Long Island Sound Report Card Grading the water quality and ecosystem health of the Urban Sea The east-west gradient of people and pollution Long Island Sound is an estuary located between the southern shore of Connecticut and the north shore of Long Island, New York. It is influenced by the tides, with a large exchange with ocean water in the east and minor exchange with New York Harbor in the west. It has an average depth of 60 feet (20 meters) and a maximum depth of over 300 feet (100 meters). Both development and density of people increase from east to west along the Sound. There is intense development in the west, where the Sound meets the East River in New York City. People recreate in the water and along shorelines throughout the Sound. Long Island Sound varies in water quality (particularly dissolved Bemep (Flickr Commons) oxygen) and depth (see figure below). There are strong gradients in tidal currents (highest in the eastern Sound) and tidal range (highest in the western Sound). Nutrient pollution fuels algal blooms in the Sound’s waters. When the blooms eventually die and decompose, they lead to a lack of dissolved oxygen for fish and shellfish. Water clarity is better in the east and worse in the west. Seagrasses, which have historically flourished throughout the Sound, now grow mostly in the eastern Sound. Long Island Sound plays a significant role in the region’s economy. In the past, it supported abundant fisheries, such as oysters, scallops, and lobsters. Additionally, salt marshes and seagrasses were widespread. These resources have been reduced Ralfo (Wunderground) as a result of environmental degradation from development, Recreational activities, like swimming at beaches fishing pressure, and climate change. Nevertheless, the Sound is along the coast and sailing on the Sound, offer still a great place to live and play. Reducing pollution, protecting an escape from urban and suburban life. and restoring coastal habitats, and increasing our resiliency to climate change by protecting our coastal lands will only increase the value of this important resource. Western Narrows Eastern Narrows Western Central Eastern 0 25 Habitat characteristics Key Issues 50 High dissolved oxygen Low dissolved oxygen Depth in meters Fish migration corridor No dissolved oxygen Seagrass presence Historical seagrass presence Physical Processes Exchange with Water clarity Chlorophyll a/phytoplankton 75 ocean water Silty/muddy bottom Floatable debris/trash Large tidal mixing Sandy bottom Sediment toxicants Tidal range Variation of habitat characteristics, key issues, and physical processes of Long Island Sound from west to east. Our actions on land impact our local waters The Long Island Sound watershed is large and extends QUEBEC from New York City in the south, to Quebec, Canada in the north. The Connecticut River, which runs through Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New ME Hampshire, and northward into Canada dominates VT the watershed. The Housatonic and Thames Rivers in Montpelier Connecticut are the next largest watersheds, while New York coastal watersheds are relatively small. NH With more than nine million inhabitants, what gets built in the watershed, and what we apply on or Lebanon ATLANTIC OCEAN what drains off the land can have consequences for Long Island Sound. Concord Keene Albany Worcester MA Springfield Providence NY RI CT Hartford Major watersheds ND Southeast Coast OU Bridgeport D S Thames River AN ISL Connecticut River G N Steve Grant LO South Central Coast Housatonic River Above: A typical skyline around Long Island Sound, in NJ Southwest Coast New Haven, CT. Trees, houses, and commercial buildings NYC 0 20 40 Miles New York City Long Island are part of the Long Island Sound watershed. Left: Major 20 40 Kilometers watersheds of Long Island Sound. Overall, Long Island Sound is in good health, but there are still challenges to water quality. Humans cause the main impacts with development and agriculture. Stormwater runoff from streets, roofs, and parking lots carries pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment into the Sound. Septic systems and fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used in agriculture, lawns, and landscaping also pollute the Sound. Some of the visible impacts to people and communities are beach closures in the summer due to high bacteria levels, and shellfish beds that have to be closely monitored for contamination. Stormwater runoff from developed areas can degrade water quality and result in closed beaches and shellfish beds. Photos: Doug Kerr and Save the Sound. Living resource indicators need improvement 10 21 Finfish C) 8 ° 20 6 19 4 Bemep (Flickr Commons) 18 Average bottom Biomass Area-Day Striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Depletion Index (%) 2 water temperature ( The Biomass Area-Day Depletion (BADD) Index 0 17 estimates how water quality is affecting finfish, like striped bass and tautog, in Long Island Sound. The 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 lower the BADD Index, the better the dissolved oxygen The Biomass Area-Day Depletion Index has improved in conditions for finfish. The Index has improved in recent years despite increasing water temperature that recent years despite increasing water temperature that intensifies the effects of hypoxia. intensifies the effects of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen). Nesting pairs of piping plover (% score) New London Piping plover 100 (Good) 90 – <100 80 – <90 70 – <80 Bridgeport 60 – <70 0 – <60 (Poor) Unscored N New 0 105 20 Miles Rochelle Port Jefferson 10 20 Kilometers Michael D. Stubblefield, M.D. Adult piping plover. Manhasset The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small shorebird that is endangered and threatened throughout its range. It makes its nests along the Long Island Sound shoreline each year and is just one of many important birds that use the Sound as a feeding and nursery area. Nesting pairs were compared against a 10-year average for that site and scored on a 0-100% (poor to good) scale. Piping plover productivity varied widely, from no new nesting pairs to more than the average of the previous ten years. New Eelgrass London Old Lyme Fishers Cornell University Cooperative Extension Island Flounder in eelgrass bed. Eelgrass areas Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a submerged plant 01 2 4 Mi that grows in shallow areas along the coast. It 0 42 Km N Plum provides a number of benefits like buffering coastal Island communities from storms, removing pollution from Eelgrass areas have been reduced to locations within the the water, and providing shelter for animals. While Eastern subregion and isolated pockets farther west. The eelgrass has historically stretched farther west, it is current target in the Comprehensive Conservation and currently limited to the eastern region of the Sound. Management Plan is to double the current eelgrass acreage from approximately 2000 to 4000 acres. Living resource indicators need improvement Water Quality Water quality illustrates the story of pollution and dilution in Long Island Sound Yes, you can swim and fish in the Sound! Indicators 10 21 Percentage of time samples met the New London Finfish Eastern Narrows Central Long Island Sound Bacteria swimming risk threshold C) 8 ° 100 (Good) 20 - - 90 – <100 Dissolved oxygen The Easterngen Narrows received a D+ (69%), a Centralgen Long Island Sound received a B (84%), a n There is a variation from B xy B xy xyge Wat O O o er 80 – <90 Bridgeport 6 d d d c e A e ve la poorv grade, because dissolved oxygen, water C moderatelyv good grade, because most indicators l west to east of unhealthy A l l C r 70 – <80 o o o it 19 Dissolved oxygen is critical to the s s s y s s is i i 60 – <70 clarity, and nutrients continue to be problems. Central scored well. This area is less developed than the D (F) to healthy water quality 4 Eastern D D survival of fish and shellfish. The Narrows LIS 0 – <60 a N N Bemep (Flickr Commons) Score The Eastern Narrows has urban and suburban Score Narrows, with fewer pollution impacts, and has l (A). The Western Narrows l (Poor) amount of dissolved oxygen i 0 105 20 Miles 18 Average bottom t y Biomass Area-Day r Striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Depletion Index (%) 2 development and the water has little exchange better exchange with the Atlantic Ocean. o h is affected by the highly needed before fish and shellfish p water temperature ( g o 10 20 Kilometers e r Port Jefferson are stressed, or even die, varies with the Atlantic Ocean. n l populated, suburban- Brown Tracy The Biomass Area-Day Depletion (BADD) Index 0 h 17 between species. C urban communities Monitoring bacteria levels in swimming estimates how water quality is affecting finfish, like Pho s sphoru areas. 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 surrounding New York Manhasset striped bass and tautog, in Long Island Sound. The Connecticut New lower the BADD Index, the better the dissolved oxygen The Biomass Area-Day Depletion Index has improved in London City and scored the worst. Moving east from N Nitrogen River Overall, swimming areas had low bacteria levels most of the time, meaning that people can swim. Enterococcus conditions for finfish. The Index has improved in recent years despite increasing water temperature that western Connecticut and western Long Island, River bacteria levels are monitored in swimming areas throughout Long Island Sound. These bacteria are an indicator recent years despite increasing water temperature that intensifies the effects of hypoxia. the water quality improves. In the eastern Sound, Nitrogen comes from human Quinnipiac of fecal contamination, and high concentrations of bacteria suggest a potential risk to human health while intensifies the effects of hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen). the pollution is diluted by exchange with the sources like wastewater, septic swimming or recreating on the water.