Hope Spot

In early 2022, the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, along with The Explorers Club, nominated Shinnecock Bay as a Mission Blue Hope Spot, the first in the New York State and one of only a few on the U.S. East Coast. 

Mission Blue describes how Hope Spots are unique: 

A Hope Spot is any special place that is critical to the health of the ocean–Earth‘s blue heart. They’re about recognizing, empowering, and supporting individuals and communities around the world in their efforts to protect the ocean. 

Shinnecock Bay was once severely degraded, facing similar problems as other bays in the region and around the globe: water quality impairments, nitrogen loading, a lack of shellfish, and habitat loss. Now, following a comprehensive restoration and monitoring program begun in 2012 led by Stony Brook University (The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP)), the health of the bay has improved dramatically.

Shinnecock Bay serves as a beacon of hope providing a positive example of successful restoration in an era of negative environmental news. This, along with strong and supportive community involvement, the remarkable variety of species in the bay, and the recreational and commercial opportunities enjoyed there, are among the reasons Mission Blue designated Shinnecock Bay as its newest Hope Spot on June 6, 2022.