Habitats within the Long Island Sound watershed support diverse aquatic and terrestrial species, offer recreational opportunities, and provide essential ecosystem functions. For centuries, human communities have depended on these ecosystems for economic stability, food security, and overall quality of life.
Since 1994, the Partnership has prioritized habitat restoration and protection. Between 2014 and 2024, the Partnership restored 681 acres of coastal habitat, reconnected 129 river miles, and protected over 5,400 acres of open space. Maintaining healthy and resilient habitats and wildlife populations remains essential to sustaining the ecological integrity of Long Island Sound.
As a highly urbanized estuary, Long Island Sound faces ongoing pressures from nutrient pollution, land development, and extreme weather events and a changing climate. While restoration and protection efforts have achieved significant results, continued action is necessary to address these stressors. Without sustained restoration, protection, and adaptive management, the ecological functions and services provided by Long Island Sound habitats will be diminished.
The objectives associated with this goal address four key areas: coastal habitat, offshore habitat, habitat connectivity, and conserved open space. Over the next five years, the Partnership will advance habitat restoration and protection, enhance research and monitoring to refine conservation strategies, explore innovative restoration techniques, strengthen management and stewardship of conserved areas, and foster collaboration across the region. Projects that offer widespread benefits to surrounding communities will be prioritized.
Federal, state, and local policy changes may influence restoration and protection strategies. The Partnership will remain adaptive and responsive to changing conditions to ensure continued progress toward a healthy, productive, and resilient Long Island Sound.
Protect, enhance, and assess the extent and health of coastal habitats and their associated wildlife through restorative measures and monitoring to combat deterioration and loss.
Learn more
Protect and enhance the health of offshore habitats and their associated species.
Increase connectivity of coastal habitat to enhance biodiversity and support migratory pathways.
Conserve open space through land acquisition while maintaining and enhancing the total area of protected land.
For More Information
The full description of the actions, strategies, objective and outcomes for long island sound partnership can be found in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.
Click to see the latest lisp meetings and events.
Ecosystem – A cohesive system formed by the interactions between a community of living organisms in a particular area with each other and with the nonliving environment around them.
Habitat – The physical and chemical environment in which a plant or animal lives.
Offshore Habitat – Habitat found beyond the 10-foot contour depth at Mean Low Lower Water including sponges and cold-water corals.
See more definitions in glossary.
Subscribe to receive our e-newsletter, Sound Bytes by providing your email address. Interested in a free copy of our print newsletter, Sound Update? Then also provide your home/company/school address.