ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report was prepared primarily by Joseph J. Dowhan, Project Leader of the Northeast Estuary Office, in Charlestown, Rhode Island, with the assistance of Hope D. Malcom, Geographic Information Specialist with the same office. The Northeast Coastal Areas Study was originally conceived and initiated by William C. Ashe, former Deputy Regional Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast Region, and now with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It is to Bill Ashe that this report is dedicated.

There have been numerous contributors to this study and report, of which the majority have come from a solid core of knowledgeable, experienced and devoted professional biologists in the various Federal and State natural resource agencies and private conservation organizations in this region. Particular gratitude is expressed to the State Natural Heritage Programs and Fish and Game/Wildlife agencies in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, the State Chapters and Field Offices of the Nature Conservancy in each of these same states, the Eastern Regional Office of The Nature Conservancy, especially Dennis Wolkoff, the National Audubon Society, and the many outstanding Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in the field offices, cooperative units, research stations and regional office in the Northeast Region (Region 5).

The following individuals are specifically acknowledged for their contributions to this report and to whom the Service owes a great debt of gratitude and appreciation. Deepest apologies are offered in advance for any inadvertent omissions or misspelled names of those who have given so much of their time, knowledge and experiences in support of this project.

Fish & Wildlife Service: Tom Stewart, William Kolodnicki and Bob Parris, Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Jim Kurth, Connecticut-Rhode Island NWR Complex; Walt Quist, George Haas, Curt Laffin, William Zinni, Ralph Andrews, Dan Kimble, Paul Nickerson, Anne Hecht, Libby Herland, Dick Dyer, Paul Graves and Diane Brajta of the Regional Office, Newton Corner, MA; Jan "Mickey" Hayden, Glenn Kinser, Ray Fritz, Kathi Bangert and Steve Funderburk of the Chesapeake Bay Estuary Program; Mike Amaral, Susi van Oettingen and Gordon Beckett of the New England Field Office; Lenny Corin, Carl Schwartz and Mark Clough of the New York Field Office; Cliff Day and Robin Burr of the New Jersey Field Office; and Jeff Spendelow, Mike Erwin and Dick Jachowski of the Patuxent National Wildlife Research Center.

Environmental Protection Agency: Susan Beede, Rosemary Monahan, Cynthia Pring-Ham and Carol Kilbride, Water Management Division, Region I, Boston, MA; Mark Tedesco and Janice Rollwagen, Water Management Division, Region II, New York City; and Michelle Hiller, National Estuary Program, Washington, D.C.

National Marine Fisheries Service: Tom Bigford, Colleen Coogan and Doug Beach, Northeast Regional Office, Gloucester, Massachusetts; Mike Ludwig, Milford Laboratory, Milford, CT.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Reed Bohne and Susan Durden, Marine and Estuarine Management Division, Washington, D.C.

National Park Service: John Tanacredi, Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn, NY.

Connecticut: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, Jr., Kenneth Metzler, Nancy Murray and Dawn McKay, Connecticut Natural Diversity Database, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); Ron Rozsa, Coastal Resources Management Division, DEP; Paul Merola, Greg Chasko and Julie Victoria, Wildlife Bureau, DEP; Eric Smith, Penny Howell, Steve Gebhardt, Peter Minta and Dave Simpson, Division of Marine Fisheries, DEP; Jack Barclay and Don Squires, University of Connecticut; Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon Society; Christopher Percy, The Sounds Conservancy, Inc.; and Tom Siccama, Yale University.

Massachusetts: Henry Woolsey, Bruce Sorrie, Pat Swain and Meg Goodwin, Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement; Kathy Sferra, Cape Cod Commission; Simon Perkins, Massachusetts Audubon Society; Steven Reinhart, Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies; Joseph Costa, Buzzards Bay Project; Tundi Agardy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Susan Ayvazian, University of Massachusetts; Alan Poole, Manomet Bird Observatory; and Christine Gault, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

New York: Kathryn Schneider, Rachel Pleuthner, Candie Leunig, Carol Reschke and Peter Zika of the New York Natural Heritage Program, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); John Ozard, Significant Habitat Unit, Wildlife Resources Center, DEC; Harry Knoch and Mike Scheibel of the Long Island Wildlife Division, DEC; Steven Sanford, Bureau of Environmental Protection, DEC; Gordon Colvin, Kenneth Koetzner, Kim McKown, Victor Vecchio and Karen Chytalo, Division of Marine Resources, DEC; Tom Hart, Division of Coastal Resources and Waterfront Revitalization, Department of State; David Kunstler, City of New York Parks and Recreation, Bronx, NY; Phyllis Wittner, Coastal Zone Management Commission, Town of Mamaroneck; David Burg, Bronx, NY; David Duffy, Rich Lent and Randy Downer, Seatuck Foundation, Inc.; Paul Stoutenburg, Town of Southold, Cutchogue, NY; and Steve Morreale, OKEANOS, Ocean Research Foundation.

Rhode Island: Rick Enser and Joanne Michaud, Rhode Island Heritage Program, Department of Environmental Management (DEM); Chris Raithel, Division of Fish and Wildlife, DEM; Caroline Karp, Narragansett Bay Project; Al Beck, Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; Charlotte Sornborger and Doug Rayner, The Barrington Land Conservation Trust, Inc.; and Keith Lewis, The Conservation Fund-Block Island Trust.

National Audubon Society: Carl Safina, Western Hemisphere Shorebird Program, and Marilyn England, Scully Sanctuary, Islip, NY. We are especially appreciative of Ms. England's contributions to the compilation and preparation of the individual reports on the four major bay areas along the south shore of Long Island.

The Nature Conservancy: Dennis Wolkoff, Larry Master, Steve Buttrick, Eve Endicott and Laura Rosenzweig of the Eastern Regional Office; Les Corey, Julianna Barrett and Beth Lapin of the Connecticut Chapter; Andy Walker, Christina Hamm and Susan Antenen of the North Fork Chapter; Sara Davison of the South Fork-Shelter Island Chapter; Keith Lang and Randy Tate of the Rhode Island Field Office; Laura Johnson and Tim Simmons of the Massachusetts Field Office; and Mike Laspia, Mashomack Preserve, Shelter Island.

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