The Long Island Sound Partnership (LISP), a group that includes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New York and Connecticut Sea Grant programs, and state agencies from both states, recently held three free community events to mark 40 years of conservation efforts for Long Island Sound. The events took place in Oyster Bay, The Bronx, and Groton, Connecticut.
“These celebrations are really special because they’re opportunities for people to explore Long Island Sound in a fun way and really experience it firsthand with their families,” said Jimena Perez-Viscasillas, a Stony Brook-based NYSG outreach specialist with LISP. “When people feel a connection to the Sound, they’re more likely to care about what happens to it. That’s why events like these matter. They’re part of how we grow a community of stewards who will help carry this conservation work forward.”
The Oyster Bay event was held at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beekman Beach. It was organized by New York Sea Grant (NYSG), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and LISP along with the Town of Oyster Bay and several environmental nonprofits. Educational booths and activities were available for attendees.
Activities at the events aimed to connect participants with Long Island Sound’s environment through boat rides, fishing demonstrations, seining, beach clean-ups, and birdwatching walks.
During the celebrations, LISP introduced an educational sticker featuring bottlenose dolphins to mark its 40th anniversary. These stickers will be distributed at upcoming beach cleanup events in New York and Connecticut between September 20—International Coastal Cleanup Day—and the end of the year. One such event is scheduled for November 1 at West Meadow Beach in Stony Brook as part of the Halloween Coastal Clean initiative. These cleanups support LISP’s ongoing #DontTrashLISound campaign that encourages reducing plastic pollution on beaches.
A public perception survey funded by LISP in 2024 found that most residents view Long Island Sound positively as an asset for quality of life and regional economy. Of over 3,700 respondents from nearly nine million residents in the watershed area—which covers all land draining into Long Island Sound—many described it as “beautiful,” “fun,” “peaceful,” or associated with activities like fishing and swimming.
“General impressions of Long Island Sound are overwhelmingly positive,” said project manager Nancy Balcom, CTSG’s associate director. “Sixty percent of respondents agreed that ‘being near Long Island Sound makes [them] feel peaceful and happier.’ Sixty-one percent said the Sound provides recreational opportunities, 58% said it has a positive economic impact on the region, and 60% would call Long Island Sound ‘a national treasure.’”
However, only about one-third of those surveyed knew they lived within the LIS watershed area. “There’s still work to be done here to build awareness of location and connection,” Balcom noted.
New York Sea Grant operates out of Stony Brook University as part of Cornell University and SUNY under NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program.