Over $2.8 Million in Funds for New Long Island Sound Research

Stony Brook, NY, February 15, 2021 - Eight research projects that will examine various facets of the water chemistry and habitat quality of Long Island Sound and potentially yield more effective management decisions have been awarded more than $2.8 million in federal funding through the Long Island Sound Study Research Grant Program.

The projects, supported by a partnership of the Sea Grant programs of Connecticut and New York (CTSG and NYSG, respectively,) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), will attempt to answer questions critical to advancing restoration of the estuary and its watershed. All the awards are supplemented with matching funds of at least 50 percent of the grants, extending the value of the research package to more than $4.2 million.

All the projects will span two years, with work slated to begin this spring. Click here for details from NYSG on these projects, quotes from the partners involved, and additional photos. Additionally, see LISS' 2021-23 research project descriptions.

The eight research projects are the latest to be awarded through the Long Island Sound Study Research Grant Program, run by NYSG and CTSG since 2008. Including the new awards, the program has funded ecological research in more than 30 areas. It represents the largest research investment into the Sound, designated an estuary of national significance and one of the most valuable natural resources for both states.

About New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State's marine and Great Lakes resources. Through NYSG's efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups — businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, University at Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension's NYC and Kingston locations. For more, visit nyseagrant.org.