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Connecticut

Long Island Sound Program

TNC’s Long Island Sound Program works across three states to protect and restore the Sound.

A mix of seabirds along a dark sandy bank with a calm s
Connecticut: Plovers and gulls at Griswold Point Preserve in Old Lyme. © Jerry Monkman

Features

View out a plane window.

Taking to the Skies to Help the Seas

Aerial surveys of boating activities help assess threats to seagrass as part of comprehensive approach to its protection in Long Island Sound.

Underwater view of a brown turtle swimming through seag

Protecting Seagrass in Long Island Sound

We know why a critical habitat is in decline; now we’re trying to save it.

Photo of a blond woman near the sea at sunset.

A Sound Plan for the Future

In this Q & A, the Conservancy’s Chantal Collier shares her hopes and vision for Long Island Sound’s next 20 years.

View of a grassy harbor and some seaside homes on a clo

Reducing Nitrogen Pollution in Long Island Sound

In focus: the Saugatuck River Watershed and New London County

Welcome to the Long Island Sound Program

Unlike people, fish, birds, shellfish and sea turtles don’t observe state borders or restrict their travel to mapped highways. For this reason, The Nature Conservancy’s Long Island Sound Program also reaches across boundaries, encompassing staff scientists and collaborating with partners from the three states and many programs that have connections to the Sound: New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

More than 21 million people live within 50 miles of Long Island Sound’s shores where coastal development and demand for food, energy and jobs have been increasingly straining its natural resources for decades. Still, this area is also home to a surprisingly diverse array of plants, animals and habitats, including four species of sea turtle, fish ranging from skates to anchovies, as well as salt marshes and eelgrass meadows that are among the most biologically productive places on the planet. 

Despite its challenges, the Sound retains much of its natural character and is recognized as one of 28 nationally significant estuaries by the National Estuary Program. The Nature Conservancy is committed to advancing science and working with partners to revitalize and protect a healthy, resilient Sound for marine life and the communities who depend on it for their livelihood and well-being.