WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, secured critical investments for the Long Island Sound in two appropriations bills that passed committee on Thursday—the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019 and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2019.

“I love spending time with my family on Long Island Sound every summer, and I want to make sure it’s around for my grandchildren,” said Murphy. “I’ve made it my mission on the Appropriations Committee to protect federal funding that helps clean up and preserve the Sound and have successfully worked across the aisle to steadily increase investments in programs that support it. Today’s bills are no exception, and their passage is really good news for Connecticut.”

Specifically, Murphy fought for and supported the following investments:

  • $71 million for the National Sea Grant College Program, which is a critical source of funding for Connecticut’s Sea Grant Colleges program at University of Connecticut Avery Point. When President Trump proposed to eliminate the program, Murphy led the fight to save it.
  • $12 million for the Long Island Sound Geographic Program
  • $26.7 million for the National Estuary Program, of which $600,000 will go towards supporting the Long Island Sound Study
  • $15 million for aquaculture activities within National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), some of which will help fund research and operations at Milford Lab
  • $37 million for the IOOS Regional Observations, which provides approximately $400,000 in funding for the Long Island Sound Integrated Coastal Observation System and also supports the Northeast Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems
  • $12 million for the Marine Aquaculture Program

Murphy is committed to protecting Long Island Sound and Connecticut’s coastline. The Long Island Sound contributes between $17 billion and $37 billion annually to the local economy, including from sport and commercial fishing, boating, recreation, and tourism. Murphy’s Long Island Sound Investment Plan supports federal programs that invest in Long Island Sound’s coastal habitats, coastal resilience, clean water and beaches, and fishing industry.