Long Island Sound was one of the first estuaries to receive this designation. Estuaries are among the most productive natural systems on earth due to the mixing of nutrients from land and sea, producing more food per acre than the richest Midwestern farmland. They provide essential habitat for over 75 percent of all marine species. Freshwater wetlands aid in groundwater recharge and store flood waters, both of which protect coastal properties. In addition, wetland plants act as filters for pollutants that would otherwise enter the water.
Estuaries also make good economic sense.
Nationwide, commercial and recreational fishing, boating, and tourism, all of which depend at least in part on estuaries, provide more than 28 million jobs. People visit estuaries for their beauty and for the many activities they offer. The Sound and its Pollution Problems Long Island Sound is bordered by 78 coastal cities, towns, and villages in Connecticut and New York State, which range in size from New York City with over 7 million people to the village of Cove Neck with 332 people. The Sound is approximately 110 miles long and 21 miles across at its widest point. Its average depth is 65 feet with the greatest depth of 350 feet at The Race.