The goal of the SEINE Project is to establish active partnerships between
teachers and scientists in a way that will foster awareness of, and stewardship
for, near-shore ecosystems.
Nearshore ecosystems along Connecticut’s coast are vital to the ecological and
economic health of Long Island Sound. These areas are essential to shoreline
protection, productivity of commercial and sport fisheries, and cycling of
nutrients. Nearshore ecosystems are specifically valued for their extremely high
productivity, which supports a great abundance and diversity of fish as well as
shrimp, oysters, crabs, and other invertebrates. Because of the abundance of
juvenile fish and shellfish found in these areas, nearshore ecosystems are
widely considered “nurseries.”
The nursery role of coastal estuaries and marine ecosystems is well accepted by
scientists, conservation organizations, fisheries managers, and the public, and
it is often cited to support protection and conservation of these areas. During
their juvenile stage, individuals will often move between multiple habitats and
receive benefits from each. In some cases, individuals may not even have to
reside in a habitat to receive benefits from it. Nearshore ecosystems that
include these habitats are in decline, and continue to be threatened by
drainage, development, and pollution. As a result, these areas are the focus of
many management and conservation programs.
A wetland trend analysis study, carried out by the Connecticut DEP, compared nineteenth century charts to wetland maps from the 1970s. It was determined that the total loss of wetlands in Connecticut between the 1880s and the 1970s was 30%. Research is currently underway to determine the actual loss of tidal wetlands between 1974 and the present.
According to the Long Island Sound Soundkeeper, Terry Backer, Long Island Sound’s salt marshes and wetlands:
“…are essential sanctuaries for spawning fish and their offspring. Without these essential habitats, there are no naturally protected spawning grounds…As a result, a disproportionate number of fingerlings and larvae fall prey to natural predators. Those predators, by decimating their own supply of prey, have also nearly disappeared from the area. This depletion of native species is reducing the productivity of Long Island Sound’s one-billion-dollar-per-year fishing industry and undermining ecosystem biodiversity."
http://arboretum.conncoll.edu/publications/34/CHP4B.HTM
http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/monitoring/indicators/2008/section4.2_2008.pdf
http://www.soundkeeper.org/programinitdetail.asp?ProgramID=45
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