Projects will take place from 2023 to 2025
Investigators: Christopher Elphick, Beth Lawrence and Ashley Helton, University of Connecticut; Blaire Steven, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; and Min Huang, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Grant Award: $909,748 plus $456,645 in matching funds
By creating sediment mounds of varying elevations planted with various species at different densities at Great Meadow Marsh in Stratford, the researchers seek to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of how marsh restoration efforts impact the functioning of these ecosystems and their value for wildlife.
Investigators: Michael Whitney, University of Connecticut and Peter Linderoth, Save the Sound
Grant Award: $310,628 plus $156,957 in matching funds
The researchers will analyze patterns of fecal indicator bacteria in water samples from Green Harbor Beach in New London and Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. Because of high bacteria levels, these two public beaches are among the most frequently closed or under swim advisories in the state of Connecticut. The work will include efforts to identify bacteria pathways and public outreach about water quality issues.
Investigators: Maria Rodgers, North Carolina State University and Jessica Brand, Daniel Bolnick, Kat Milligan-McClellan and Milton Levin, University of Connecticut
Grant Award: $709,095 plus $357,188 in matching funds
The researchers will examine concentrations of PFAS (poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances) at different water temperatures in fish populations downstream from the outfalls of public sewage treatment plants. The results will quantify how fish can be expected to respond to exposure to these “forever chemicals” in the Sound over the next five decades.
Investigator: Sarah Crosby, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk; A. Randall Hughes and Nicole Kollars, Northeastern University; Nicole Spiller, Harbor Watch and Earthplace; and LaTina Steele, Sacred Heart University
Grant Award: $352,916 plus $182,058 in matching funds
By enclosing sections of salt marshes within open chambers to increase interior temperatures, the researchers will assess the expected effects of warmer temperatures associated with climate change. The work will include plantings of southern-sourced marsh grass (Spartina) strains to determine impacts on future resilience, and an examination of the genetic mixing of these salt marsh strains to enhance the success of restoration efforts.
Investigator: Gregory Dietl, Paleontological Research Institution
Grant Award: $38,994 plus $19,565 in matching funds
Researchers will look at the remains of mollusks buried beneath the seafloor to understand past ecological conditions in the Long Island Sound. The molluscan geohistorical record could provide much-needed baseline information to assess the response of marine life to changes in water quality.
Investigators: Robert Johnston of Clark University; David Dickson, Qian Lei-Parent and Jamie Vaudrey, University of Connecticut; David Newburn, University of Maryland; and Haoluan Wang , University of Miami
Grant Award: $405,630, plus $205,677 in matching funds
This project will use a survey of households to predict residential fertilizer lawn use for the coastal counties and municipalities across the Long Island Sound watershed. A model combining this information with water quality data will be used to inform prospective behavior-change campaigns to identify and prioritize the areas or types of households that would have the greatest impact on reducing nitrogen from lawn fertilizer and its impact on the Sound.
Investigators: Maria Tzortziou, City College of New York; Joaquim Goes, Columbia University; and Melanie Abecassis, University of Maryland College Park
Grant Award: $688,572 plus $351,330 in matching funds
Human-caused climate change as well as other anthropogenic factors can intensify harmful algal blooms in Long Island Sound. Observations of the entire ecosystem, over different seasons and across a range of conditions, including during extreme weather events, can be obtained from satellite data. This work will provide actionable information for water resource management, policy, and decision-making.
Investigators: Yong Chen, Stony Brook University; Kurt Gottschall, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; and Kim McKown and John Maniscalco, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Grant Award: $316,734 plus $167,360 in matching funds
Conditions in Long Island Sound have been shifting due to climate change, affecting water temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, and incidence of Harmful Algal Blooms. The scientists will evaluate these shifting conditions on the distributional changes of warm-adapted and cold-adapted species of fish in the Sound.
Investigators: Anil Yazici and Elizabeth Hewitt, Stony Brook University
Grant Award: $479,083 plus $239,548 in matching funds
Some communities on Long Island do not have the mobility means to use and appreciate the Long Island Sound waterfront. Project leaders are designing and piloting on-demand shuttles that will facilitate equitable public access to the Long Island Sound waterfront. The team will survey users of the shuttle service to identify changes in attitudes toward the Sound’s environment.
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