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		The Nature Conservancy in New York New York Home Contact Us Places We Protect   Adirondacks   Central & Western   Eastern   Long Island   New York City News Room Field Trips and Events Young Professionals Internship Program Science Volunteer Ways of Giving

Help Protect New York! Your donation will help us protect areas on Long Island and throughout New York. Donating online is fast, easy, and safe. Dig Deeper Bringing Back the Clam The Nature Conservancy and its partners are working throughout Long Island to make our waters thrive once again. The Nature Conservancy on Long Island On Long Island, we use a variety of approaches and work with many different partners to protect large landscapes, seascapes, and whole functioning ecosystems. Long Island's Last Stand A ten-year action plan to save the most significant remaining open spaces and farmland and to restore and protect our harbors, bays and public parklands. Loss of seagrass can cause a decline in fish populations, harming local industry.

What happens when our underwater meadows vanish? One of the most important habitats underneath Long Island's beaches and bays is seagrass. 

Critical to the life cycle and development of shrimp, scallops, fish, and waterfowl, these meadows are teeming with life.  Seagrass also filters pollution and guards against shoreline erosion by buffering the impacts of wave energy and storm surges.

But in some areas, seagrass is disappearing at an alarming rate.  Altered water quality, brown tide, coastal development, boat traffic, and harmful fishing practices are all to blame.

Without these extensive underwater prairies, this bountiful ecosystem faces a great challenge.  “The future of our fisheries and our bays will be greatly influenced by the health of Long Island’s seagrass meadows,” said Carl LoBue, Site Director for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island.

Keeping it Green

The Nature Conservancy understands the importance of seagrass to the health of our beaches, bays, and local communities. That's why we are:

• Determining what contributes to the decline of our seagrass meadows, including investigating causes and prevention of brown tide; and

• Establishing seagrass protection and restoration strategies in cooperation with state and local governments.

Get Involved

You can help restore our underwater meadows, too! Next time you're at the beach, remember to:

• Avoid boat traffic, anchoring, and shellfishing in seagrass beds;

• Keep septic systems far from waterways;
  
• Limit use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers; and

• Avoid dumping chemicals or toxins in sewers or on the ground.

Find out more about how we're working to restore the Great South Bay.

 

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Richard Herrmann (eelgrass); Photo © The Nature Conservancy (scallop); Photo © Mark Godfrey (boat).