About:
Historically, it’s been difficult to compare water quality conditions in the Sound’s many inlets because the monitoring work is conducted by different groups with different monitoring approaches.
The Unified Water Study: Long Island Sound Embayment Research (UWS) is a new water quality monitoring protocol developed so groups around Long Island Sound can collect comparable data on the environmental health of our bays and harbors. Launched by Save the Sound in 2017, this groundbreaking water testing program will dramatically increase available data on the health of Long Island Sound. The findings will further our understanding of the Sound and inform and support our actions to preserve and protect it.
See: https://www.ctenvironment.org/unified-water-study
Twelve times over the summer, the team takes 2 readings, at 4 locations in all 3 of Darien’s embayments. Using a sophisticated instrument and following scientific protocol, the team records temperature, salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll A, and dissolved oxygen
In addition, 3 times over the summer, macrophage samples are taken and recorded.
2020 Long Island Sound Report Card:
Sound Health Explorer:
https://soundhealthexplorer.org/fishable/
UWS Data:
https://www.savethesound.org/water-monitoring-ecological-health
How you can contribute:
The readings are taken early in the morning from a boat supplied by the Darien Boat Club. It takes about 2 hours. Crew are needed to navigate, take and record the readings.
DMA Participants:
- Bill Cavers
- David Sinclair
- Vinny Arguimbau
- Gary Banks
- Bob Fiske
- Robert McMullan
- Frank DeLeo