The Long Island Sound Habitat Restoration Initiative

The Initiative has set three broad goals:

• Restore the ecological functions of degraded and lost habitats;
• Restore at least 2000 acres and 100 river miles of natural habitats over the next 10 years;
• Use partnerships to accomplish the restoration objectives and to leverage limited state, local, and federal funds.

What Kinds Of Habitats Are Included?

Sites proposed for restoration fall into twelve habitat types. All of these habitats are necessary to maintain fish and wildlife populations in and around Long Island Sound.

• Tidal Wetlands (TW) are the transitional zone between the land and aquatic systems. Healthy wetlands help trap sediments, store flood waters, and reduce wave energy during storms. In addition, two thirds of all marine species depend on tidal wetlands for a portion of their life cycle;
• Freshwater Wetlands (FW) are the transitional zone between the land and water. These wetlands aid in groundwater recharge and store flood waters. They are also critical habitat to many rare plant and animal species;
• Beaches and Dunes (BD) are the transitional sandy shoreline area between the land and the Sound. Dunes can protect adjacent low-lying properties from flooding. Many rare plants and animals occur on this habitat complex, such as prickly-pear cactus, golden-aster, beach heather, Piping Plover, and Horned Lark;
• Coastal Grasslands (GL) are open glacial outwash plains dominated by tall grasses like little bluestem and switchgrass. They often have diverse wildflower communities as well. These areas are critical habitat for many rare and endangered species like the grasshopper sparrow and regal fritillary butterfly. Grasslands are also important to birds of prey like the short-eared owl;
• Intertidal Flats (IF) are shallow areas of bays and harbors that lay between the spring high and low tide marks. The sediments may be muddy to sandy and support important species like juvenile flounder, clams, and crabs;
• Cliffs and Bluffs (CB) are steep coastal slopes of glacial sands and till created through long-term wave erosion and sea-level rise. Rare plant communities, such as New York's dwarf beech forest, may be found here;
• Riverine Migratory Corridors (RMC) are river systems that drain to the Sound. Migratory species like Atlantic salmon, shad, and herring use these rivers to travel to fresh waters miles away from Long Island Sound to spawn. Recreational and commercial fisheries benefit when river corridors remain healthy and passable to migratory fish;
• Coastal and Island Forests (F) in the project area may be dominated by species such as maple, oak, cedar, pine, and beech. Animal which may use this habitat include owls, eagles, and osprey. Forest stands on islands are of particular importance to nesting colonial water birds like egrets and herons because they are relatively free of predators. Forests provide shade and oxygen, and help influence the local climate;
• Rocky Intertidal Zones (RI) are areas of exposed rock, either naturally eroded bedrock or man-made structures like jetties, characterized by attached species such as barnacles, algae, and mussels. These zones fall between extreme high and low tides, which results in frequent exposure of the plant and animal residents to the air. The species which attach themselves to this habitat help filter nutrients from the water, and are a food source for other marine species;
• Shellfish Reefs (SR) are formed by clusters of oysters and blue mussels in protected bays. The shellfish are able to filter out much of the algae and particulate matter in the water column, improving water clarity;
• Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) beds are comprised of rooted plants like eelgrass and widgeon grass which grow on shallow bay bottoms below the spring low tide mark. These grassy beds provide vital refuge for juvenile fish and lobsters. The plants also trap sediments and use nitrogen from the water column, improving water quality.
  
• Estuarine Embayments (EE) are confined areas of the Sound with narrow inlets and significant freshwater inflow. These areas are important nurseries for finfish and concentration sites for wildlife. The best bay scallop production occurs in estuarine embayments.