HAUPPAUGE, NY – Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Congressman Nick LaLota and Legislator Catherine Stark recently toured the Peconic Estuary with the help of the Long Island Aquarium’s Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat, along with Environmental advocates from the Peconic Estuary Partnership, Stony Brook University and Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
“As a former legislator representing the East End, I am all too aware of the environmental degradation faced, whether in terms of water quality or the collapse of the bay scallop population,” said Romaine. “I am also acutely aware of the progress we’ve made in the preservation of habitat and improvements made to our bay to protect our keystone species: oysters, kelp and shoreline grasses.”
Many sites visited focused on mitigating nitrogen pollution in the bay or collecting data to better inform policymakers trying to preserve the bay. Two of the projects toured included the Terrys Creek Restoration and Indian Island County Park’s Living Shoreline, both of which were completed last year.
Suffolk County has preserved numerous properties adjacent to the Peconic Estuary to protect vital habitat and surface water.