Save the Sound, a nonprofit with a mission is to protect the Long Island Sound and its bordering residents, released its 2024 Long Island Sound Report Card.

The study measures a number of factors to grade how sustainable the Sound is in supporting aquatic life.

The research is then shared with officials to improve the overall ecological health of the Sound.

"There's good news and bad news—and there's still a lot of work that needs to be done to address the challenges that we're facing in the Long Island Sound which continue to be wastewater pollution, storm water pollution, and climate change," says David Ansel, vice president of water protection with Save the Sound.

Peter Linderoth, the director of water quality with Save the Sound, says one of the major contaminating contributors is nitrogen pollution.

This type of pollution emerges from various sources such as the fertilizers we use, our septic tanks and wastewater - and even ourselves.

"Climate change is very real, as hopefully everyone knows," Linderoth emphasized, "and Long Island Sound is warming up."

For residents of Westchester County looking to do their part, Save the Sound recommends homeowners to reduce fertilizer and water use, shrink their carbon footprint, and when bo bke sure to empty any waste created properly.