Loss of habitat. Perhaps the major limitation to secondary 

 production in the Sound area is the loss of habitat, particularly wetland 

 habitato The Sound wetlands are an invaluable source of food and shelter for 

 numerous fish and wildlife. Realizing their value, surveys of the wetlands 

 of Long Island Sound were made to determine the rate of wetland losso In 1953, 

 the Do S. Fish and Wildlife Service C6) conducted a nationwide wetlands inventory 

 to determine the location, quality, and acreage of remaining wildlife wetlands. 

 A resurvey of the high and moderate value wetlands of Long Island and Connect- 

 icut was conducted in the spring and early summer of 1959 (.7). In 1964, a 

 second resurvey was conducted (8) (9.) . The data from these surveys provided a 

 basis for estimating the wetland losses along the Sound. Of 17,018 acres of 

 Connecticut wetlands existing in 1953, 2,179 acres (12o8%) were destroyed by 

 1964. Of 43,214 acres of Long Island's entire marsh habitat existing in 

 1953, 12,635 acres (29%) had been lost by 1964. By 1964, after considerable 

 losses, 75 percent of the remaining Connecticut wetlands and 88 percent of 

 the remaining Long Island wetlands were considered vulnerable to destruction. 

 Although no specific estimate of losses or vulnerability was made for wetlands 

 on the north shore of Long Island, they most likely followed the island-wide 

 pattern. 



On Long Island, housing, miscellaneous fill, recreational develop- 

 ment and industry accounted for 84 percent of the losses tv/hich occurred during 

 the period 1953-1964. In Connecticut, the same developments accounted for 78 

 percent of the wetland losses. In addition to the direct destruction of 

 tidal wetlands, subtle alterations in the quality of the remaining wetlands 

 have decreased their value. Siltation from adjacent fill, diking, tide gateing, 

 drainage, and certain types of mosquito control have induced physical changes 

 in the marshes, thus reducing their value as food producers and as habitat 

 for wildlife. 



Hopefully, wetland losses have come to a virtual stop because 

 legislation in Connecticut and New York (1969 and 1973, respectively) has made 

 it difficult to obtain permits for the filling of wetlands. About 8,000 of the 

 remaining 11,000 acres of wetlands along Long Island's north shore are in town 

 or village hands. Connecticut's remaining wetlands are estimated at about 

 15,500 acres. The general location of Long Island Sound wetlands is depicted 

 in Figure 6. A complete listing of the wetlands of Nassau and Suffolk Counties 

 is available in a supplementary report (10). 



Deterioration of water quality. Domestic pollution has been in- 

 creasing and spreading along the coasts. Consequently, virtually all shell- 

 fishing in western Long Island Sound for oysters, clams, and mussels has been 

 prohibited because of deterioration of water quality. The locations of and 

 reasons for the closures for New York and Connecticut waters are summarized 

 in Appendix D. A number of these shellfish beds have been closed within the 

 last few years. Hopefully, if improved sewage control is initiated in the 

 near future, these areas will be more easily restored. 



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