Provide assistance to the save the sound to implement its project to support the long island sound comprehensive conservation and management plan to protect and restore long island sound by…

Save The Sound Inc. (doing business as Connecticut Fund For The Environment) received a $2.2 million Project Grant award effective October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2027, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 under the Geographic Programs – Long Island Sound Program (CFDA 66.437). The grant supports the implementation of the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan through coordination and execution of the Unified Water Study, which establishes comparable bay-to-bay datasets characterizing eutrophic conditions and environmental health across bays and harbors surrounding Long Island Sound.

The grant funds water quality monitoring and testing activities conducted by 37 subrecipient water-quality monitoring organizations across 50 embayments in the Long Island Sound region. Tier 1 monitoring encompasses basic water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, water clarity, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, and qualitative macrophytes) across all 50 embayments, while Tier 2 monitoring addresses advanced parameters (nitrogen, phosphorous, continuous dissolved oxygen, and quantitative macrophytes) in 12 designated embayments. Additionally, the award supports the initial integration of coastal acidification monitoring into the Unified Water Study through stakeholder engagement, with all resulting data published for citizen science use. The grant further funds public engagement activities including environmental cleanups and ecological restoration initiatives throughout the Long Island Sound and its embayments.

Description

The purpose of this agreement is to provide assistance to the save the sound to implement its project to support the long island sound comprehensive conservation and management plan to protect and restore long island sound by coordinating and implementing the unified water study. IT will establish a comparable BAY-to-BAY dataset describing the eutrophic conditions and environmental health of bays and harbors around the LIS.activities:specifically, under this grant agreement the recipient will coordinate and implement the unified water study to establish a comparable BAY-to-BAY dataset describing the eutrophic conditions and environmental health of bays and harbors around the LIS with 37 subrecipients conducting water quality testing and monitoring in 50 embayments within the long island sound. The proposal also includes funding the first steps in adding coastal acidification monitoring to the unified water study including stakeholder meetings for input on the creation and integration of coastal acidification monitoring into the unified water study. The data will be published and distributed for citizen science use. The recipient will also involve the public in cleanups and ecological restoration of the long island sound and embayments.subrecipient:subawards will go to 37 water-quality monitoring groups. Tier 1 will include monitoring and collecting sampling data from 50 embayments, and conducting water quality monitoring for dissolved oxygen, water clarity, temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, and qualitative macrophytes. Tier 2 includes monitoring for collecting sampling data for nitrogen, phosphorous, continuous dissolved oxygen, and quantitative macrophytes from 12 embayments.outcomes:under this grant agreement, the recipient will coordinate and implement the unified water study establishing a comparable BAY-to-BAY dataset describing the eutrophic conditions and environmental health of the bays and harbors around the long island sound. The expected outcomes of the united water study are the reduction of contaminant and nutrient loads in the watershed of LIS and the research, monitoring, and modeling to support attainment of water quality objectives. Save the sound will also develop a quality management plan (QMP) for all save the sound environmental information operations. Direct beneficiaries of this program include the general population in the new york/connecticut portion of the long island sound watershed and its surrounding areas, schools, universities and other institutions of learning, environmental managers and policymakers and the participants in the long island sound partnership.