Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine & New York Marine Rescue Center

Using art to shape an influential statement for environmental issues, restoration, protection and sustainable development.

New York Marine Rescue Center was awarded funds through NYS to increase tourism/awareness to the East End, and to further their messaging about stranded sea turtles and marine mammals. NYMRC reached out to Southampton Town to donate a white primed sea turtle sculpture to be painted and placed at a Southampton Town Parks property. Southampton Town Councilman, John Bouvier, knowing the marine restoration work CCEM does at Tiana Bayside and that we have a local artist on staff he thought it would be a great fit to work together!

Be involved, get your message out there!

Would you like to see your written words painted onto the Tiana Turtle painted sculpture? Please submit your creative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, and or narrative style writings about our local habitats and sea turtles. Carolyn is then going to paint the approved* words on the sculpture.  Please use the submission form below to enter your writings!

* All entries will be reviewed for appropriate content. All entries will not be painted onto the sculpture

Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Rescue & Rehabilitation

The NYMRC is a rescue and rehabilitation organization that promotes marine conservation. Our mission is to preserve and protect the marine environment through conservation efforts including rescue, rehabilitation, education and research. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, we are the primary responders for sick or injured seals, sea turtles, dolphins (cetaceans), porpoises and small toothed whales, and maintain the only permanent pinniped (seals) and sea turtle rehabilitation center in New York State. As the primary organization in New York State authorized to work with these animals by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , we are dedicated to the conservation of these pinnipeds and sea turtles. Our mission is to provide a sustainable response effort for marine mammals and sea turtles stranding throughout New York; operate the only facility in New York permitted to rehabilitate marine mammals and sea turtles; collect sound science to help identify stranding trends, highlight viruses and continue to protect endangered and threatened species; and encourage conservation and stewardship of the marine environmental through scientific research and public educational programs. The NYMRC has rescued more than 6,000 animals since inception in 1996. Under research efforts, rehabilitated animal release and tracking post-release movement is one of our primary goals. All animals are provided a flipper tag to help identity the animal at future sightings. Post-release movement patterns can be tracked through satellite and radio tags which provides valuable information on the various species as they re-enter the wild as well as supports the success of our rehabilitation efforts. The data obtained assists in furthering our mission of preserving and protecting the marine environment through conservation efforts including education, rehabilitation, and research. Over the past two years, the NYMRC has processed 4,000 calls, responding to 256 stranded animals and admitted 88 pinnipeds, 17 sea turtles and provided in-field response to 27 small cetaceans.

Eelgrass Restoration and Monitoring

The main purpose of the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Meadows Program is to restore eelgrass and engage the public in restoration activities. Eelgrass is the native seagrass species found in Long Island waters. Due to the structure and protection they provide, eelgrass meadows are the most biodiverse marine habitats in our region. These meadows also help to prevent or lessen erosion from storm events and help control turbidity by slowing currents and settling particulates from the water column. Unfortunately, eelgrass populations have declined dramatically over the past 75 years due to many reasons, and without our help, will not likely make a comeback in the near future.

Eelgrass, Zostera marina, provides habitat for many species of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks here on Long Island. Many commercially important fish and invertebrates utilize seagrass meadows at some stage, either as a “nursery” during juvenile phases or for a brief break to forage, lay eggs, or evade predators during migrations. Those species of fish and invertebrates not considered commercially valuable serve as important food sources for the commercial species and/or to the overall function of this productive ecosystem.

Flounder, fluke, porgies, tautog, black sea bass, bluefish, striped bass, northern puffers, bay scallops, clams, oysters, crabs, lobsters and longfin squid eggs all inhabit eelgrass meadows. The magical northern lined seahorse, is native to the waters of Long Island and prefers eelgrass habitat to live in. Animals that consume eelgrass include snails, sea slugs, sea hares, amphipods, crabs, swans, geese and the green sea turtle during northern migrations.

Cornell’s Eelgrass Program has several major objectives:

• To conduct proactive restoration at appropriate sites around Long Island utilizing our Marine Meadows Program to include the public in our work whenever possible.

• To track the extent and health of (monitor) existing eelgrass meadows as well as the historic distribution of meadows throughout Long Island.

• To develop alternative sources of eelgrass planting propagules including seeds, transplants and nursery grown material.

• To develop innovative planting methods to restore eelgrass using both seeds and transplants.

• To conduct a limited amount of applied research on eelgrass ecology and restoration.