Audubon and its coalition partners have made great strides in preserving and protecting the Sound. Today the Sound is cleaner and healthier than it has been for many years.

However, the Sound’s viability hangs in the balance. “Dead Zones”—areas plagued by hypoxia, where oxygen levels are too low to support life—continue to occur in summer months. The Sound suffers from dwindling shellfish populations, pollution by sewage treatment plant discharges, contaminated storm water runoff, and accelerated shoreline development.

Audubon’s goal to restore and permanently protect the Long Island Sound, as a biologically and economically viable natural resource for the benefit of all, seeks to address the following overarching problems:

• Restoring the Sound’s water quality to levels that rid it of hypoxia and support healthy concentrations of birds, fish, and other wildlife.
• Restore, protect, and preserve the Sound’s estuarine and terrestrial habitats to support healthy wildlife populations.
• Increase public awareness and understanding of the importance of Long Island Sound protection in CT and NY, and throughout the entire LIS watershed.
• Develop strong federal, regional, state and local policy leadership for LIS effort.