<body><div>Water bodies on Long Island faced a record-setting 36 dead zones during the summer of 2024, and more than double the number of blue-green algae blooms in lakes and ponds than any other county in New York State, according to this year’s annual Long Island Water Quality Impairments report prepared by the Gobler Laboratory at Stony Brook University.Dr. Christopher Gobler, who chairs the university’s Coastal Ecology and Conservation department, presented the report at an Oct. 23 press conference at the Patchogue waterfront.Pictured Above: (l-r) Dr. Christopher Gobler, Group for the East End President Bob DeLuca; Kevin McDonald of The Nature Conservancy, Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito and Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey with the new water impairment map. |. Citizens Campaign for the Environment photo“We had a record number of dead zones in 2024, with oxygen levels of less than three milligrams per liter. Ideally, our water bodies would have more than 4.8 milligrams per liter of dissolved oxygen,” he said. “Absent change, we should expect that this would continue, year after year, and get worse with climate change. The largest source of nitrogen from land to sea are onsite septic systems.”Nitrogen in these septic systems travels through the groundwater until it reaches surface water bodies, where it acts as a nutrient that feeds algae blooms. When these blooms die, the decay process starves the water of oxygen, which often leads to fish kills.“We had more than two dozen lakes and ponds experience toxic blue green algae blooms since the spring,” he added. “That is almost certainly going to be double or more than any other county in New York State.”Blue-green algae is dangerous because it contains toxins that can be fatal to living creatures in the pond, and often to household pets, particularly dogs, who may attempt to drink from the ponds.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0tJ0mx_0wPEStJF00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0tJ0mx_0wPEStJF00" width="1200" height="633" ></figure>Dr. Gobler and other environmentalists used the occasion to make the case for the need to pass Proposition Two on this year’s ballot, which creates a new 1/8 percent sales tax for a Water Quality Restoration Fund, which would be used for upgrades to sewer systems and funding of innovative onsite septic systems that remove nitrogen before it makes its way to the bays.The sales tax, which would be 12 cents on a $100 purchase, is expected to generate $4.2 billion between now and 2060.“Dr. Gobler’s map is a call to action, a call for change. It’s 2024. We need to treat our sewage. That’s what the work is telling us,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “This problem will not fix itself. One of very few things in this time of different options that we all agree on is we want clean water. We want clean beaches. We want clean bays. We want swimmable lakes and streams and fishable waters. We want to live by the water where it’s healthy, safe and clean. We can have that if we learn to treat our sewage.”“Long Island is called the septic capital of the world. We don’t want that claim to fame,” she added. “We can do better. We don’t have a Plan B. We only have a plan to expand sewers where appropriate and change septic systems. As grim as this news is, the hopeful part is we have a plan to make a difference, and that plan is going to be on the ballot this November.”<h2>Keep Independent News on the East End</h2>The Beacon is able to provide all of our content online free of charge thanks to support from our readers. Be a vital part of keeping our community informed!</div></body>

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Coastal Researchers Highlight Record-High Water Body Impairments; Urge Passage of Prop. 2

Water bodies on Long Island faced a record-setting 36 dead zones during the summer of 2024, and more than double the number of blue-green algae blooms in lakes and ponds than any other county in New York State, according to this year’s annual Long Island Water Quality Impairments report prepared by the Gobler Laboratory at Stony Brook University.