Stony Brook, NY, January 15, 2013 - Since 2001, the Sound Health report has documented the state of the health of Long Island Sound and its shoreline. In December, LISS released its latest report in the biennial series, Sound Health 2012, both online and in print. Sound Health 2012 looks at the indicators scientists and resource managers use to track and assess water quality, coastal and marine animal populations, habitats, and the impact of land use on water. A special section on climate and weather also looks at the impact of sea level rise and temperature on the environment.

The 16-page report is available online at www.LIShealth.net, where you can find links to features about the Sound, including the Long Island Sound food web and a slide show of the Long Island Sound Trawl Survey. Also, this year you can ask Dr. Jason Krumholz, a marine scientist serving as NOAA liaison to the Long Island Sound Study, any Sound Health-related questions. E-mail him at askdrk@lishealth.net and see his answer at Dr. K's blog.

Long Island Sound Health 2012 is available as a download (see "Related Info" box at right). Printed copies of the report are available through the EPA. To order your FREE copies, log onto EPA's publications Web site paste this order number into the search box: 902R12003. Copies are particularly popular with teachers who distribute classroom sets as part of their science curricula.

For more on what you can do to make a difference, click over to the "Get Involved" section of the Long Island Sound Study's Web site. News on the Long Island Sound Study can also be found in New York Sea Grant's related archives.

If you would like to receive Long Island Sound Study's newsletter, please visit their site's homepage and sign up for the "e-news/print newsletter" under the "Stay Connected" box.

For daily updates and tips on how you can help protect and restore Long Island Sound, please join LISS on Facebook or, sign up for their RSS feeds.


More Info:

Long Island Sound is one of the 28 nationally-designated estuaries under the NEP, which was established by Congress in 1987 to improve the quality of Long Island Sound and other places where rivers meet the sea.

The Long Island Sound Study, conducted under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Estuary Program (NEP), is a cooperative effort between the EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York to restore and protect the Sound and its ecosystems.

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for NY Coastlines, its flagship publication, and Currents, its e-newsletter supplement, each distributed 3-4 times a year.