Long Island Sound Facts

Did you know?
Area of LIS: 1320 sq. miles
Drainage Basin or Watershed:16,820 sq. miles
Average Depth: 63 ft. (60-120 ft.)
Volume: 18 trillion gallons
Coastline: 600 miles
Salinity Ranges: 23 parts per thousand in the western end to 35 parts per thousand at the eastern end
Source of Fresh Water: 90% of the freshwater comes from three major Connecticut Rivers - the Thames, Housatonic, and Connecticut
Temperature: 32 degrees F in winter and 73 degrees F in summer
Tides: two high and two low each day with the greatest tides in the west
Population Living within 50 miles: 20 million people
Estimated Value to the Local Economy: $5.5 billion per year
Fish Populations: more than 120 species of finfish, including 21 tropical species that stray here seasonally; at least 50 species spawn in the Sound

Facts and figures compliments of

Seals

These are just a few of the more than 250 Seals that passengers saw on our March 22nd Seal Watch.

Special thanks to photographer Kurt Hamel for the beautiful photograph!

The Walrus Dance

There are no walruses in Long Island Sound, but they are considered part of the marine mammal family. Harbor seals are classified as marine mammals too and they can be found off the coast of Connecticut in months when the water is colder, especially November through April. This particularly energetic walrus has rhythm and the moves!

We Get Lonely During CMT Testing

It's that time of year again - CMT's. While you sharpen your pencils and exercise your brains, we anxiously await your return.
Our boats sit idle at the dock.
No lines in our cafeteria. It's quiet and empty.
Our plankton nets have nothing better to do than hang out.
Hurry up and finish so that we can get back to wrapping our hands around all things wet, scaly and slippery!
To all of you answering science questions for the first time, we hope the answers come easily for you! Good luck. You can do it!

Summer Camp News

Summer program applications are now available at:


http://oceanology.org/kidsprogram.html

Summer Camp Dates

Do you have plans for this summer yet?

We offer a variety of programs during the summer and on weekends. Our camp programs are for students who have completed 5th through 12th grade. Camp information and dates can be found at:

http://oceanology.org/kidsprogram.html

Camp applications should be available by the end of January.

Winthrop and Southwest Elementary seal watch trip.