Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Volunteers netted about 102 pounds of trash during the Sept. 18 cleanup at Ocean Beach Park in New London, one of more than two dozen CT Cleanup events across the state on International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Many youth joined in the cleanup, including members of New London Girl Scouts. Cigarette butts and food wrappers were the most numerous items collected, while unusual items included a set of auto mud flaps, a large iron rod, a tent, cellphone wrapper and shotgun shells. Maggie Redfern, assistant director of the Connecticut College Arboretum, led the event, with sponsorship from Secor Subaru and Save the Sound.
The event served as a finale for the #DontTrashLISound – #DoOneThing campaign by the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs that began on Aug. 16 with a cleanup at Sherwood Island State Part in Westport. Partners included the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and Save the Sound. While the campaign of social media posts has ended for 2021, people can still volunteer at cleanups in late September and October. Learn more at: https://www.savethesound.org/2021cleanup/
Maggie Redfern, leader of the cleanup at Ocean Beach Park, instructs the volunteers on collecting data on all the trash they pick up.
David Camperchiolli of Westbrook tallies a plastic cup and a food wrapper collected by another volunteer during the cleanup.
Volunteers Peg Genung of Waterford, left, and Barbara Haid of Meriden picked up dozens of cigarette butts during the cleanup. Cigarette butts were the most numerous item collected by all the groups.
Betsy Perkins, left, and Nancy Dolan, both of New London have been doing the cleanup at Ocean Beach for the past several years. “We love doing this,” Perkins said.
Cheryl Kydd of New London, right, was one of the leaders of the New London Girl Scout troop that volunteered at the cleanup.
Rebecca Tsai of Groton, left, searches for trash along the edge of the boardwalk as Jeri Buckholt of New London tallies her finds.
Sveva Brown, a member of New London Girl Scouts, shows some of the trash she collected, including a styrofoam cup, plastic bottles and food wrappers.
Kerry Morth of Waterford, right, deposits a Doritos wrapper, plastic straw and other items in the bag held by Barbara O’Neill of New London.
Rob DuPont-Sears of Secor Subaru weighs trash collected by some of the volunteers. Secor Subaru was one of the sponsors of the cleanup.
Rob DuPont-Sears of Secor Subaru and David Anderson of Save the Sound lower an iron rod found during the cleanup onto the scale.
Connecticut Sea Grant and Save the Sound are partnering on cleanup of Long Wharf Drive and Long Wharf Nature Preserve in New Haven to kick off the 2025 #DontTrashLISound campaign. Volunteers welcome!
boat leaves from Fort Trumbull State Park, New London
2:45 PM
CT Sea Grant Research Coordinator Syma Ebbin will narrate a tour of islands around the UConn Avery Point campus and Bluff Point as part of the Thames River Heritage Park boat tour series.
