Long Island Natural History Conference
The Long Island Natural History Conference is the premier regional forum for the exchange of information about Long Island’s natural history. Its goal is to bring together Long Island’s leading naturalists to exchange current information, identify research and management needs, and encourage collaborations and a greater region-wide interest in Long Island’s natural history.
The 2024 LI Natural History Conference is scheduled for April 12-13 – Click here for details
The Long Island Natural History Conference was established by the Long Island Nature Organization (LINO) in 2012 to support education and research about the natural history of Long Island. The conference resulted from the vision and dedication of Mike Bottini, Tim Green, John Turner and the late James Monaco.
The conference was founded with the following goals:
- Introduce people doing field research, natural resource management, and conservation projects on Long Island
- Exchange current information on the natural history of Long Island
- Identify research and management needs
- Foster friendships and collegial relationships
- Encourage a greater region-wide interest in Long Island’s natural history.
Seatuck assumed management of the Long Island Natural History Conference when it merged with LINO in 2020.
Video Library
Thanks to the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the majority of presentations from the first eight conferences (2012-2019) have been recorded and uploaded to YouTube. These recordings (more than 90 in all!) are linked here. You can find presentations by browsing either the SPEAKER INDEX or the TOPIC INDEX below.
Speaker Index
Aigner, Christopher The Future of Brook Trout in Long Island: Long Term Thinking
Alden, Peter Changes to Our Flora and Fauna
Battaly, Trudy Falcons on FIRE (Fire Island Raptor Enumerators)
Battle, Kerissa Networked Ecological Initiatives for Climate Change Research and Education
Bennington, J Bret What Every Naturalist Should Know About the Geologic History of Long Island
Black, David Long Island’s Climate: Past and Future
Booth-Binczik, Susan White-tailed Deer Biology and Monitoring Methods for Landowners
Bottini, Mike Long Island’s River Otters
Bottini, Mike 2018 Conservation Update: River Otters
Bottini, Mike Tracking Spotted Turtles Over the Year
Bottini, Mike 2023 Conservation Update: Spotted Turtles, Otters & Coyotes
Branco, Alison Coastal Adaptation: Harnessing the Power of Nature to Protect People
Breisch, Alvin Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Brown, Maria Barcode Long Island: Student-Centered Biodiversity Research
Browne, James Restoring Oyster Reefs in Hempstead Bay: Methods, Results and Future Directions
Burke, Russell Strange Times for Jamaica Bay Terrapins
Burke, Russell 2018 Conservation Update: Diamondback Terrapins
Burke, Russell Lizards Among Us: Italian Wall Lizards in Suburbia
Burne, Matthew Wicked Neat; the Natural History of Vernal Pools
Camhi, Merry Sharks and Rays of the New York Seascape
Campbell, Scott The Land of Oz: Spiders and Chiggers and Ticks, Oh My!
Cech, Rich Lifestyles of East Coast Butterflies
Cullum, Dell Encounters with the Raccoon and the Virginia Opossum
Curtis, Tobey Long Island’s Role in the Comeback of the Great White Shark
Curtis, Tobey White Shark 2019 Conservation Update
Dahl, Soren New York Seagrass Conservation Activities
DiGiovanni, Robert Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long Island
DePerte, Alison 2023 Conservation Update: Whale Strandings
Feinberg, Jeremy A Frog’s Tale: The Story of a Long Island Extinction (Leopard Frog, Anura ranidae)
Fishman, Michael The Bats of Long Island
Flagg, Charlie The Development of the Old Inlet Breach and its Impacts on Great South Bay
Gardner, Todd Drifters: A Guide to the Stray Tropical Fishes of New York
Gobler, Chris Effects of Excessive Nitrogen Loading on L.I.’s Coastal Ecosystems
Green, Tim Natural History of Brookhaven National Laboratory
Greller, Andrew Great Ferns I Have Known
Gurevitch, Jessica What’s so special about the Long Island Dwarf Pine Plains?
Guthrie, Chart Freshwater Fishes of Long Island: What are they and where did they come from?
Hamilton, Frederick Regional Status of the Eastern Wild Turkey
Hapke, Cheryl Coastal Response to Hurricane Sandy at Fire Island, N.Y.
Harrison, Louise Plum Island: Biological Linchpin of an Archipelago
Harrison, Louise 2018 Conservation Update: Plum Island
Harrison, Louise 2023 Conservation Update: Plum Island
Harrison, Louise Envision Plum Island’s Conservation District
Harrison, Tobi Peconic Bay Scallops: Current Status and Potential Solutions
Hays, Helen Great Gull Island Terns: Here and There
Higbie, Jennifer Home Ranges of Eastern Box Turtles at BNL
Hoff, Samantha Northern Long-eared Bats 2019 Conservation Update
Hoffman, Carol American Eels in New York
Izquierdo, Javier The American Beachgrass Microbiome: Spying on Private Conversations Underground
Jennings, Kevin Bald Eagle 2018 Conservation Update
Job, Kevin Disappearing Southern New England River Herring
Jordan, Marilyn Novel Ecosystems: A Threat To Wildlife
Kaelin, Matthew The Carnivorous Plants of Long Island
Kassner, Jeffrey The Historical Ecology of the Great South Bay’s Blue Point Oyster
Kopelman, Arthur Harbor Seals at Cupsogue Beach: Population Trends and Site Fidelity
Lamont, Eric Status of Orchids on Long Island, New York
Lendemer, James Long Island Lichens: an Exploration of a Hidden World
Leoniak, George Cybertracker Conservation Track and Sign Certification: Origins and Applications
Levin, Ted The Very Last Timber Rattlesnake
Lobue, Carl The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Efforts in Great South Bay
Lobue, Carl 2019 Conservation Update: Atlantic Menhaden
Lobue, Carl 2023 Conservation Update: Wildlife Collaborative for Offshore Wind
Lupo, Leslie New York State River Otter Survey
Maher, Nicole Assessing Salt Marsh Health on Long Island
McGuinness, Hugh The Moths of Long Island
McHale, Bradley Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: A Fish Without a Country
McKown, Kim Atlantic Sturgeon: Life History, Management and Research
McNamara, Terrence. The Flora and Fauna of Fishers Island
Metzger, Gregory The Sharks in Our Near Shore Waters: Oh, Just How Little We Know
Mitra, Shai Bird Migration on Long Island
Nagy, Chris New York’s Newest Immigrants: Coyotes in the Metropolitan Area
Nardone, Enrico Restoring Tributaries and River Herring on Long Island
Nardone, Enrico 2019 Conservation Update: Diadromous Fish Passage
Nardone, Enrico 2023 Conservation Update: River Herring & Eels
Nash, Bruce Barcode Long Island: Student-Centered Biodiversity Research
Nelson, Tom Status of Orchids on Long Island, New York
Newell, Ariana Mother Nature Knows Best: How Superstorm Sandy Changed Sunken Meadow Creek
Nye, Janet Climate Change and Global Warming Impacts on Marine Fish Distribution
O’Riordan, Heidi Monitoring Movement and Passage of Fish in the Carmans River
Pachomski, Amanda Sharing the Shore with Coastal Birds
Panko, Drew Falcons on FIRE (Fire Island Raptor Enumerators)
Papa, Steve Status of the Red Knot and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow on Long Island
Paparo, Christopher From Plankton to Whales: Why our local waters are worth protecting
Parrott, Melissa Griffiths A Day in the Life of the Carmans River
Pavacic, John The Southern Pine Beetle Infestation on Long Island: Status and Trends
Pendergast, Casey Northern Long-eared Bat Hibernation in Coastal Populations with White-nose Syndrome
Perreault, Stephane Diet and Behavior of a Pair of Eastern Coyotes in Nassau County
Pomi-Urbat, Lara To Kill a Kudzu: The Status of Exotic Invasive Plants on Long Island
Potente, John The Pageantry of the Monarch Butterfly
Powell, William American Chestnut: Leading the Way to a Healthier Forest
Quevedo, Frank White Shark 2018 Conservation Update
Rawinski, Thomas White-tailed deer and Their Influence on Forest Vegetation
Riepe, Don Jamaica Bay: An Urban National Park
Riepe, Don Barn Owls of Jamaica Bay
Safina, Carl Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel
Sakellariadis, Julie Orchid Colony Restoration 2019 Conservation Update
Salzman, Eric Breeding Birds of Long Island: Past, Present & Future
Santos, Arielle Long Island Wildlife Survey
Scheibel, Michael Bald Eagles Nesting on Long Island
Schlesinger, Matt Biodiversity and Ecological Potential of Plum Island, NY
Sieswerda, Paul Whales of New York City and the Return of the Humpback Whale
Starke, Adam The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Efforts in Great South Bay
Stiller, Joshua The Long Island Mammal Survey
Taft, Dave Hide and Seek in the Wilds of Long Island
Tanacredi, John Horseshoe Crabs: a Global Conservation Icon in Dire Straits
Titus, Valorie Connectivity Among Eastern Tiger Salamander Populations in Anthropogenic Landscapes
Turner, John Atlantic White Cedar: Its Historical and Current Status on Long Island
Turner, John Long Island’s Goatsuckers: Whip-poor-will, Chuck-will’s-widow, and Common Nighthawk
Turner, John 2023 Conservation Update: Vernal Pools, Diamondback Terrapins & Water Reuse
Vincenti, Frank Coyote 2018 Conservation Update
Virgin, Aaron The Comeback of the Osprey: Success Story or Trash Bird?
Weckel, Mark Coyotes on Long Island: a Framework for Planning Ahead
Weigand, Polly An Evaluation of Management, Urbanization and Isolation on Grassland Biodiversity
Weigand, Polly 2019 Conservation Update: Pine Barrens Research
Weigand, Polly 2023 Conservation Update: Central Pine Barrens
Weis, Judith Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History
Wernet, John The Southern Pine Beetle Infestation on Long Island: Status and Trends
Wernet, John Southern Pine Beetle, Gypsy Moth and Oak Wilt 2019 Conservation Update
White, Erin Odonate Biodiversity and Rarities on Long Island
Wise, William The History of the Menhaden Fishery in New York
Young, Byron The Long Island Alewife: Biology, Ecology and Restoration
Young, Byron Diadromous Fish Passage 2019 Conservation Update
Young, Steve Long Island’s Coastal Plain Ponds: A Unique Ecosystem Under ThreaSouE
Topic Index
Carl Safina: Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel
General
Hamilton: Overview and Status of the NYS DEC Colonial Water Bird Program: Where it Has Been, Where it is and Where it is Headed
Pachomski: Sharing the Shore with Coastal Birds
Salzman: Breeding Birds of Long Island: Past, Present & Future
Eagle
Jennings: Bald Eagle 2018 Conservation Update
Scheibel: Bald Eagles Nesting on Long Island
Barn Owl
Riepe: Barn Owls of Jamaica Bay
Bird Migration
Battaly & Panko: Falcons on FIRE (Fire Island Raptor Enumerators)
Mitra: Bird Migration on Long Island
Goatsuckers
Turner: Long Island’s Goatsuckers: Whip-poor-will, Chuck-will’s-widow, and Common Nighthawk
Osprey
Virgin: The Comeback of the Osprey: Success Story or Trash Bird?
Red Knowt
Papa: Status of the Red Knot and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow on Long Island
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Papa: Status of the Red Knot and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow on Long Island
Terns
Hays: Great Gull Island Terns: Here and There
Turkey
Hamilton: Regional Status of the Eastern Wild Turkey
Cech: Lifestyles of East Coast Butterflies
Potente: The Pageantry of the Monarch Butterfly
Campbell: The Land of Oz: Spiders, Chiggers & Ticks, Oh My!
Alden: Changes to Our Flora and Fauna
Black: Long Island’s Climate: Past and Future
Branco: Coastal Adaptation: Harnessing the Power of Nature to Protect People
Flagg: The Development of the Old Inlet Breach and its Impacts on Great South Bay
Gobler: Effects of Excessive Nitrogen Loading on L.I.’s Coastal Ecosystems
Hapke: Coastal Response to Hurricane Sandy at Fire Island, N.Y.
McAllister: Living on the Edge in the Face of Climate Change: An Overview of Coastal Processes,
Interventions and Adaptation
Newell: Mother Nature Knows Best: How Superstorm Sandy Changed Sunken Meadow Creek
Nye: Climate Change and Global Warming Impacts on Marine Fish Distribution
White: Odonate Biodiversity and Rarities on Long Island
Alden: Changes to Our Flora and Fauna
Battle: Networked Ecological Initiatives for Climate Change Research and Education
Burne: Wicked Neat; the Natural History of Vernal Pools
Parrott: A Day in the Life of the Carmans River
Jordan: Novel Ecosystems: a Threat To Wildlife
Lobue & Starke: The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Efforts in Great South Bay
Nardone: Restoring Tributaries and River Herring on Long Island
Nardone: Diadromous Fish Passage 2019 Conservation Update
Paparo: From Plankton to Whales: Why our local waters are worth protecting
Portilla: Plankton Blooms, Decreasing Temperatures and Recent Fishkills: is There a Connection?
Dahl: New York Seagrass Conservation Activities
Pickerell: Thirty Years of Working with Eelgrass (Zostera marina) on Long Island: Status, Restoration and Research
Sellers: Suburban Nature and Environmentalism on Post WWII Long Island: Past as Prologue?
Greller: Great Ferns I Have Known
General
Camhi: Sharks and Rays of the New York Seascape
Gardner: Drifters: a Guide to the Stray Tropical Fishes of New York
Guthrie: Freshwater Fishes of Long Island: What are they and where did they come from?
Nardone: Restoring Tributaries and River Herring on Long Island
Nardone & Young: Diadromous Fish Passage 2019 Conservation Update
O’Riordan: Monitoring Movement and Passage of Fish in the Carmans River
Paparo: From Plankton to Whales: Why our local waters are worth protecting
Portilla: Plankton Blooms, Decreasing Temperatures and Recent Fishkills: is There a Connection?
Alewife
Young: The Long Island Alewife: Biology, Ecology and Restoration
American Eel
Hoffman: American Eels in New York
Brook Trout
Aigner: The Future of Brook Trout in Long Island: Long Term Thinking
Menhaden
Lobue: Menhaden 2019 Conservation Update
Wise: The History of the Menhaden Fishery in New York
Sharks
Camhi: Sharks and Rays of the New York Seascape
Curtis: Long Island’s Role in the Comeback of the Great White Shark
Curtis: White Shark 2019 Conservation Update
Metzger: The Sharks in Our Near Shore Waters: Oh, Just How Little We Know
Quevedo: White Shark 2018 Conservation Update
Sturgeon
McKown: Atlantic Sturgeon: Life History, Management and Research
Tuna
McHale: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: A Fish Without a Country
General
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Leopard Frog
Feinberg: A Frog’s Tale: The Story of a Long Island Extinction and Its Unexpected Role in the Discovery of a New Species of Leopard Frog (Anura ranidae) in the Urban Northeast
Brown & Nash: Barcode Long Island: Student-Centered Biodiversity Research
Bennington: What Every Naturalist Should Know About the Geologic History and Glacial Geomorphology of Long Island
Sclafani: Horseshoe Crab Monitoring in New York State’s Marine District and Interactions with Migratory Shorebirds in Moriches Bay
Tanacredi: Horseshoe Crabs: a Global Conservation Icon in Dire Straits
Jordan: Novel Ecosystems: a Threat To Wildlife
Pomi-Urbat: To Kill a Kudzu: The Status of Exotic Invasive Plants on Long Island
McNamara: The Role of Ctenophores (Comb Jellies) and Factors Influencing Seasonal Population Blooms in Long Island Estuaries
Lendemer: Long Island Lichens: an Exploration of a Hidden World
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Burke: Lizards Among Us: Italian Wall Lizards in Suburbia
Bats
Fishman: The Bats of Long Island
Hoff: Bat Conservation on Long Island and the Case of the Northern Long-eared Bat
Hoff: Northern Long-eared Bats 2019 Conservation Update
Coyotes
Nagy: New York’s Newest Immigrants: Coyotes in the Metropolitan Area
Vincenti: Coyote 2018 Conservation Update
Weckel: Coyotes on Long Island: a Framework for Planning Ahead
Deer
Booth-Binczik: White-tailed Deer Biology and Monitoring Methods for Landowners
Rawinski: White-tailed deer and Their Influence on Forest Vegetation
Marine Mammals
DiGiovanni: Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long Island
Kopelman: Harbor Seals at Cupsogue Beach: Population Trends and Site Fidelity
Opossum
Cullum: Encounters with the Raccoon and the Virginia Opossum
Otter
Bottini: Long Island’s River Otters
Bottini: River Otter 2018 Conservation Update
Lupo: New York State River Otter Survey
Raccoon
Cullum: Encounters with the Raccoon and the Virginia Opossum
Seals
Kopelman: Harbor Seals at Cupsogue Beach: Population Trends and Site Fidelity
Surveys
Stiller: Long Island Mammal Survey
Whales
DiGiovanni: Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long Island
Sieswerda: Whales of New York City and the Return of the Humpback Whale
Potente: The Pageantry of the Monarch Butterfly
McGuinness: The Moths of Long Island
White: Odonate Biodiversity and Rarities on Long Island
Browne: Restoring Oyster Reefs in Hempstead Bay: Methods, Results and Future Directions
Kassner: The Historical Ecology of the Great South Bay’s Blue Point Oyster
Alden: Changes to Our Flora and Fauna
Battle: Networked Ecological Initiatives for Climate Change Research and Education
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Green: Natural History of Brookhaven National Laboratory
Carmans River
Parrott: A Day in the Life of the Carmans River
O’Riordan: Monitoring Movement and Passage of Fish in the Carmans River
Great South Bay
LoBue & Starke: The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Efforts in Great South Bay
Great Gull Island
Hays: Great Gull Island Terns: Here and There
Jamaica Bay
Peteet: Jamaica Bay Marshes as Archives of Past Vegetation, Sediment and Pollution History in New York City
Riepe: Jamaica Bay: An Urban National Park
Riepe: Barn Owls of Jamaica Bay
Pine Barrens
Gurevitch: What’s so special about the Long Island Dwarf Pine Plains?
Weigand: Pine Barrens Research 2019 Conservation Update
Plum Island
Harrison: Plum Island: Biological Linchpin of an Archipelago
Harrison: Plum Island 2018 Conservation Update
Harrison: Envision Plum Island’s Conservation District
Schlesinger: Biodiversity and Ecological Potential of Plum Island, NY
Sunken Meadow State Park
Newell: Mother Nature Knows Best: How Superstorm Sandy Changed Sunken Meadow Creek
General
Taft: Hide and Seek in the Wilds of Long Island
Atlantic White Cedar
Turner: Atlantic White Cedar: Its Historical and Current Status on Long Island
Beachgrass
Izquierdo: The American Beachgrass Microbiome: Spying on Private Conversations Underground
Carnivorous Plants
Kaelin: The Carnivorous Plants of Long Island
American Chestnut
Powell: American Chestnut: Leading the Way to a Healthier Forest
Coastal Plain Ponds
Young: Long Island’s Coastal Plain Ponds: A Unique Ecosystem Under Threat
Grasslands
Weigand: An Evaluation of Management, Urbanization and Isolation on Grassland Biodiversity
Orchids
Lamont & Nelson: Status of Orchids on Long Island, New York
Sakellariadis: Orchid Colony Restoration 2019 Conservation Update
Pine Barrens
Gurevitch: What’s so special about the Long Island Dwarf Pine Plains?
Weigand: Pine Barrens Research 2019 Conservation Update
Salt Marsh
Peteet: Jamaica Bay Marshes as Archives of Past Vegetation, Sediment and Pollution History in New York City
Weis: Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Titus: Connectivity and Gene Flow Among Eastern Tiger Salamander Populations in Highly Modified Anthropogenic Landscapes
DiGiovanni: Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long Island
Kopelman: Harbor Seals at Cupsogue Beach: Population Trends and Site Fidelity
LoBue & Starke: The Nature Conservancy’s Shellfish Restoration Efforts in Great South Bay
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Levin, Ted: The Very Last Timber Rattlesnake
Vanek: Spreading Adders? Ecology and Natural History of the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake on Long Island
Pavacic & Wernet: The Southern Pine Beetle Infestation on Long Island: Status and Trends
Wernet: Southern Pine Beetle, Gypsy Moth and Oak Wilt 2019 Conservation Update
Campbell: The Land of Oz: Spiders and Chiggers and Ticks, Oh My!
Campbell: The Land of Oz: Spiders and Chiggers and Ticks, Oh My!
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
General
Breisch: Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region
Diamondback Terrapin
Burke: Strange Times for Jamaica Bay Terrapins
Burke: Diamondback Terrapin 2018 Conservation Update
Eastern Box Turtle
Higbie: Home Ranges of Eastern Box Turtles at Brookhaven National Lab
Sea Turtles
DiGiovanni: Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long Island
Spotted Turtle
Bottini: Tracking Spotted Turtles Over the Yea
Related Information
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Birding Challenge
The results are in on the 2023 Seatuck Birding Challenge – and we have a new champion! Read the details here.
Open Space Protection
Plum Island, an 843-acre, federally-owned island off the tip of Long Island’s North Fork, has been proposed for sale by the federal government. In addition to historical importance, Plum Island has great ecological and environmental significance. It contains the largest seal haul-out site in southern New England and provides habitat to 216 migratory, overwintering, and breeding birds (one-fourth the North American total of avifauna).