Our Mission

“Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program has been “giving back to the bays” since 1985. As regional leaders in coastal and marine restoration and education on Long Island, we have made significant progress in enhancing the health of our local marine environments. Through the Back to the Bays Initiative, we work at the community level with local supporters and stewards to provide meaningful opportunities for involvement in this important work.”

Feature

Stewardship Sites

Shelter

Island

Sag

Harbor

Green

port

Hampton

Bays

Quogue

Lake

Montauk

coming soon

 Southold 

North Fork

Polar Bears

Mattituck

Upcoming Events + Latest News

Events + Programs

Featured
ArtSea Create & Sip - Marsh Birds & Marshes
Feb 27
ArtSea Create & Sip - Marsh Birds & Marshes
Stewardship Session: Shellfish 101
Mar 6
Stewardship Session: Shellfish 101
Marsh Madness- Tiana Bayside Clean Up
Mar 8
Marsh Madness- Tiana Bayside Clean Up
Stewardship Session: Coastal Gardening at Tiana
Mar 27
Stewardship Session: Coastal Gardening at Tiana
Stewardship Session: Shell Bag Assembly
May 8
Stewardship Session: Shell Bag Assembly

Recent Blog Posts

Featured Event:
North Fork Polar Bears Making A Difference
North Fork Polar Bears Making A Difference
New Menantic Creek Restoration Site on Shelter Island
New Menantic Creek Restoration Site on Shelter Island
Back to the Bays Midsummer Update 
Back to the Bays Midsummer Update 

In the News

Featured Event:
Community, conservationists establish small oyster reef in Sag Harbor - Newsday
Community, conservationists establish small oyster reef in Sag Harbor - Newsday
Toward a New Oyster Reef in Sag Harbor - The East Hampton Star
Toward a New Oyster Reef in Sag Harbor - The East Hampton Star
Sag Harbor Cinema Celebrates Earth Day With Films - 27 East
Sag Harbor Cinema Celebrates Earth Day With Films - 27 East

Follow us on social

@ccemarineprogram

View fullsize Join us on Feb 27 at Cowfish for Back to the Bays Marshes & Marsh Birds Multi-medium Collage! Learn about our local marshlands as water filtration and habitat for many animals and then create marsh bird inspired art. You can find the event on our
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View fullsize CCE Marine is looking for individuals, organizations, and students seeking internship experience to adopt and serve as lead Site Coordinators for 12 evenings of horseshoe crab monitoring at several beaches throughout Long Island throughout May and Ju
View fullsize Join the SPAT program Zoom workshop this evening beginning at 5PM. Learn about algae culture - the first step in successful aquaculture spawning. ALL are welcome! Newsletter link: https://mailchi.mp/1f035d0be86e/spat-workshop-algae-culture-18231925
View fullsize Come get creative with us on Thursday, Jan 30 at 6 pm at Cowfish in Hampton Bays. Let’s sip drinks while we learn about local bivalves and paint watercolors of them, including how to draw contour lines. It’s going to be a fun and relaxing
View fullsize Our mission at Back to the Bays is to engage local communities in vital efforts to improve water quality, habitat, and shellfish populations on Long Island through involvement and giving opportunities. Our team is always excited to share our annual I
View fullsize We are excited to share a 2024 recap of everything our team has achieved in Blue Carbon programming and eelgrass restoration. Much of our preparatory work in eelgrass restoration is dependent on the participation of the public. Thank you to those who
View fullsize Fresh new shell pile for the New Year! Did you know that NYS DEC requires all recycled shell material be cured for a minimum of 6-12 months before being used in any marine restoration projects? We rotate through 3 different shell piles at our recyc
View fullsize A huge thank you to everyone involved in our 13th Annual Greenport Shellabration. This event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and participating Greenport businesses, especially @firstandsouth @northforkoysters and
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View fullsize Eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows provide essential habitat for many species of finfish and shellfish during part or all stages of life. Due to the structure and protection they provide, eelgrass meadows are the most biodiverse marine habitats in our
View fullsize Who's ready to Shellabrate?! The annual event we've been waiting for all year is almost here, and we can't wait to see everyone. Wristbands are selling fast so grab yours today, and better yet consider coming in as a Sponsor to get special access t
View fullsize Today's #fieldworkfriday mission: retrieve temperature loggers ✔️ collect shell stringers ✔️ check on summer oyster reef plantings ✔️ be safe, have fun, and don't flood your waders ✔️ Successful end of season outing to wrap things up at our Quog
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Want to support our work?

Become a Back to the Bays Steward

2025 Stewardship Registration
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2025 Stewardship Registration
from $25.00

By becoming a Steward of the Back to the Bays Initiative, you will be directly supporting the efforts of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Marine Program. Since 1985, CCE’s Marine Program has been working towards increasing the water quality of our bays, improving habitat availability for our marine species, enhancing and restoring stocks of commercially and recreationally important shellfish, providing meaningful volunteer opportunities to the public, and educating our youth on the importance of protecting and preserving our marine ecosystem and maritime heritage. Your contribution will help ensure these important efforts continue, and are expanded upon in the years ahead.