Winter 2000: Habitat Restoration

One year ago, the UPDATE newsletter focused on the health of living resources in the Sound. The outlook was mixed, with both positive and negative news. There was also a hint of caution; a warning that naturally occurring diseases can unpredictably wreak havoc on populations of fish and wildlife. Massive oyster mortalities in 1997- 98 caused by a single-celled parasite called MSX accentuated the point, along with reports of an unusual die-off of American lobster in the fall of 1998, tempering the good news of recent record harvests.

But the 1998 lobster die-off was but a harbinger of what was to come in 1999 when the mass mortality of lobsters in Long Island Sound crippled a multimillion dollar industry and put many fishers and dealers out of work. Marine disease became front page news and a source of editorial page finger pointing.

To view the 2000 Winter newsletter, download the pdf document

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