Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program

🫡 We were so honored to be recognized by the Suffolk County Legislature last week during its meeting on March 10, 2026.

🏆 Legislator Ann Welker presented us with an official Proclamation that celebrates the Shinnecock Bay Hope Spot.

🤝The Proclamation recognizes our partners who helped make it a reality, including the Shinnecock Nation, Mission Blue, and The Explorers Club.

On hand to accept the Proclamation with short remarks were Dr. Ellen Pikitch, Dr. Chris Gobler, and Margeurite Smith, along with Sunshine Gumbs, Michelle Johnson, Rainbow Hill, and members of Dr. Pikitch’s Institute for Ocean Conservation Science.

Many thanks to the Suffolk County Legislature and especially Legislator Welker!

Gobler Laboratory Institute for Ocean Conservation Science School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Mission Blue The Explorers Club Ellen Pikitch

This week, for the first time in our time series, we identified . This species is not to be confused with the inshore lizardfish, which is seen frequently in our trawls.

✨What are your hopes⁉️💫 We asked this question at the 79th Annual Shinnecock Powwow, where community members shared their hopes for Shinnecock Bay on postcards. Shinnecock Bay has been a MissionBlue since 2022, and now has an Indigenous Advisory Council to help lead the way. Thank you to .cassiani , all of the IAC members, and to for hosting the Shinnecock Bay Hope Spot booth.

Since classes just started, our team was a little short on volunteers for the trawl survey. Thankfully, Mr. Blue Crab decided to lend a hand!

This week our team encountered a somewhat rare species for the trawl survey, an American conger! While we often see American eels in our trawls, conger are not nearly as common, with only 2 caught in the last decade of surveying!

Tropical fish season is upon us! Our team caught this beautiful in one of our trawls today. This is just one of the many amazing tropical drifters that make their way to Long Island each year via the Gulf Stream.

What do you think we saw in the net? 🐡🐟🐟🦀🐙🦞

Sometimes our team encounters some very silly friends on our trawl survey! This northern puffer just wants to say hello to brighten everyone’s day 🤓

Our team deployed a SOFAR Spotter buoy in Shinnecock Bay today! This new technology is solar powered and transmits real-time ocean data directly to their online platform. Thank you and Schmidt Marine Technology for donating this great piece of technology!

Did you know that Long Island is home to a local species of pufferfish? Northern Puffers range up and down the east coast and, unlike many other pufferfish, are not poisonous.