The Peconic Estuary Program Announces
State of the Bays Science Conference
April 25, 2005

What is the environmental state of the Peconic Bays? On Friday, April 29, 2005 , scientists from all over the Northeast will examine this important question, along with Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, other local government officials, and members of the Long Island community, through the exploration of the current research in the Peconics.  Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy will also make a major policy announcement on Suffolk ’s shellfish aquaculture programs as part of the conference.

The State of the Bays Conference, organized by the Peconic Estuary Program and hosted by the Eastern Campus of Suffolk County Community College in Riverhead, will feature presentations by 18 scientists from institutions including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Stony Brook University , Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. These experts will share their latest scientific findings on everything from eelgrass restoration to golf course irrigation using sewage treatment plant effluent.  Highlights include research on alien invasive species in the Peconics, new data on detections of nitrogen and toxic substances in Suffolk County ground and surface waters, and the latest information on disappearing wetlands in the Peconics.  Attendees will learn about the causes, impacts, and potential preventative measures of brown tide as well as the threats to the Peconic River’s anadromous fish populations – fish species that, like salmon, spend most of their lives in saltwater, returning only to freshwater rivers to spawn.

“The amount and quality of research that has been done in the Peconics is fantastic - we are proud to be a continuing sponsor for much of the work presented today.  With the help of the Peconic Estuary Program, we will continue to base our County initiatives and decisions on good science,” stated County Executive Steve Levy who will be on hand to deliver the conference’s welcoming statements. The meeting will conclude with remarks on the implications of the day – on what the various research projects, when taken together, say about the future of the Peconic Estuary and what future management initiatives are suggested for the Peconic Estuary Program and regulatory agencies.

“This forum will present the scientific challenges involved in protecting and restoring the Peconic Estuary.  The PEP Citizens Advisory Committee looks forward to converting these findings into actions that will improve water quality and restore our bays,” stated Kevin McDonald, Conservation Project Director for Public Lands for The Nature Conservancy and Chair of the Peconic Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee.

The conference is free and open to the public.  Registration will take place at the Shinnecock Building starting at 8:00 a.m. , and presentations will begin at 8:45 a.m.   The conference will adjourn at 4:45 p.m.   For more information and to pre-register, go to www.peconicestuary.org.

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