect to tributaries and the Sound. The higher
population also contributes more sewage to wastewater treatment
plants and septic systems, and more vehicle emissions that deposit air
pollution into the Sound.
The gradient in improving conditions also reflects geological dif-
ferences. For example, the eastern basin, carved out from a melted
glacier, is deep, dipping to 350 feet at the Race. The narrow chan-
nel opening to Block Island Sound acts as a funnel, leading to fast
moving currents that scour the bottom and actively mix the water.
The western basin is shallower, generally less than 60 feet deep, with
a sea bottom of fine sand and mud. Currents are weaker, and in the
summer months there is little mixing between the lighter, oxygenat-
ed surface waters and the denser bottom layer. In combination with
high nitrogen loads and phytoplankton production, reduced mix-
ing leads to hypoxia in the western basin. The weak currents in the
western Sound also make for conditions that are less likely to flush
out toxic contaminants that settle in the fine sand. Jf-
Summary of Rating Criteria:
LAND COVER: Research from around the country shows that water
quality tends to decline with increasing impervious coverage (the amount of
hard surfaces such as parking lots and streets) within a watershed. Impacts
to stream quality are pervasive once imperviousness exceeds 10 percent and
are severe when it exceeds 25 percent. Development is a good indicator of
impervious coverage. These charts of land cover area by basin show that the
level of development decreases from the western basin to the eastern basin,
while forest cover and wetlands increase.
Land Cover
• Developed Natural (forests, wetlands) Agriculture, turf, grass •Water and other
WATER QUALITY INDEX: Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen, can lead
to too much plant production (indicated by abundance of chlorophyll a, a
plant pigment), which can decrease water clarity and lower concentrations
of dissolved oxygen. The index includes five indicators—dissolved inorganic
nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, chlorophyll a, water clarity, and
dissolved oxygen. Monthly data (from May to October, when pollution has
the greatest effect on water quality) were summarized from 1991 to 2009.
Water Quality
Good • Fair Poor
SEDIMENT QUALITY INDEX: A wide variety of metals and organic
substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides are discharged into estuaries from urban,
agricultural, and industrial sources from the Sound's watershed. These con-
taminants adsorb onto suspended particles and eventually accumulate in the
sediments where they can disrupt the benthic community. The index is based
on three sediment quality component indicators—sediment toxicity (measured
as the survival rate of marine amphipods), concentration of contaminants, and
the total organic carbon concentration. Data were collected from 2000 to 2004.
Sediment Quality
Good • Fair Poor
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Land Cover, Water Quality and Sediment Quality charts, by Lucy Reading-lkkanda.
SOURCES: Watershed Indicator, UCONN Center for Land Use Education and Research; Conditions by Basins Indices, EPA's Office of Research and Development/Office of Water
-------
The area's dense population
and development, which
includes parts of New
York City and surrounding
suburbs, is a source of
pollution in the WESTERN
WATERSHED, and
contributes to hypoxia and
poor sediment quality in the
western Sound (basin).
7
The CENTRAL
WATERSHED is a transi-
tion zone between the levels
of development in the west-
ern and eastern watersheds.
There is more undeveloped
land in the EASTERN
WATERSHED to act as
a buffer to trap pollutants
before they can be carried
by streams into the eastern
Sound (basin).
%,
) *
Central j
watershed ..."
••**•*
^>
/-.
'•• ••:.-.."..•
>' New Haven
6
u?
v'
^
/estcnester.
Stan
GreeWich
Port Chester •/
Rye
./•
The Narrows
^ ? f
Western "• /'•.
watershed^. fli^ord'
Bridgeport
Westport
st Haven
Branford
•
Madison Westbrook
•
• Old Lyme
New London •
^vO-*
The Race
Eastern basin
•
-------
LIVING RESOURCES
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{INVERTEBRATES}
SOUND POINTS
X- Oyster harvests
have increased as the
impact of a parasitic
disease in recent years
has subsided.
Jf- Lobster harvests
have declined since
a die-off in the late
1990s.
>'c Shellfish improve
water quality by
filtering particles
from water.
Long-finned Squid
MOST PEOPLE are unaware that long-finned squid,
Loligo pealei, are very common in the Sound. In fact,
they happen to be one of the most abundant inver-
tebrate species caught, by weight, in the Long Island
Sound Trawl Survey. Squid were among the three most
abundant species caught in the Survey for 16 of the
last 18 years. They comprise a major component of the
Sound's forage base for popular sport fish caught by
anglers such as striped bass and bluefish. There is also
a limited commercial harvest in the Sound of less than
35,000 pounds a year. While the squid's range extends
from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Venezuela, the
Sound is a very important nursery area where the spe-
cies can flourish. To read about the long-finned squids
unique life history, and learn more about the Survey,
visit www.LIShealth.net.
Marine invertebrates are animals without a backbone or spinal column. Some have
developed hard or soft shells and exoskeletons to protect themselves. While they are
an important part of the estuarine environment, some of these invertebrates, such
as oysters, lobsters, and clams, also support commercial fisheries and are a culinary
delight for many.
Oysters grown in the Sound are highly valued for their flavor, resulting in a high market price. Har-
vests were decimated in the late 1990s from high mortality rates caused by MSX, a parasitic disease.
MSX, which is not harmful to humans, has since subsided. In Connecticut, efforts to rebuild stocks,
including by lining shellfish beds in tributaries and coastal waters with clean shell for oysters to attach
to during their spawning period, helped the oyster harvest grow to a $7.4 million business Sound-wide in
2007 from a low of $2.8 million in 2005. In 2008 and 2009, Connecticut oystermen did not report their
harvests to the state because of a dispute over a possible tax on their harvests, but state resource managers
believe the numbers are continuing to rise. New York also had seen increases in harvests until 2009 when
many oystermen chose to go to other areas in Long Island, including the Peconics and the South Shore. In
New York, unlike Connecticut, the majority of oystermen and clammers do not lease their shellfish beds,
so they go where they will find the most supply.
Lobster populations have also declined dramatically, but, unlike oysters, have not shown signs of
recovery. Scientists found evidence that lobsters, at an all-time high abundance in the late 1990s, with a
peak harvest value of almost $40 million in 1997, suffered a die-off in 1999 when subjected to sustained,
stressful environmental conditions. Known stressors include water temperatures exceeding 20.5°C, which
can cause lobsters to hyperventilate. Weakened by
these conditions, lobsters became susceptible to
disease—including infection by parasitic amoebae—
and experienced a massive die-off. In an effort to
restore the population, the states have toughened
limits on harvesting. To date there has been no sign
of increased populations.
By 2007, the hard clam harvest had more than
tripled in the past decade, in part because some lob-
stermen had turned to clamming as lobster harvests
declined. As with oysters, there are no data on Connect-
icut clam harvests since 2007. New York saw a slight
decrease in 2009 from the previous year, as clammers
went to other areas on Long Island to harvest.
A single oyster or clam can filter up to 50 gallons
of water a day, while straining food particles such as
phytoplankton from the water column. In the pro-
cess, they help to improve water quality by removing
pollutants, including excess nitrogen. >[-
Hard Clam Harvest
(100,0000 Bushels) CT
7
TOP (CLOCKWISE): Hard clam
harvests have increased since
1995, but declined slightly in
New York in 2009 (CT data not
available in 2008 and 2009); the
oyster harvest is showing signs
of recovery after being deci-
mated by a parasitic disease in
the 1990s; and lobster landings
continue to decline.
NY
I
'95
I
'97
I
'99
'01
I
'03
I
'05
I
'07
\
'09
LONG-FINNED SQUID
Lobster Landings
(Millions of pounds) « CT
NY
12
Oyster Harvest
(100,000 Bushels)
(Millions of dollars)
'82 '85 '88
'97
'00 '03 '06 '09 '83 '86 '89
92
'95 '98 '01 '04 '07 '09
10
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Squid, photo by Kurt Gottschall.
SOURCES: Oyster and Clam harvest charts, CT Dept. of Agriculture's Aquaculture Division and NYSDEC;
Lobster Landings chart, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (American Lobster databsase), CT DEP and NYSDEC.
-------
LIVING RESOURCES
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{FINFISH}
SOUND POINTS
X- Species composi-
tion varies year to year,
but the amount of
finfish remains stable.
X- Warmer tempera-
tures in the Sound have
benefited some species
and hurt others.
>'c The Long Island
Sound Trawl Survey
(LISTS), run by CT DEP,
has been surveying the
abundance of finfish
(and invertebrates)
since 1984.
Find links to the
LISTS annual report
and a slide show of
the Trawl Survey at
www. LIShealth.net.
Pound for pound, the amount of fish
in Long Island Sound has been about
the same since 1992, according to the
CT DEP's Long Island Sound Trawl
Survey (LISTS). The Sound-wide
biomass index, the annual average weight of all of
the finfish species collected in the survey (about 50
to 70 different species per year), shows no signifi-
cant trend up or down. This stability indicates that
while the abundance of individual species may have
increased or decreased in the Sound, the estuary
has maintained its ability to support the same over-
all abundance. A stable abundance over the long
term is one sign of a healthy ecosystem.
In recent years an increased abundance of scup (porgies) has made it one of the
highest contributors to the biomass index. The record high index for overall biomass
in 2002 (see below) was largely due to very high abundance of scup. There are several
competing reasons why some species are enjoying record high numbers while others
are declining. The species that are harvested by commercial and sport fisheries, such as
scup, are subject to extensive coast-wide management designed to protect these stocks
from depletion. Managed species such as scup, summer flounder, and striped bass have
flourished coast-wide under their individual interstate management plans while sup-
porting strong commercial and sport fisheries. According to the CT DEP angler survey,
these fish are among the most popular caught by Connecticut anglers, who took nearly
2 million fishing trips in 2008. However, these species also may be increasing because
they are tolerant of steady increases in water temperature, while others may be declin-
ing because either they cannot tolerate warmer waters or warmwater predators are
depleting their numbers. For example, the abundance of winter flounder, once an im-
portant recreationally and commercially fished species, has dropped dramati-
cally, possibly because the species is now exposed to increasing numbers of mid-Atlantic
finfish predators, as well as cormorants and seals. However, warm-tolerant species
such as tautog and weakfish have also dropped in abundance, indicating that there
are many other variables playing a role in fashioning the mix of species found in
the Sound. Since 1984 when the trawl survey began, a total of 105 finfish species
and 60 invertebrate species have been recorded in the catch. Although one or two
finfish species can be large contributors to a year's biomass index (for example scup
made up 34 percent of the index in 2009), an average of 14 finfish species are taken
in each tow in spring and 17 in the fall. This diversity is relatively high and again is a
measure of the health and vitality of the Sound's marine communities. Jf-
LIS Fish Consumption
Advisories
FISH CAUGHT FROM THE SOUND are a nutritious
and flavorful food source, but Connecticut and New
York Health Department consumption advisories
should be followed, particularly by groups with
the greatest risk from contaminants—women
of child-bearing age and young children. Check
www.LIShealth.net for a 2010 chart highlighting
consumption advisory information from both states,
and for links to the full advisories.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Scup (porgies) vary
annually, but the average abundance
from 1999-2009 is significantly higher
than 1989-1999. Winter flounder
populations are declining, perhaps
because of warmer temperatures;
and fish biomass is stable.
ScupAbundance
(Count per tow)
600-
500
400
Winter Flounder Abundance
(Count per tow)
200
Fish Biomass Index
(Biomass geometric mean, kg per tow)
100
80
'84 '87 '90 '93 '96 '99 '02
'05
'09 '92
'98
'01
'04
'07 '09
CREDITS: Porgies in eelgrass on north shore of Plum Island and Winter Flounder on southwest side of Fishers Island,
photos courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program (seagrassli.org).
SOURCES: Scup Abundance, Winter Flounder Abundance and Fish Biomass charts, CT DEP Marine Fisheries Division.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
11
-------
LIVING RESOURCES
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{COASTAL BIRDS}
GLAUCOUS GULL, a bird rarely
seen around Long Island Sound,
on a snowy day at Long
Beach in Stratford, CT.
SOUND POINTS
X- More than 400
species of birds, includ-
ing threatened and en-
dangered species such
as the piping plover and
least tern, live along
the Sound's shoreline.
>'c Bird populations
are dependent on
healthy coastal
habitats.
Find links to informa-
tion about birds of
Long Island Sound, at
www.LIShealth.net
More than 400 species of birds inhabit the Sound's shoreline, with
the numbers and types varying with the seasons. Spring, for ex-
ample, brings the annual migration of a wide variety of plovers,
terns, sandpipers, waterfowl, herons, egrets, and songbirds. But loss
of coastal lands to development (see p. 14) has affected the abil-
ity of several species to find habitat away from human disturbance and predators.
Monitoring bird populations can provide insight on the status of suitable habitat for
coastal wildlife, as well as the success of specific bird conservation efforts.
Piping plovers, small shorebirds that nest on beaches, are listed as a threatened
species in Connecticut and endangered in New York. Their nesting and reproduc-
tion are threatened by human intrusion, storm tides, and predators. Since protection
and monitoring efforts began in 1984, nesting success has improved, resulting in
more returning adults. State wildlife officials credit intensive on-site management,
including construction of predator-proof fences around nests to protect eggs for this
improvement. Regulation of activities that impact beach habitats, public education
campaigns, and the public's cooperation have also helped protect plover populations.
Least terns, a threatened species in New York and Connecticut, live in large
colonies on the beach and plunge into nearby waters for food. Predators, human
disturbances, and tidal flooding can disrupt tern nesting sites, but the terns have the
potential to recolonize in other beaches within a four-state region that also includes
Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In 2009, there were 6,549 least tern pairs in the
region, 294 pairs above the 20-year average. During that period, the population has
declined in Connecticut, but has re-
mained stable in New York.
Colonial waterbirds, particularly
long-legged wading birds, such as snowy
egrets, great egrets, and black-crowned
night-herons, nest primarily in groups on islands along
the Atlantic coast. They typically nest within shrub
and woodland habitats, and often feed on estuarine
fish and invertebrates in nearby salt marshes. Although
the populations have been relatively steady since 1998,
there has been a relative decline in snowy egrets and
night-herons since the 1970s, which may be due to
predation by animals associated with humans, includ-
ing rats and feral cats; additionally, a loss of nesting
habitat, including that from human disturbance, a loss
of wetlands important for feeding, and exposure to
contaminants may have contributed to the decline. Jf-
Christmas
Bird Count
THE NATIONAL
AUDUBON SOCIETY'S
Christmas Bird Count
(CBC) began on Christmas
day in 1900 and enters its
111th year this winter. The CBC,
which involves thousands of volunteers counting bird
populations in hundreds of sites from mid-December to
early January, is the nation's oldest and largest citizen
science project. In 2009 Audubon released its birds and
climate change report, which used the volunteer data
to help document changes in populations and distribu-
tions of birds in relation to climate change. One of the
findings was that nearly 60 percent of species that win-
ter in North America have moved northward or inland
in the 40 year period leading up to 2009, with climate
playing a likely role in range shifts that can exceed hun-
dreds of miles. Check www.LIShealth.net for examples
of winter birds in New York and Connecticut that have
been impacted by warmer temperatures.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Shorebird management
programs have contributed to an increase
in piping plovers, but least tern populations
are still struggling; the colonial waterbird
population declined in a 2007 survey,
perhaps due to habitat destruction.
Piping Plover Count
(Nesting pairs) • CT • NY
200
150-
100
50-
I
Least Tern Count
(1,000 Nesting pairs)
4
>CT NY
Colonial Waterbird Count
(Nesting pairs in CT & NY, inc. Long Island & NYC)
4,000 I Black-crowned night heron
• Great egret
Snowy egret
'84 '87 '90 '93 '96 '99 '02 '05 '09 '85
0
'01
'04
'07
12 SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Juvenile Piping Plover, photo by George DeCamp; Glaucous Gull, photo by Patirck M. Comins/Audubon CT.
SOURCES: Colonial Waterbirds chart, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SNE/NYB Coastal Ecosystems Program, NYSDEC, and CT DEP;
Piping Plover and Least Tern charts, NYSDEC and CT DEP.
-------
LAND AND WATER
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{HABITATS}
SOUND POINTS
X- Tidal wetlands
are a critically impor-
tant habitat along the
shoreline. Until the
1970s, the value of
wetlands was not
widely recognized.
>'c Despite efforts
to protect them,
some wetlands are
losing vegetation and
converting to mudflats.
X- Eelgrass is an
important under-
water plant for fish
and other wildlife.
Find a link to Long
Island's Seagrass
Conservation Web
site, and information
about the Sound's
different habitats at
www. LIShealth.net.
THE SNAIL Lacuna vincta
on blades of eelgrass off
Fishers Island.
Long Island Sound is an estuary, where the ebb and flow of oceanic
saltwater meets and mixes with freshwater from rivers and streams. A
dozen distinct habitats help this unique environment of brackish wa-
ters and tidal extremes to function (see sidebar). Two habitats, tidal
wetlands and eelgrass meadows, are particularly important because of
the ecosystem benefits they provide.
Tidal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world,
providing food, shelter, and breeding or nursery grounds for many species of
wildlife. The salt marsh vegetation in these wetlands also protects the land from
flooding and erosion in stormy weather, and filters pollutants contained
in stormwater runoff.
In the past, the value of wetlands was not recognized. They were viewed
largely as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and, as a result, as places to fill,
dredge, and build. About 25 to 35 percent of the Sound's tidal wetlands were
lost before federal and state legislation regulated the practice in the early 1970s.
Despite protection and restoration efforts, marsh grasses are still disappearing,
with hundreds of acres converting to mudflats in the past 35 years. For example,
mudflats at Frost Creek in Oyster Bay increased from five to 44 acres, while
marsh grasses declined from 69 to 45 acres. A survey of four wetland sites in
Long Island, including Frost Creek, revealed that salt marsh grasses declined
from 434 to 346 acres from 1974 to 2005. In Connecticut, a survey of six wet-
land complexes in southwestern Connecticut revealed that salt marsh grasses
declined from 230 acres to 177 acres from 1974 to 2004.
The reasons for this marsh loss are not yet understood. Possible contributing
factors include sea level rise flooding the marsh, insufficient sediment supplies to
the marsh from upstream sources to balance moderate sea level rise, erosion of
sediments caused by the force of wave action from boat wakes, and the indirect
effect of local dredging.
Eelgrass is a rooted underwater grass along the coast that provides food and
nesting grounds for fish and helps to prevent beach erosion. It is now found
only in the eastern basin. Its abundance plummeted in the 1930s due to a fungal
disease, and continued to decline for decades as a result of poor water quality
attributed to the effects of nitrogen pollution from sewage discharges and storm-
water runoff.
A LISS-funded 2009 survey conducted by FWS identified 1,980 acres of eelgrass,
all in the eastern Sound, compared to 1,559 acres surveyed in 2002. Improved
monitoring techniques that may have identified acreage unaccounted for in the ear-
lier survey may be partially responsible for the increase in acres observed. Contin-
ued monitoring will be required to determine long-term trends. »J-
Eelgrass Abundance
(100 Acres)
TIDAL WETLAND GRASS at Frost Creek is
slumping along the creek's edges, an early
sign of a grassy area converting to mudflats.
Critical Habitats
The coast contains 12 habitats identified by LISS's
Habitat Restoration Initiative as vital to the animals
and plants that live in the estuarine environment.
BEACHES AND DUNES: Transitional sandy or
cobble shoreline area between the land and the Sound.
CLIFFS AND BLUFFS: Steep coastal slopes of
glacial sands and till that are created through long-
term wave erosion and sea-level rise.
ESTUARINE EMBAYMENTS: Confined areas of
the Sound that have narrow inlets and significant
freshwater inflow.
COASTAL AND ISLAND FORESTS: Forest
stands in coastal areas and on islands that are of
particular importance to nesting colonial water birds.
FRESHWATER WETLANDS: Transitional zone
between the land and fresh water.
COASTAL GRASSLANDS: Open glacial outwash
plains dominated by tall grasses.
INTERTIDAL FLATS: Shallow areas of bays and
harbors, devoid of vegetation, that lie between the
spring high- and low-tide marks.
ROCKY INTERTIDAL ZONE: Areas of
intermittently exposed bedrock characterized by
attached species such as barnacles, algae, and mussels.
RIVERINE MIGRATORY CORRIDORS: River
systems that drain to brackish waters such as the
Sound, providing a link for migratory fish to travel
between freshwater and saltwater.
SUBMERGED AQUATIC VEGETATION: Rooted
plants, such as eelgrass and widgeon grass, that grow on
shallow bay bottoms below the spring low-tide mark.
SHELLFISH BEDS: Clusters of oysters and blue
mussels on the seafloor near the shore.
TIDAL WETLANDS: The transitional zone between
coastal land and water. Areas are dominated by
rooted plants flooded by the tide, and provide critical
habitat for many species. Wetlands also help trap
sediments, store flood water, and reduce wave energy
during storms.
2002
2006
2009
CREDITS: Lacuna vincta on eelgrass off Fishers Island, photo courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program (www.SeagrassLI.org);
Frost Creek (Oyster Bay), photo by Heather Young.
SOURCES: Eelgrass Acreage chart, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service SNE/NYB Coastal Ecosystems Program.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
13
-------
LAND AND WATER
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{ALTERED LANDSCAPES}
SOUND POINTS
X- Water quality of
a stream, river, lake or
estuary, such as the
Sound, declines when
there is an increase in
development within
the watershed.
>'c Development
increased by 18.1%
in Connecticut from
1985 to 2006 and by
2.7% in New York
from 1985 to 2002.
Find links to CLEAR's
reports on develop-
ment in Long Island
Sound and fragm-
ented forests at
www. LIShealth.net.
THE SOUND'S subwater-
sheds are more developed
in the western Sound region
(left), but subwatersheds in
the eastern Sound region
are showing the greatest
percent increase in develop-
ment since 1985 (right).
FORESTS ARE being
converted to "fragmented"
forests, or to developed
areas, including near
the Barn Island Wildlife
Management Area, a
Stewardship Initiative site.
Many visit Long Island Sound to swim,
fish, boat, or just to relax and enjoy
the views. Millions more live and
work near the Sound, exacting a
price on this body of water some-
times referred to as the Urban Sea. Four hundred
years after European explorers first came to the Sound
to trade with American Indians, people still are mov-
ing to the coast, enriching the bi-state area economy,
but altering the natural landscape and, in turn, the Sound and its tributaries.
From 1980 to 2006, the population in the New York and Connecticut por-
tion of the Sound's watershed increased from 6.3 million to 7.2 million (the
population of the entire watershed, which extends into parts of Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island, increased from 7.8 million to
8.8 million). Population growth leads to development that adds parking lots,
rooftops, streets, and other hard surfaces to the "built" environment. Hundreds
of studies around the U.S. suggest that water quality and overall stream health
decline when impervious surfaces exceed 10 percent in a watershed (the area of
land that drains into a body of water). When the impervious area in a watershed
exceeds 25 percent, stream conditions become severely degraded. In many of the
local subwatersheds surrounding the western basin of the Sound, developed land
exceeds 51 percent, and can be as high as 89 percent. Without vegetation and
healthy soils filtering pollutants, stormwater runoff can carry pesticides, patho-
gens, motor oil, debris, and excess nutrients into storm drains and streams.
These pollutants eventually flow into the Sound.
Development now is spreading to more sparsely populated areas of
the region, which could affect the area of the Sound with the best
water quality. A study by UConn's Center for Land Education and
Research (CLEAR) shows that watersheds in eastern Connecticut
experienced higher relative rates of development, between 41 and
85 percent, from 1985 to 2006, compared to central and western
watersheds. In total, the area of developed lands in Connecticut
increased by 18.1 percent (144.7 square miles) from 1985 to 2006.
The amount of developed area in the New York watershed increased
by 2.7 percent (6.5 square miles) from 1985 to 2002.
While inland areas have gained in population, about 4.6 million people
still live within 15 miles of the coast, the area with the greatest impact to the
Sound. The most densely developed areas, including New York City, are in the
western Sound, the region that also has the poorest water quality.
Percent of Developed Area
(NY: 2002, CT: 2006)
01-10%
D11-20%
D21-30%
D31-40%
• 41-50%
• 51-89%
Change in Developed Area
(NY: 1985-2002, CT: 1985-2006)
D 0-2%
D 3-5%
06-10%
D 11-15%
D 16-25%
• 26-40%
• 41-85%
Forest Loss in CT
FROM THE EARLY to the mid-20th century forests
were replacing abandoned farms in Connecticut as
populations moved to the cities. Today, forests cover
more of the state than other types of land use.
But with increases in development, the
state is beginning to lose some of its
forests again. According to research
by CLEAR, 185 square miles of forest
were converted to non-forest from
1985 to 2006—a six percent loss.
The forested area totals 2,922 square
miles, about 59 percent of the state.
The lost area is more than the size
of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New
Canaan, Norwalk, and Wilton combined. The
CLEAR study also revealed that about two-thirds of
the forested land that remains is "fragmented"—de-
fined as the division of large forest tracts into smaller
areas bounded by roads and other development.
Unfragmented forests consisting of at least 250 acres
in size are called "core forests."
Connecticut's coastal communities also faced the
same rate of forest decline as the entire state, losing
about five square miles. Some of these areas were close
to public lands designated as Long Island Sound Stew-
ardship Initiative sites. For example, within one mile of
the boundaries of the Barn Island Wildlife Management
Area in Stonington, 405 acres of core and fragmented
forest were lost, and 200 acres of core forest were
converted to fragmented forest. Within one mile of the
boundaries of the internationally recognized Connecticut
River tidal wetlands complex, 1,476 acres of core and
fragmented forest were lost, and 1,501 acres of forest
were converted from core forest to fragmented forest.
Connecticut's coastal forests are dominated by oaks,
hickories, tulip poplar, black cherry, and sassafras, and
they provide critical habitat for wildlife, including birds.
14
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Barn Island, photo courtesy of CT DEP.
SOURCES: Change in Developed Area and Percent of Developed Area, maps and data from UConn CLEAR; Change in Forest Cover, map by Artem Treyger, data from UConn CLEAR.
-------
CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
{WHAT YOU CAN DO}
here are many ways that you can help, by changing some simple things you do around your home,
community, and the Sound. Remember, we all affect the Sound. Trash we leave on the ground or
liquids we pour down the drain can eventually lead to Long Island Sound and pollute it. Here are
are some simple things you can do to restore and protect Long Island Sound. Find more helpful
tips atwww.longislandsoundstudy.net/get-involved/what-you-can-do.
AT HOME
When it comes to fertilizer more is not
better. Healthy lawns help prevent
erosion, but excess fertilizer that is
not absorbed by your lawn or garden
can be carried away with the rain and
end up in Long Island Sound. Use or-
ganic, slow-release fertilizers, test your
soil before applying and never fertilize
before a rainstorm! Strive for zero runoff
on your property.
Consult with your public works department about
how to properly dispose of items that contain
hazardous chemicals, such as electronics, batteries,
fluorescent bulbs. Also consult your public works
department about proper disposal of used motor
oil or household chemicals. Never pour used motor
oil in a storm drain. Find return/recycling locations
at www.Earth911.org.
Maintain your septic system by having it inspected
every year and pumped out every three to five years.
Nutrients that leak into the soil from septic system
tanks that are not working properly may eventually
run into the Sound.
Conserve water to reduce the volume of waste
water that must be treated by a wastewater
treatment plant or septic system. Repair leaking
faucets, toilets, and pumps. Only use dishwashers
and clothes washers when fully loaded. Purchase
EPA "WaterSense" products. Take short showers
instead of baths, and avoid letting faucets run
unnecessarily. This will increase the efficiency
of treatment and save you money.
Scoop up your pet's waste. Pathogens that are found in
pet waste are harmful and contribute to beach clo-
sures. Flush waste down the toilet, or seal it in a plastic
bag and dispose of it in the trash.
Flushing unwanted medicines can pollute the
Sound since most wastewater treatment plants
and septic tanks cannot break down harmful
chemicals found in medicines. If your household
trash goes to an incinerator, dispose of unwanted
medicines in the trash (but first make sure to dilute
them in water and mix some salt, coffee grounds,
or dirt in them to prevent misuse). If your trash
does not go to an incinerator, contact your town's
household hazardous waste department to ask about
pharmaceutical take back programs.
Wash your car on a grassy area, so the
ground can filter the water naturally.
Use soap sparingly and try to use
non-phosphate biodegradable deter-
gents. Empty the bucket of soapy
water down the sink, not in the
street. Best of all, go to a car wash.
Use environmentally-friendly land-
scaping techniques that require less fer-
tilizer and use native plants. These practices
help prevent sediment and nutrients, like nitrogen
and phosphorus, from reaching the Sound, and can
also provide habitat for native wildlife. Pesticides
can also be washed off your property and carried
into the Sound, so eliminate or reduce the use of
pesticides on your lawn and garden. Instead, hand
pick or screen out pests, choose native pest-resistant
plants, or use low toxicity sprays.
Conserve energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions and pollutants that can deposit into bodies of
water like the Sound.
AROUND THE SOUND
Don't be a litterbug. Never throw litter into the
street, down storm drains, or onto the beach. Rain-
fall carries the trash into the sewers where it eventu-
ally travels into the Sound. Cigarette butts, which
contain non-biodegradable filters, make up the larg-
est percentage of litter collected during beach clean-
ups. If you smoke, always use an ashtray and empty
ashtrays into the garbage, not into a storm drain or
onto the street. Contact the NYSDEC or CT DEP to
report illegal dumping.
Be sure your boat is working properly and not leak-
ing contaminants. Remember, it is illegal to discharge
boat wastes in Connecticut coastal waters and some
New York harbors. Contact the CT DEP or NYSDEC
for information about pumpout facilities.
When fishing, be sure to obey fishery regulations
and handle fish in a manner that is responsible and
sustainable so there will be plenty of fish for years
to come! For state fishing regulations, please contact
the NYSDEC or the CT DEP.
Never feed geese and other waterbirds. This encour-
ages them to stay through the winter and gather in
flocks. Their droppings, which contain bacteria and
nitrogen, can contaminate shellfish beds and may
cause the closing of beaches. >J-
Volunteer Where You Live
THERE ARE MANY ORGANIZATIONS in Conn-
ecticut and New York that need your help protecting
Long Island Sound! One quick way to find out who's
doing what is to check LISS's volunteer Web page.
It features links to more than 50 organizations that
are seeking volunteers to clean beaches, identify and
tag horseshoe crabs, monitor water quality, volunteer
to lead nature walks, and much, much more. Just
about anywhere along the Sound's 600 miles of
coastline or along the rivers and streams in upland
areas, are groups that are doing their share to protect
habitats and wildlife, and improve water quality. Visit
www.longislandsoundstudy.net and click the volunteer
box to see how you can get involved.
GRASS PLANTING,
Bride Brook Dune
CREDITS: Fertilizer man inset, photo courtesy of Washington State Dept. of Ecology, King County;
Dune planting, photo by R. Lorenzfor CFE (Save the Sound); West River Cleanup, photos courtesy of Save the Sound.
SOUND HEALTH 2010 15
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www.longislandsoundstudy.net
The report was developed for the Long Island Sound Study by the New England Interstate Water Pollution
Control Commission through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
NEIWPCC
{WHAT'S ON THE WEB}
Long Island Sound Study
has redesigned its Web
site. We've made it easier
for you to find hundreds
of pages of information
about the Sound and about the efforts
by our partners to restore and protect
it. We've also added new pictures, new
photo presentations, and video clips.
In the future, expect more features
to help you discover what makes the
Sound special, and what you can do to
keep the Sound healthy. Jf-
WHAT YOU CAN FIND
(1) Status and Trends
Visit our Web site within a Web site to find
the full set of indicators used for Sound
Health. Learn more about water quality, fish
and wildlife populations, and land use and
habitats in our area.
(2) Whafs a Dead Zone?
In the multimedia gallery, view an animation
on how a dead zone (body of water with
low dissolved oxygen) is formed.
(3) Habitat Restoration Database
Click on the habitat restoration database in
our habitat section and learn about more
than 150 projects that have improved fish
passage and restored coastal habitats.
(4) Tour Long Island Sound
Visit our "Tour of Long Island Sound"
page to view dozens of pictures featuring
the underwater and coastline habitats
of the Sound.
(5) Listen to the Sound
Go to the audio clips section to find
eight podcasts that explore the efforts
to improve water and protect fish and
wildlife in the Sound.
(6) Get involved
Learn what you can do to get involved
to protect the Sound.
THE LONG ISLAND SOUND STUDY
is a cooperative effort involving
researchers, regulators, user groups,
and other concerned organizations
and individuals. These people are
working together to protect and
improve the health of the Sound by
implementing the Study's Compre-
hensive Conservation and Manage-
ment Plan, completed in 1994.
SOUND HEALTH 2010
Mark Tedesco (Director)
EPA Long Island Sound Office
Robert Burg (Editor)
New England Interstate Water Pollu-
tion Control Commission (NEIWPCC)
Sarah Deonarine (Technical editor)
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation
Mark Parker (Technical editor)
Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection
Lucy Reading-lkkanda (Designer)
The Long Island Sound Study (LISS)
appreciates the many people in the
EPA, CT DEP, NYSDEC, Interstate En-
vironmental Commission, NEIWPCC,
NYC Department of Environmental
Protection, New York and Connecticut
Sea Grant programs, and U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, who assisted
in preparing Sound Health 2010. If
you are interested in receiving our
newsletter, Sound Update, or have
comments or questions about LISS
and Long Island Sound, contact us by:
E-MAIL
info@longislandsoundstudy.net
MAIL
EPA Long Island Sound Office
Stamford Government Center
888 Washington Blvd.,
Stamford, CT 06904-2152
TELEPHONE
EPA Long Island Sound Office
203-977-1541
LISS Public Outreach Coordina-
tor/NY 631-632-9216 (NY Sea Grant)
LISS Public Outreach Coordina-
tor/CT 860-405-9303 (CT Sea Grant)
STATE CONTACTS
NYSDEC Marine Services Bureau:
631-444-0430
CT DEP: 860-424-3000
WEB
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
Find us on Facebook by
clicking the Facebook link at
www.longislandsoundstudy.net
16
SOUND HEALTH 2010
CREDITS: Fourspot flounder (US Fish Trawl Survey), photo by Richard Howard; Earth image, animation by NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab;
Branford Fishway restoration, photo courtesy of Branford Land Trust; Sea star, photo courtesy of CT Sea Grant Living Treasures; CT DEP research vessel
John Dempsey (US Fish Trawl Survey), photo by Richard Howard; and Gulf Beach cleanup, photo by Kathy Nemec-Lucas Photography for Save the Sound.
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