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The EPA Region 2 Long Island Sound Office (LISO) hosts the National Estuary Program and Geographic Program, the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). The LISS is bi-state partnership consisting of federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound.
The Long Island Sound Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index, developed by Dr. Jamie Vaudrey in 2013, scores sites best suited for eelgrass growth. The polygon shows identifies a score based on the following parameters: depth, tidal amplitude, percent light reaching the bottom, temperature, dissolved oxygen, sediment grain size, and sediment total organic carbon. The primary objectives of the Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model are to assist in the evaluation of sites being considered for eelgrass restoration efforts in the Long Island Sound area and to identify areas where water quality issues reduce or eliminate the potential for natural eelgrass colonization. To achieve this goal, geospatial processing of data available from the Long Island Sound area was conducted using ArcGIS v10.0 including the 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst extensions. The result is a series of maps presented in this report and a GIS-based model available for users to interact with the results and formulations of the model.
Data and Report can be found here: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/marine_sci/3/ (Vaudrey, Jamie M.P.; Eddings, Justin; Pickerell, Christopher; Brousseau, Lorne; and Yarish, Charles, "Development and Application of a GIS-based Long Island Sound Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model" (2013). Department of Marine Sciences. 3. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/marine_sci/3)