![Yale Professor Gaboury Benoit, center, and Peter Davis, New Haven Parks Department employee, collect trash at a site on the Mill River in the city's Cherry Ann Park.](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2024/07/IMG_8075-scaled.jpg)
After a two-year planning process, the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan is approved and ready for implementation. The development of the five-year plan was co-led by the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA National Sea Grant. Individuals representing more than 50 academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, trade organizations, advocacy groups and county, state and federal agencies were actively involved in the planning, work groups and/or reviews.
The goals of the plan are to understand, prevent and mitigate the impacts of:
- single-use plastic and other water/land-based consumer debris
- abandoned and lost fishing/aquaculture gear
- microplastics and microfibers
Between 2022 and 2027, volunteer partners will strive to implement actions outlined for each goal. The plan facilitates old and new partnerships and collaborations to support both ongoing and new actions, as resources are available. Annual progress reports will provide a comprehensive picture of the progress achieved through 1) prevention, education and outreach; 2) research assessment, attention to wildlife impacts and monitoring; 3) proper disposal and infrastructure; 4) removal and/or source reduction and 5) policy and management.
![Trash including a portable chair left at a popular fishing spot on the Thames River is likely to get carried into Long Island Sound by a high tide or storm.](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2024/07/IMG_7979-scaled-e1720799707969-1200x761.jpg)
Marine Debris News
![A balloon is fished out of the water by a wildlife tour boat crew member.](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2024/05/balloon1.jpg)
Article examines impact of balloons on Long Island Sound
Since 2017, Bill Lucey has served as the Long Island Soundkeeper, monitoring and advocating for the body of water. During the summertime, he rides his boat out three to four times a week and often finds balloons saying “Happy Graduation” or “Happy Birthday.”
[Read More]![Map showing microplastics concentrations in Long Island Sound](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2024/04/lis.microplastics.map_-1200x677.jpg)
Microplastic ‘hot spots’ identified in Long Island Sound
Forensic and environmental experts have teamed up to develop a new scientific method to pinpoint microplastic pollution ‘hotspots’ in open waters, and trialed the technique in Long Island Sound.
[Read More]Sen. Blumenthal: feds should stop buying single-use plastics
In an appearance in New London on Aug. 18, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for the federal government to phase out the purchase of single-use plastic items, like bottles, straws, wrappers and take-out containers, and microplastics.
[Read More]![The cleanup netted 110 pounds of trash, including a swath of carpet padding, a broken dock, a shovel handle and a car mat.](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2023/08/IMG_6150-1200x782.jpg)
Volunteers rid 110 lbs. of trash from New Haven coastal area
Lisanne Winslow extended her trash grabber into a thicket of tall reeds to extract a partially concealed plastic soda bottle. She was one of 17 volunteers who helped rid a popular coastal walkway and adjoining nature preserve of as much trash as they could collect on a sunny morning on Aug. 12.
[Read More]![](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2023/05/Cleanup-Fact-Sheet-Page-1-927x1200.png)
1st CT Cleanup Report Highlights Data, Impact since 2016
In its first Connecticut Cleanup Report, Save the Sound showcases its annual cleanup efforts , which have been made possible by thousands of dedicated volunteers and long-standing corporate sponsors.
[Read More]![](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/09/homepagepic.jpg)
2022 arts award program sees highest number of awardees
Three artists using different mediums and techniques to raise awareness about coastal assets and concerns have been chosen for 2022 CTSG Arts Support Awards, more than any year since the program began in 2010.
[Read More]![](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/08/Jessica-1200x1200.jpg)
A cleaner city park means a cleaner Long Island Sound
Eighty-four pounds worth of the debris of modern civilization that would have polluted Long Island Sound instead ended up in trash bags on Aug. 15, when a small crew from CT Sea Grant and Save the Sound partnered on a two-hour cleanup at Seaside Park in Bridgeport.
[Read More]![Disposable water bottles are one of the items that would be banned under the new order.](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/06/waterbottle-1099x1200.jpg)
Order phases out single-use plastics on public lands, waters
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on June 8 issued an order to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032.
[Read More]![Cover of Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/05/Pages-from-ACCESSIBLE-2022-Long-Island-Sound-Marine-Debris-Action-Plan_FINAL-test.jpg)
Action Plan organizes partners for cleaner coasts, waterways
Consumer litter, tiny plastic shards, lost or improperly discarded fishing gear and other trash will be more effectively removed or kept out of Long Island Sound under the Marine Debris Action Plan completed this month.
[Read More]![Data from 2021 International Coastal Cleanup](https://seagrant.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/05/ICC-2021-clean-up-DATA_2021-11-04-842x1200.jpg)
2022 CT Coastal Cleanup planned; 2021 data released
Organizing has begun for the annual International Coastal Cleanup 2022, which takes place each year during September and October and is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy. In Connecticut, Save the Sound will celebrate its 20th year as the Connecticut Coordinator for the event.
[Read More]LIS Marine Debris Action Plan
Action Plan Progress Report
Read the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan May 2022-April 2023 Progress Report
LIS Marine Debris Action Plan Team:
Connecticut Sea Grant:
Nancy Balcom, CT Sea Grant co-lead: nancy.balcom@uconn.edu
Juliana Barrett
Judy Benson
Sylvain De Guise
Syma Ebbin
Diana Payne
Judy Preston
New York Sea Grant:
Kathy Bunting-Howarth, NY Sea Grant co-lead:keb264@cornell.edu; www.nyseagrant.org/marinedebris
Kathleen Fallon
Paul Focazio
Jimena Beatriz Perez-Vascasillas
Rebecca Shuford
NOAA Marine Debris Program:
Northeast Regional and Mid-Atlantic Regional coordinators