Habitats and Wildlife Ecosystem Targets and Indicators

Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife ecosystem targets track progress towards attaining the goal of restoring and protecting the Sound's ecological balance in a healthy, productive, and resilient state to benefit both people and the natural environment.


Horseshoe Crab Abundance

This indicator shows the abundance of Horseshoe Crabs in Connecticut and New York. View Indicator

Lobster Abundance

Lobster has historically been an important fishery in Long Island Sound but populations have declined in recent years. This indicator is a fisheries-independent estimation of their abundance in the Sound. View Indicator

Forage Fish – Open Water/NY and CT Coastlines

The forage indices measures the productivity of small fish in the Sound, which is the basis of the food supply for larger fish, including game fish. View Indicator

Finfish Biomass and Species Richness Indices

Fish biomass indicates the productivity of the Long Island Sound fishery. Species richness measures the diversity of species supported within the Sound's various habitats. View Indicator

Invertebrate Biomass Index

Invertebrate biomass is an indicator of the productivity of the Long Island Sound. View Indicator

Game Fish

The abundance of game fish is a reflection of the productivity of Long Island Sound and the effectiveness of coast-wide fishery management plans that seek to stabilize populations while maximizing harvest opportunities. View Indicator

Shad & River Herring—Long Island Sound

Abundance of American shad and river herring, as reported in the Long Island Sound Trawl Survey. View Indicator

Least Terns

The least tern is the smallest of American terns. They are migratory birds that breed along marine and estuarine shores of the United States. Their abundance indicates the quality of coastal habitat and quantity of forage fish available for food. View Indicator

Piping Plovers

Piping plovers are small shorebirds that nest on the beaches of Long Island Sound. The abundance of breeding pairs reflects availability of beach nesting habitat and management efforts to protect nesting pairs from human intrusion, storm tides and predators. View Indicator

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