State Of The Bays 2026

Healthy coastal waters are vital to our communities, yet many of us don’t fully understand the challenges they face or how quickly conditions are changing.

Join Dr. Chris Gobler and the Gobler Lab at Stony Brook Southampton for the State of the Bays Symposium: No Time to Waste, an annual event offering a clear, science-based look at the health of our local waters and what it means for Long Island.

This year’s message is urgent: We are out of time to wait, but not out of solutions.

You’ll hear directly about some of the most pressing issues affecting our region, including record-breaking harmful algal blooms, expanding low-oxygen “dead zones,” emerging public health risks such as Vibrio vulnificus, and the growing impact of microplastics.

Just as important, the symposium highlights real solutions already in action. Learn about advanced wastewater treatment systems that significantly reduce pollution and new in-water technologies designed to improve water quality and combat harmful algal blooms.

Whether you’re a year-round resident, seasonal visitor, policymaker, student, or simply someone who cares about the future of the East End, this event is designed to inform, engage, and inspire action.