Anthropogenic Impacts on the Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound is a resource surrounded by at least 21 million people residing within a 50-mile radius.  A study in 1990 found that regional boating, beach activities, swimming, commercial and sport fishing created over $5 billion of revenue annually in the Long Island Sound economy.  It is likely that the current value is even higher.   Unfortunately, human use and even human proximity produce effects on the integrity of the Sound as a functioning ecosystem.  The Sound is impacted by both local and distant human activities.  Impacts include:

• contaminated run-off (from paved surfaces, lawns, etc.) contains heavy metals, organic contaminants, pesticides, and excess nutrients.
• excess nutrients from sewage treatment plants
• contaminated effluent from industry
• removal of predators by fishing
• disturbance of seafloor communities by fishing gear

• disturbance of seafloor communities by channel dredging and channel dredge material disposal
• atmospheric deposition of contaminants and nutrients
• global climate change associated with human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases

These types of impacts directly affect marine life. Overflows of sewage treatment plants as well as run-off from lawns and streets (that includes animal wastes) contaminate beaches and shellfish beds, affecting human uses of the Sound.  There are 82 sewage treatment plants in Connecticut and 23 in New York pumping over a billion gallons of treated effluent each day into Long Island Sound and its tributaries.