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EPA, Connecticut Sea Grant, and New York Sea Grant Partner to Support Research on Long Island Sound

Release Date: 07/03/2001
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(#01076), Stamford, CT - Knowledge is power, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Connecticut Sea Grant (CTSG), and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) are making more than $400,000 available to support research on the Long Island Sound ecosystem. The money will bring the total awarded through the grant program to nearly three quarters of a million dollars. The grant program, now in its second round, will improve the understanding of pollution problems faced in Long Island Sound such as eutrophication, hypoxia, and related ecosystem impacts. Some of the areas of interest for proposals include nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics, benthic processes and elemental cycling, identification of the mechanisms by which hypoxia develops, factors affecting the distribution, abundance, and trends of recreationally, commercially, or ecologically important living resources, the development of ecological indicators of the health of Long Island Sound, and the impacts of sea level rise. Projects to be funded by the grants may extend for a one- or two-year period. The ideal award range will be from $30,000 to $60,000 per year, but an award up to $100,000 per year will be considered. Total funding for any one project may not exceed $200,000. Academic and not-for-profit institutions located in the United States and state or local governments are eligible for funding. Personnel in profit-making firms may participate as non-funded, co-investigators or through subcontracts with the awardee institution. "The better we understand the challenges facing Long Island Sound, the more effective we can be in restoring and protecting it," said Mark Tedesco, director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office. "Programs like this grant program allow us to tap into the scientific talents and resources of the entire Long Island Sound community." "We're pleased to be able to partner with the EPA Long Island Sound Office, and with our sister Sea Grant program in New York, in sponsoring this Long Island Sound environmental research opportunity", said Dr. Edward C. Monahan, Connecticut Sea Grant Director. "While we have been impressed with all the work that has already been accomplished, still more research needs to be done before we have an adequate understanding of the processes that determine the ecological structure and function of this vital body of water." "Given the importance of Long Island Sound, collecting scientific data which can be used to make future decisions regarding the health and cleanup of the Sound is important," said Dr. Jack Mattice, New York Sea Grant Director. "The fact that we can partner to do this is a real plus." The deadline for submitting a proposal to the EPA Long Island Sound Office in Stamford, Connecticut is no later than 4:00 P.M. EDT on August 3, 2001. The Long Island Sound Study, conducted under EPA’s National Estuary Program, is a cooperative effort between EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York to protect and restore the Sound and its ecosystem. Information on the LISS and copies of the RFP can be obtained at https://www.epa.gov/region01/eco/lis or by calling the Long Island Sound Office at 203-977-1541. Connecticut Sea Grant, based at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, and New York Sea Grant, based at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, are part of the National Sea Grant College Program. Their mission is to foster the conservation and wise use of our coastal and marine resources through research, outreach, and education.