Hampton Bays students dive into marine conservation with Cornell Cooperative Extension

Hampton Bays Middle School sixth grade students recently explored local marine habitats and conservation efforts during a visit from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program’s Back to the Bays educators.

As part of the Back to the Bays Reef Raisers and Meadow Makers programming, students rotated through four educational stations focused on the importance of protecting and restoring local marine ecosystems. Through the interactive activities, they learned about eelgrass meadows, oyster reefs and seahorse conservation.

The Back to the Bays program is made possible through the support of the Town of Southampton Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Improvement Project Grant. The funding helps Cornell Cooperative Extension enhance populations of clams, bay scallops and oysters while restoring coastal marine habitats in the waters off Hampton Bays.