In the News
Read articles featuring CCE Marine Program and Back to the Bays Initiative
Southold Town Board evaluates housing program tied to state grants - North Fork Sun
Aquaculture experts, Kate Rossi-Snook and Mike Patricio, from the CCE Marine Program’s Back to the Bays initiative delivered an annual report outlining a busy 2025 season of shellfish seeding and long-term restoration planning aimed at improving local water quality and sustaining the East End’s shellfishing traditions.
Climate Local Now: Let’s All Be More Like Oysters - East End Beacon
As we flow into 2026, let’s ask ourselves how we can all be more like those oysters – coming together and supporting those around us, cultivating diversity in our community, and remaining resilient in our changing environment.
North Fork Polar Bears and Back to the Bays seed 130,000 clams in Cedar Beach Creek - North Fork Sun
Last Sunday morning, a coalition of North Fork Polar Bears and the team of aquaculture experts at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program’s ‘Back to the Bays’ initiative planted about 130,000 baby clams — and a couple dozen humans — in the waters off Cedar Beach in Southold.
Back to the Bays: Protecting Our Waters One Volunteer at a Time
Many folks want to contribute to keeping the East End waters as pristine as possible forever, mainly because they appreciate all that the East End of Long Island waters offer. Most Long Islanders love where they live for multiple reasons and are proud to be from the island. There is an opportunity to walk the walk that goes with talking the talk by getting involved in the Back to the Bays Initiative of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Program
Buoys for the Bays Painting Workshop- Dan’s Papers
Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program’s Back to the Bays and Borghese Vineyard present a Buoys for the Bays Art + Awareness Event. Through this initiative artwork will be created on reclaimed fishing buoys, curated into an exhibit in the vineyard’s gallery, and auctioned off to raise funds for CCE Marine Program.
Back to the Bays turns 10 — with a Brand-New Field Guide and their very own Rosé ~ Northforker
“A beautiful new Long Island field guide and a refreshing rosé made by Borghese Vineyard & Winery have just been released in support of the Back to the Bays initiative, part of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) Marine Program.”
Students Construct Seahorse Hotels- The Southampton Press
Shelter Island School District and Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program have teamed up to launch the “Seahorse Hotel Project,” an experiential learning initiative focused on marine conservation.
Long Island Marine and Coastal Field Guide: A Trusty Companion on Land and at Sea- The Southampton Press
The Long Island Marine and Coastal Field Guide was created by Back to the Bays staff Carolyn Munaco and Hazel Wodehouse. Carolyn painted over 250 species for the field guide and Hazel classified each organism and wrote all of the information about each species, as well as detailed descriptions of Long Island's diverse marine habitats.
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Back to the Bays Plants Scallops; Hopes To Harvest Donations With May 30 Fundraiser - The Southampton Press
Back to the Bays plants Scallops to collect donations for our 2nd annual Brew for the Bay, brought to you by the Back to the Bays Team and Kidd Squid Brewing Co. Proceeds from beer sales will directly support the shellfish and habitat restoration work being conducted in the waters off of Sag Harbor through Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program's Back to the Bays Initiative.
‘Seahorse hotels’ to anchor new Southold coastal restoration project - North Fork Sun
At a May 7 workshop at Cedar Beach, Back to the Bays aquaculture specialist and stewardship site manager Kate Rossi-Snook described the bigger picture — a future stitched together by dozens of strategically-chosen restoration zones throughout the East End estuary.
Horseshoe Crab Tagging with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)- The Southampton Press
Back to the Bays monitors horseshoe crabs during full and new moons as part of a state-wide effort. We monitor their population and inform policy to help sustain their population for generations to come, counting and tagging local horseshoe crabs as they come ashore to lay eggs.
Oyster shell collection benefits land and sea: Shells become building blocks for new habitats - Shelter Island Reporter
Shelter Island has been out front on restoring habitat for oysters. In April 2023, representatives of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program counted a victory when the Town Board approved a $200,000 allocation from Water Quality Improvement money (WQI) to boost shellfish habitat restoration.
From the start, Islander and aquaculture coordinator for Cornell Kate Rossi-Snook has been the Island’s voice calling for restoration of the habitats that contribute to improved water quality.
Polar bears dive into eelgrass restoration project - The Suffolk Times
The Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine program held a coastal resiliency workshop recently to teach community members how to restore local waters by creating and planting eelgrass meadows in the waters off the North Fork.
Community, conservationists establish small oyster reef in Sag Harbor - Newsday
Kate-Rossi Snook led a large gathering of volunteers and supports in the deployment of our Sag Harbor Oyster Reef!
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Toward a New Oyster Reef in Sag Harbor - The East Hampton Star
“We have to be proactive, we have to remain proactive,” said Sag Harbor Village Mayor Thomas Gardella at an Aug. 21 event on the beach near John Steinbeck Waterfront Park, hosted by the nonprofit Back to the Bays.
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Sag Harbor Cinema Celebrates Earth Day With Films - 27 East
Sag Harbor Cinema will screen Anne Belle’s 1976 film short film “Baymen — Our Waters are Dying,” recently restored by the New York Public Library, together with Greek filmmaker Leon Loisios’ “Fishermen and Fishing” (1961). The screenings will take place on Sunday, April 21, at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a presentation by the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Back to the Bays initiative, with a special focus on the Sag Harbor Stewardship Site.
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Earth Day event across the moat: Shelter Islander presents on keeping bays healthy - Shelter Island Reporter
On Sunday, April 21, a special Earth Day film screening event will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Sag Harbor Cinema in collaboration with Back to the Bays, an initiative of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Program.
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North Fork Polar Bears ‘Splash for CAST’ plunge returns Jan. 28 - The Suffolk Times
The North Fork Polar Bears, a winter swimming group with more than 130 members, will host its second annual Splash for CAST on Sunday, Jan 28. The event benefits the nonprofit Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation in Southold, CAST, as well as CCE Marine Program’s Back to the Bays Initiative.
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Brewed for the Bay: Kidd Squid’s latest beer is set to give back in a big way - Southforker
“This Brew for the Bay is going to help us meet our fundraising goal for establishment of a Back to the Bays Stewardship Site in Sag Harbor,” Kimberly Barbour.
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Kidd Squid Joins With Cornell Cooperative Extension To Support Eelgrass Restoration - 27 East Sag Harbor Express
A brand new brew from Kidd Squid will raise funds for reseeding oysters and planting eelgrass in Sag Harbor, keeping the waterways clean in a village built on the bay....
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More archived news coming soon!