$2.8M awarded for Long Island Sound research projects

Eight research projects that will examine water chemistry and habitat quality of Long Island Sound have been awarded more than $2.8 million in federal funding through the Long Island Sound Study Research Grant Program.

The projects, supported by a partnership of the Sea Grant programs of Connecticut and New York and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Long Island Sound Study, will attempt to answer questions critical to advancing restoration of the estuary and its watershed and potentially yield more effective management decisions. 

The awards are supplemented with matching funds of at least 50 percent of the grants, extending the value of the research package to more than $4.2 million. The projects will span two years, with work slated to begin this spring.

One of the projects funded takes place at Stony Brook University and focuses on studying the ability of cultured seaweed and shellfish to remove nitrogen, combat ocean acidification, improve water quality and benefit aquaculture.