Working to eliminate nitrogen pollution, bacterial contamination and plastic waste from our local waters.

As individuals, we are all drawn to CUSH for deeply personal reasons. We go to the sea for swimming,

Goal One: WATER QUALITY TESTING: Volunteers contribute over 600 hours per year sampling for DO, Salinity, Chl-a, Nutrients, Bacteria, Temperature, Acidity, Turbidity, and Rain data. The data are shared freely.

Goal Two: COASTAL CLEANUPS: Marine debris is a threat to our oceans’ health. 80% of debris comes from land sources, and most are plastics. One way to stop trash from reaching the sea is shoreline cleanups.

Goal Three: NATURAL TURF MANAGEMENT: When we use chemical fertilizers, stormwater washes them into the nearest waterbody, where they feed the growth of excess algae harming fishing, shellfishing, and tourism.

The pandemic has impacted CUSH in 2 distinct ways: funding and personal interaction. Donations during the last two years were reduced by 29% risking our ability to cover the cost of water testing analysis. To address this shortfall, we have reached out to new sources of funding including Charity Navigator, Mystic Rotary Club, Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative, and local concerned citizens. Board of Director meetings and partnership meetings are now conducted virtually through Zoom. CUSH drafted COVID-19 Risk Safety Procedures and trained all volunteers to maintain their personal safety while monitoring water quality.