The Long Island Sound

The Long Island Sound encompasses over 900,000 square miles of marine estuary waters that serves the watersheds of of New York and Connecticut. This mix of salt and freshwater creates an estuary which is essentially nature's nursery, giving birth to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. About 4 million people live on the coastline and approximately 23 million people live within 50 miles of the sound.

The Long Island Sound is the body of water above Long Island and below Connecticut. The shoreline in New York alone contains the counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, the Bronx, and Westchester. Many rivers in the southern watersheds drain into the sound.

There's way more access to the Long Island Sound in New York City than people expect. Let's take a more in depth look at some of these sites, their ongoing programming, and how to get there.

Many of these public acess sites provide incredible amenities that serve the nearing communities. For example, the kayak/canoe launches connect to the  New York City Water Trail  and require permits.

Interested in fishing? The Department of Environmental Conservation has a  fish map  with a guide to species and regulations. Want to get out to a greenway but don't know where to start? New York City Parks has resources regarding  bike rentals and route inspiration .

The Long Island Sound wouldn't be nearly as loveable without some care from us. If you'd like to get involved, look into the following volunteer opportunities with the Long Island Sound Study!