East River Watershed Research Institute Inc

THE FIRST PROGRAM SERVICE HAS BEEN TO CONDUCT LINE TRANSECT SURVEYS TO ESTABLISH DATA SETS THAT WILL INDICATE THE TRENDS IN PLANT AND ANIMAL DISTRIBUTION IN 36 ONE METER QUADRATS IN THE MARSH. THERE WERE 12 PARTICIPANTS CARRYING OUT THE SURVEY WORK.THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS RESEARCH ARE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF GUILFORD CT. CHANGES IN THE PLANT AND ANIMAL POPULATIONS ARE INDICATORS OF SEA LEVEL RISE AND MARSH MIGRATION. MANY ASPECTS OF PEOPLES LIVES WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE RISING WATER LEVELS THAT WILL REQUIRE THEM TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. THE SECOND PROGRAM SERVICE WAS TO CONDUCT BIRD SURVEYS IN THE MARSH TO DETERMINE WHAT KINDS OF BIRDS ARE USING THE MARSH FOR NESTING GATHERING FOOD AND RESTING IN THE MARSH DURING THEIR MIGRATION. THERE WERE EIGHT PARTICIPANTS CARRYING OUT THE STUDIES.THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS RESEARCH AGAIN WILL BE ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. BIRDS ARE AN INDICATOR OF THE HEALTH OF THE MARSH ECOSYSTEM. THE THIRD PROGRAM IS THE WATER QUALITY MONITORING IN GUILFORD HARBOR. THERE WERE TWELVE PARTICIPANTS DOING THE SURVEY WORK.THIS DATA IS PASSED ALONG TO SAVE THE SOUND SO IT CAN COMBINE IT WITH THE DATA FROM 23 OTHER EMBAYMENTS IN LONG ISLAND SOUND TO CREATE A REPORT THAT INFORMS THE GENERAL PUBLIC STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES ABOUT THE HEALTH OF LONG ISLAND SOUND AND THE IMPACT THAT THE CHANGES IN SPECIFIC PARAMETERS WILL HAVE ON THE ORGANISMS THAT ARE LIVING IN THIS BODY OF WATER SUCH AS FISH CRABS OYSTERS CLAMS AND VARIOUS KINDS OF PLANTS. ALL BOATERS FISHERMEN AND PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO SWIM IN THESE WATERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLEANLINESS OF THE WATER.