Sound Environment

By Connor Jones, FISM Project Manager   Seagrasses are under intense pressures globally, and these pressures are particularly acute in Long Island Sound. Historically, eelgrass (Zostera marina) – the predominant species of seagrass found in the Sound – was so abundant, it was harvested for insulation and fertilizer; but today, fewer than 1,500 acres remain. A number of threats have caused this decline in the extent of eelgrass beds. The meadows that persist are threatened by eutrophication…

By Monica Pepe, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Policy Manager, Conservation and Education   As the tides have continued turning during this bizarre year we’re having, so too have the whales continued swimming. Whale and Dolphin Conservation has also persevered in our efforts to be a reliable source of news and resources, albeit in some very different avenues than we had planned. If you visited us at the Connecticut Spring Boat Show last year at Safe Harbor Essex…

Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana, the world’s leading ocean conservation organization that engages, educates and activates the sailing and boating community toward restoring ocean health, launched its Skippers Program, a volunteer network of local conservation leaders in sailing communities across North America to protect the world’s marine environments. “It’s time for sailors and boaters to step up and get involved.” said Emma Janson, one of the new Skippers. “We all need to organize and get…

By Juliana Corrales, eXXpedition Ambassador Editor’s note: Author Juliana Corrales sailed as a guest crew on Leg 7 of eXXpedition Round the World (RTW), an all-female, three-year sailing voyage and environmental mission that began in the United Kingdom in October 2019 and finishes there in September 2022. On board SV TravelEdge, a total of 300 women are sailing thirty voyage legs that will cover more than 38,000 nautical miles. Co-founded in 2014 by Mission Director Emily Penn,…

By Garrett Russ, Clean Ocean Access Development Coordinator If there’s something that all paddleboarders can agree on, it’s the first few moments of calm that come with being on the water: from the way the air moves around them, to the glassy water quietly shifting beneath them. Whether in Newport Harbor, or just off Third Beach in Middletown, RI, the reactions are the same, the love for the sport similar. And it is out of love for…

By Martin Hain Communications Specialist Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound The First Annual Black Rock Harbor Water Quality Summit, organized by former Black Rock City Councilman Peter Spain, the Ash Creek Conservation Association (ACCA) and Save the Sound, was held with a packed house at the Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture School in Bridgeport, CT on February 26, 2020. The summit gathered area residents, local officials and water quality experts to discuss the current conditions and future improvements…

By Tyson Bottenus, Clean Regattas Director, Sailors for the Sea When we think of building boats and the materials possible to build boats, we think of wood, we think of plastic, we think of fiberglass and aluminum, but we don’t consider boats made from rock. They would sink, right? But in 2015, a unique race called the Sailing The Arctic Race (STAR) was proposed to bring attention to a modern day environmental problem: the melting of the…

By Michael Graca, Buzzards Bay Coalition Communications Director The historic, seaside village of Onset, MA will be teeming with sails this summer with the opening of the Onset Bay Center, a hub for on-the-water exploration for children and adults that is operated by the Buzzards Bay Coalition, a membership-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection, and sustainable use and enjoyment of Buzzards Bay and its watershed. Sailing, kayaking and paddling, swimming and coastal exploration will be…

By Jamie Rhodes, Clean Ocean Access Shrink Wrap Consultant   If you drove behind the Clean Ocean Access offices in Middletown, Rhode Island over the past six months, the towering mountain of white plastic shrink wrap has been hard to miss. In recent weeks, the skyscraping pile transformed into more than fifty packed bags holding up to 350 pounds each and strapped to some old wooden pallets. This has all been in preparation of sending this plastic…

By Hailey Simpson, Coastal Engineer Living shorelines are starting to become the talk of the town for many coastal communities that want to increase the resiliency of their shoreline. By using a naturalistic approach, living shorelines create a more durable and sustainable coast for both people and coastal resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines a living shoreline as a “protected, stabilized coastal edge made of natural materials such as plants, sand or rock. Unlike…