Sound Environment

“The decision to sell Plum Island was, in my opinion, made without adequate critical analysis and evaluation,” said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. “The lack of development on Plum Island makes this unique open space an environmental treasure that should be preserved.”

Marine organisms tend to have unique and varied mechanisms for defending themselves, whether it is by harboring toxins, or having antibiotic properties to fight bacteria and viruses in their environment. Scientists are currently studying mud puppies, fish that are highly resistant to pollutants, to see if their genetic makeup suggests ways to protect humans from pollution.

A trash reef in Newport, RI’s harbor, for example, has a concentration of up to 41,000,000 pieces of trash per square kilometer, covering 25.2% of the seafloor of the reef area.

Block Island, RI is poised to make history next year with the much-anticipated construction of five offshore wind turbines. The project – proposed by Providence-based Deepwater Wind over six years ago – crossed major state and federal permitting milestones this year, placing them on track to begin construction in the spring of 2015.

At the forefront of sailing technology, Saildrone is a “state-of-the-art carbon fiber composites and ultra-efficient aero- and hydrodynamics autonomous sailboat.

There are critical decisions being made this fall about the future of New England’s marine protected areas. In May, I signed on for my second hitch as first officer aboard American Promise, a 60-footer made famous by Dodge Morgan, who broke the solo non-stop circumnavigation record in 1986. Now owned by Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, she is their platform for coastal marine debris cleanup, pollution research, public outreach and a host vessel for visiting scientists.

In March, Ben Eriksen Carey and Teresa Carey filmed the pilot episode for Ocean Courier, a proposed docu-series about conservation efforts worldwide, from the floating studio of a sailboat.

By Leah Schmalz, Director of Legislative and Legal Affairs, Save the Sound Save the Sound uses legal expertise, grassroots advocacy, volunteer work, and habitat restoration to preserve great coastal and island sites, fight for clean water, restore rivers and marshes, and clean up hundreds of miles of coastline to preserve and protect Long Island Sound. In 2004, Save the Sound merged with Connecticut Fund for the Environment and continues to advocate against threats to Long Island Sound…

Clean Ocean Access (COA) is a local environmental group in Newport County, Rhode Island with a mission of taking action today so that future generations can continue to enjoy ocean activities.

Photo-identification is a technique that enables scientists to identify an individual whale anywhere it may travel throughout its life by comparing black and white pigmentation patterns on the underside of the flukes.