Cooperative Agreement 96217623

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO 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. THIS STUDY DOCUMENTS THE EUTROPHIC CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF THE BAYS AND HARBORS AROUND THE LONG ISLAND SOUND. ACTIVITIES: SPECIFICALLY, UNDER THIS GRANT AGREEMENT THE RECIPIENT WILL CONDUCT WATER QUALITY TESTING AND MONITORING IN 48 EMBAYMENTS WITHIN THE LONG ISLAND SOUND. THE DATA WILL THEN BE PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE USE. THE GRANTEE WILL ALSO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC IN CLEANUPS AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND AND EMBAYMENT'S.SUBRECIPIENT:SUBAWARDS WILL GO TO 26 WATER-QUALITY MONITORING GROUPS. TIER 1 WILL INCLUDE MONITORING FOR DISSOLVED OXYGEN, CHLOROPHYLL A, QUALITATIVE MACROPHYTES, TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, AND WATER CLARITY. TIER 2 INCLUDES MONITORING FOR CONTINUOUS DISSOLVED OXYGEN, NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS AND QUANTITATIVE MACROPHYTES. ALL GROUPS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW A UNIFORM SET OF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPS) AND CONTRIBUTE TO, AND FOLLOW, THE STUDY-SPECIFIC EPA-APPROVED QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP). 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 OUTCOMES OF THIS GRANT WILL BE A GREATER PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENT TO EMBAYMENT WATER QUALITY ALONG WITH THE BUILDING OF QUICKDROPS, AN OPENSOURCE RESOURCE TO SUPPORT SCIENCE AND THE GROWTH OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING, AND THE DISTRIBUTION AND PUBLICATION OF THE REGIONAL LONG ISLAND SOUND REPORT CARD. 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 STUDY WITH A FOCUS ON DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.