Long Island Sound Partnership Marks 40th Anniversary with Celebrations in CT and NY

On Saturday, August 16, the Long Island Sound Partnership celebrated its 40th anniversary with three simultaneous events along the Sound in Connecticut and New York. Hundreds of community members came out to enjoy free boat rides, hands-on exploration, marine science activities, arts and crafts, and more.

Events were held at UConn Avery Point in Groton, Connecticut; SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx; and The Waterfront Center in Oyster Bay, New York. Each event was free and open to the public, and all featured boat rides on the Sound, a nod to the Partnership’s origin story, which began with a boat ride announcement 40 years ago.

“On June 20, we marked the release of our new 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan with an anniversary event for officials and partners, recognizing the progress we’ve made together,” said Maggie Cozens, LIS Partnership outreach coordinator and organizer of the Avery Point event. “But these August celebrations were truly special because they were for the public, inviting families and community members to experience Long Island Sound firsthand, learn about its importance, and join us in protecting it for the future. The response to this year’s events was outstanding. It shows how much people value Long Island Sound, and we’d love to build on that momentum by making these celebrations an annual tradition.”

Event Highlights:

Groton, Connecticut – UConn Avery Point

Connecticut Sea Grant hosted the event in Groton, where more than 200 attendees joined Project Oceanology staff aboard boats to explore Long Island Sound. On shore, families and community members interacted with Mystic Aquarium’s marine life touch tanks, visited science stations, created ocean-themed art, and enjoyed games on the lawn. A scavenger hunt encouraged visitors to travel from station to station, making sure they experienced all the activities.

Exhibits and programs were offered by a wide range of partners, including the CT National Estuarine Research Reserve, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, CT DEEP, Save the Sound, New England Science and Sailing, and the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District.

The boat rides proved to be the highlight for many, giving people a rare chance to see the Sound from the water, while the activities on land kept energy and excitement high throughout the day.

The Bronx, New York – SUNY Maritime College

Families boarded the Sea Lab 41 for a boat tour of the Sound and took part in oyster education activities, raffles, and an art workshop at the New York Sea Grant hosted event.

“The Bronx is a beautiful place to launch a boat trip,” remarked Lillit Genovesi, LIS Partnership Outreach Coordinator. “From the restored harbor, we could see the New York City skyline, SUNY Maritime, and the historic maritime community of City Island. It not only gets people to connect with the Sound by being on the water, these kinds of experiences show a different side of New York to people.”

Capt. Joseph Sullivan, SUNY Maritime, remarked about the improvements in water quality over the years. “When we used to teach the cadets boat handling drills 15 years ago, we would tell them to follow the prop wash, ‘It will look like root beer, but as we leave the East River it will turn the color of ginger ale.’ After all the work that has been done for the environment in the last decade it all looks like Sprite.”

Oyster Bay, Long Island – The Waterfront Center

New York Sea Grant and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation partnered to host the Oyster Bay event, where guests started the day with a community beach cleanup before heading out for boat rides aboard the historic Ida May. Fishing lessons, seining demos, and hands-on nature activities kept visitors engaged throughout the afternoon.

“It was just such a lovely community day, you could tell from people’s faces they were really having fun,” said Jimena Perez-Viscasillas, LIS Partnership outreach coordinator and organizer of the Oyster Bay event. “ We had folks learning how to fish from the dock, some birding, others using microscopes to look at samples from the beach, others making sock puppets of animals found around the Sound like river otters and ospreys, others getting in the water to seine and finding blue crabs and silversides…I think it’s not everyday people get the chance to do so many kinds of nature exploration by the water for free so it was an exciting event to be able to put together. At the end of the day, we had a lot of participants swing by the check-in table just to let us know how much they enjoyed it. It was really lovely!”

“When people experience the beauty and richness of Long Island Sound firsthand, they’re more likely to care about what happens to it,” said Erica Casper, LIS Partnership outreach support coordinator. “That’s why events like these matter. They’re part of how we grow a community of stewards who will help carry this work forward. Celebrating 40 years reminds us how far we’ve come and how important it is to keep working together for the Sound’s future.”