Strong's Marine's partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension is a multifaceted initiative that not only promotes our local shellfish populations by fostering their growth and sustainability but also plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall health and resilience of our coastal ecosystems. This collaboration ensures that shellfish habitats are thriving, which in turn supports a diverse range of marine life, improves the quality of our waters through natural filtration processes, and aids in maintaining ecological balance.
Cornell Cooperative Extension, also known as CCE, expressed their gratitude for the generous support of Strong's Yacht Center, where they have successfully operated Floating Upweller Systems (flupsys) this season. This year, Cornell is proud to announce that they raised and seeded an impressive 130,000 oysters and 2.3 million hard clams. These efforts have made a significant impact on enhancing shellfish populations in Southold, Southampton and Shelter Island.
Shellfish play a vital role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. They help filter water, improve water quality, and provide habitat for a variety of marine life. Our ongoing efforts in shellfish restoration are crucial for fostering biodiversity and ensuring the sustainability of our local waters.
As we enter the winter season, we are filled with gratitude for the support and collaboration that has made this year’s successes possible. The combined efforts exemplify what can be achieved when organizations unite for a common cause. We are excited to further enhance our marine environments.
We encourage anyone interested in this work to reach out. Your engagement and support are invaluable as we look to the future. Together, we can continue to make a difference in our coastal communities.
Strong’s is a longtime supporter of CCE Marine program. In 2018, we created a formal partnership in support of the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project, when Strong’s Yacht Center on the Mattituck Inlet became a host for a floating upweller system (FLUPSY), a nursery system for growing 10 million juvenile clams for water quality improvement and restoration.
Today, Strong’s Yacht Center is home to 3 FLUPSY units for restoration across Southold Town and Back to the Bays stewardship sites. In 2021 & 2022, Strong’s hosted various camps and workshops taught by CCE Marine experts exclusively for our members. We continue this mission in 2023 with Strong’s-sponsored educational workshops for kids and adults.
As we look forward to another productive year ahead, we wish everyone a wonderful winter season. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission to restore and sustain our beautiful marine ecosystems.