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File photo by Raymond Janis

Brookhaven Town Board rejects suburbia

Last week the Brookhaven Town Board rang the death knell for suburbia by downzoning the sleepy Jefferson Plaza shopping center in Port Jefferson Station to allow the development of a mega city of unaffordable apartments and large multistory buildings. 

The proponents, mostly the building industry lobby and the developer, who will reap millions of dollars in increased rent, took advantage of an industry-promoted zoning classification called Commercial Redevelopment District which allows city-like density in underperforming shopping centers throughout Brookhaven.

The new code was a byproduct of the dark days of COVID-19 when many thought that local shopping centers wouldn’t survive the loss of customers who were staying at home because of the pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, most shopping centers have now rebounded, but the Town of Brookhaven has not rescinded the urban density code that was promoted by developers and builders over the objections from several community civic organizations.

A Queens-like development this size and scale will alter the suburban character of upper Port Jefferson Station and lead to the further urbanization of the communities throughout the town.

Because of the Staller Center rezone, lawyers representing other shopping center owners have already made inquiries to the Brookhaven Town Board about rezoning their clients shopping centers to CRD as well.

It’s time for the Town Board to take a hard look at the CRD zoning code, realize how it will radically change the character of most communities throughout the town and build into it protections that would limit the size and scale of future redevelopment of shopping centers — and make it less destructive to the suburban character of communities we cherish.

Charles Tramontana, President, George Hoffman, Trustee

Three Village Civic Association

A timeline: Careful money management yields results

In 2011, Suffolk County announced a $500 million deficit. And in that same year, 2011, Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) was elected to the Suffolk County Legislature and she asked to be assigned to work with the fiscal committee. To our benefit, Sarah insisted that with careful planning and foresight, Suffolk County could trim the budget and tighten spending while offering the same services and assistance to residents. For 12 years, Sarah pushed this version of fiscal responsibility, then she was term-limited out of the Legislature. 

The outcome of Sarah’s effort was everything we could have hoped for. In 2023, the Suffolk County Legislature announced that the $500 million deficit was eliminated and that the county’s bond rating had moved strongly upward. Before she left the Legislature, Sarah Anker brought stability to Suffolk County finances. 

I am grateful that Sarah Anker puts People Over Politics. Sarah Anker has my vote for NYS Senate.

Judy Black

Shoreham

Rebecca Kassay: A force for good, leading with heart and purpose

Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) is someone I’ve had the privilege of knowing and watching blossom into a true leader over the years. From the moment I met her, I could tell she had a deep passion for both her community and the environment. It has been remarkable to see how she’s transformed that passion into tangible, meaningful action. Watching her grow, both as a small business owner and as a community leader, has been an incredibly personal inspiration to me.

One of the things that has always stood out to me about Rebecca is her dedication to environmental governance. After graduating from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Environmental Studies, she returned to Long Island and dove right into environmental work. I remember how she launched a youth environmental volunteer program at Avalon Park and Preserve. I watched her work tirelessly with local teens, teaching them to care for and protect our natural environment. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and she wasn’t just teaching them about the environment — she was inspiring a sense of responsibility and love for the land. Seeing her in action made me realize that this wasn’t just a job for her — it was a calling.

Rebecca’s entrepreneurial journey is just as impressive. In 2013, she and her husband Andrew purchased a fixer-upper in Port Jefferson and transformed it into The Fox and Owl Inn, a bed-and-breakfast that quickly became a cornerstone of the community. I saw firsthand how much effort and care they put into the business. But more than that, I saw how deeply Rebecca became involved in the local business community. Through her work with both the Port Jefferson Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, she’s been a driving force in helping local businesses thrive. I’ve had many conversations with her about how to build a sustainable local economy, and her commitment to balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility is something I deeply admire.

When the pandemic hit, Rebecca’s leadership took on new meaning. She quickly organized the Long Island Open Source Medical Supplies initiative, rallying volunteers to produce PPE for frontline workers. It was a shining example of her ability to mobilize people for the greater good. In a time of crisis, Rebecca brought hope and unity to the community.

Watching Rebecca grow has been an inspiring journey for me. She leads with her heart and never loses sight of her values, making her a true force for good.

Indu Kaur

Port Jefferson Station

Transparency needed: Voters deserve answers from Assemblyman Flood

As a resident of Setauket I was distressed to hear that my Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) was disbarred last week.

As a lawyer I am concerned that Assemblyman Flood did not even bother to respond to the complaint against him even though he was charged that he “engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation with regard to both clients” and the courts. To merit disbarment, as opposed to censure or suspension, the alleged conduct must have been very serious.

As a voter I believe I am entitled to know what he was accused of.

Assemblyman Flood should make a full disclosure of what occurred. The voters deserve to know.

Chris Murray

Setauket

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Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

My Aunt Maxine had Down syndrome, which means she was mentally disabled.

In so many ways, Maxine and her life defied expectations and labels.

When Maxine was born, doctors told my grandparents that she wouldn’t likely live long, so they should consider putting her in an institution.

My grandparents couldn’t imagine being away from their daughter. They took Maxine home to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where they raised and educated her.

As she grew up, Maxine was on the shorter side, at under five feet tall, and carried the youthful, round face of Down syndrome throughout her life.

She also had facial hair that my grandmother, mother and caregivers regularly trimmed.

My aunt lacked any self-consciousness about who she was, what she was, and how she related to the world. She figured everyone was as ready to love her and interact with her as she was with them.

More often than not, she smiled, offering an energetic and enthusiastic nod whenever anyone made eye contact. Plenty of people avoided looking at her in part because she was different and, in part, because she lived in New York and the rules of sidewalk engagement limited eye contact.

When people didn’t notice or engage with her, she kept walking, singing, talking to herself, chatting with her parents or the rest of us, or whistling, which she could do by inhaling and exhaling.

She lived at a higher decibel level. Her whisper was even louder than her normal speaking voice.

“What?” she’d whisper so loudly that it could be heard in the back row of a movie theater. “You want me to be quiet? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Yes, shhhh.”

“Don’t shush me!” she’d say, her husky whisper, like her husky voice, becoming louder and indignant.

“Sorry, Macky,” I’d say. “People are trying to watch the movie. Can you watch it, too?”

“Oh, yes, yes, yes,” she’d say, nodding vigorously. “I’ll be quiet. I will. I’ll be quiet. If that’s what you want, I can be quiet. Sure, suuuuure!”

She was spectacularly funny and knew introductions were an opportunity for comedy.

“Who is this young lady?” she’d ask anyone who walked in the door in our house. The person could be anywhere from six to 96 and she’d ask the same thing.

“How old are you?” she’d ask.

No matter the answer, she’d suggest the person was a “lovely” young lady.

“What’s your name?” she’d ask.

When the person said her name, she’d say “what” several times and then ask the person to spell it. When she slowed our guest down repeatedly and asked her to say it again, the guest would shout.

“Hey, what are you yelling for? I can hear you. Not so loud. You’re hurting my ears.”

She’d squint and a smile would fill her face as she’d scan the room, knowing the old routine had hit the mark.

More than anything else, though, Maxine was compassionate, emotionally connected, loving and supportive.

She would sing the Star Spangled Banner when she listened to Robert Merrill on the radio before a Yankees game.

“It’s so beautiful,” she’d say, as she blew her nose and wiped her eyes.

I suspect many other Americans have an aunt, sibling, distant relative, friend or neighbor for whom labels mean even less than the totality of their lives, the winsome nature of their personality, and the triumphs that define their days.

Hearing anyone use the term “disabled” as a take down misses the point, particularly for those who seek to be the country’s leader.

Maxine required but also taught a level of patience. In exchange, our family and friends appreciated her joy of life and basked in her unconditioned positive regard. She wouldn’t have resented or hated others, wouldn’t have insulted individuals or a group and would have forgiven anyone who made a mistake.

Perhaps some day, those who use words like “mental disability” as a way to dismiss others or to cast others aside will think of the Maxines of the world. We can learn so much from others whose lives are different from ours and who aren’t trying to use words to project an image, to cut others down, or to suggest that someone is limited.

I can picture Maxine sitting in a chair next to me, tilting her head and looking at me from the side.

“You’re such a silly goose,” she’d laugh.

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TBR News Media publisher Leah Dunaief meeting the 39th U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, at the White House in 1978. Photo from Leah Dunaief

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief,
Publisher

Jimmy Carter was the first United States President to invite me to the White House. The year was 1978, we had just started our first newspaper, The Village Times in the Three Village area, two years earlier, and the level of excitement was somewhere in the  stratosphere when our receptionist screamed, “It’s the White House calling!”  

Yes, indeed, it was someone from the White House, asking our address for the invitation to be sent to the Out of Town Press Conference later that month. With entrepreneurial bravado, I had written a letter addressed merely to “The White House, Washington, D.C.” asking if we might visit, not knowing about their monthly conferences at which Carter would gain insight from reporters into issues around the nation, even as he got his top priorities out into the communities. If I had known, I might have doubted his interest in a new weekly newspaper, but I would have been mistaken. 

They wanted me.

From the moment of that phone call until I sat in the office with 29 other reporters, talking with the President, that excitement never abated. The session was lengthy, interrupted at one point by the arrival of a boxed lunch. The conversation continued over a hard boiled egg and half a tuna fish sandwich. As I salted my egg and proceeded to down it, I still could not quite believe I was there.

Of course it made a great front page story in our paper when I returned, a photo shaking hands with President Carter a lifetime treasure. At the end of the session, he asked us to line up and tell him our names and where we lived, as a photographer snapped the moment. The line moved quickly, but when it was my turn, I was determined to say something that might be more interesting to him. 

“Mr. President, your sister, Ruth, visited my hometown of Stony Brook last week,” I rushed out the words. He stopped the line, his blue eyes large, and smiled broadly at me. I had read that he adored his sister.

“Isn’t Ruth great?” he offered. It wasn’t a question. “Why was she there?”

Ruth Carter Stapleton was a Christian Evangelist and I explained that she had been visiting one of the local Christian schools. He chatted another minute, then again shook my hand, and I moved on. I was in my late 30’s, and it was surely one of the high points of my life.

I was only 14 when I met Julie Andrews. She was one of the leads in the British play, “The Boy Friend,” and I went to a matinee with my eighth grade class on a field trip to see my first Broadway show. Word must have gotten to her that students were in the audience, and she invited all of us back stage to chat as she took off her makeup. She was only 19 at the time and told us she was thrilled with being in America for the first time. We were thrilled in turn to meet her. She didn’t seem much older than we, and the conversation was high spirited girl talk.

Little did any of us know that she would go on to become one of her era’s brightest stars, with a career starting as a child actress and spanning eight decades. She was the recipient of countless awards, and became Dame Julia by Queen Elizabeth in 2000. Her breakthrough American role was as Eliza Doolittle opposite Rex Harrison in the superb “My Fair Lady,” then went on to Queen Guinevere in “Camelot.” As Mary Poppins, in her first film role, she won the Academy Award’s Best Actress, then on to “The Sound of Music,” and many more.

It was fun to know that these two remarkable people shared the same birthday, October 1, and it made my walk down memory lane, this past Tuesday, a fond one.

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Calling all art lovers! Spend the afternoon at two of Stony Brook’s most beloved institutions!

On Sunday, October 6 from noon to 3 p.m., visit Stony Brook University’s Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook to view Nicole Cohen: SUPER VISION before heading down the road to the Long Island Museum’s Art Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook to see A Noble Art: A New Look at the Portraits of William Sidney Mount and take an exclusive trip to visit the historic Hawkins-Mount House*.

Bus transport will take visitors to all three sites and educators and artists will be on hand in the galleries. This event is free for all — no registration is required.

Participants can check in at either location. Let a staff member know you are there for the LIM x Zuccaire Gallery Afternoon of Art. A staff member will also direct you to the shuttle bus. To check in at the Long Island Museum, head directly to the Art Museum building. At the Zuccaire Gallery at the Staller Center, you can check in at the front desk of the gallery. The first bus will leave from the Zuccaire Gallery at 12:30 pm.

For more information, call 631-751-0066 (LIM) or 631-632-7240 (Zuccaire Gallery)

*Please note that the historic Hawkins-Mount house is not handicap accessible. 

 

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Pixabay photo

TBR’s coverage this week of a heroic cop who plugged a colleague’s bullet wound, with his own hands, to prevent him from bleeding to death, (see story in paper,) is a truly inspirational example of the human spirit.

In a world of such chaos and confusion, what does it say about this man that his primal instinct was to save an injured person? Not to analyze or question him, poke or prod him.

But to save him.

What it says is that we are fundamentally good. We may get that fact a little mixed up at times, but if we can step back from our stubbornness and fixations on the characteristics that separate us, it will become apparent that we all should be focusing on the one characteristic that is already within us, that is baked into our DNA: kindness

And, no. Not kindness in the corny or insincere sense that many people use to deceitfully act as if they are holier-than-thou. “Kindness” in a genuinely caring way about the welfare of those in your life and community.

We can all learn a lot from an action as noble as the one performed by this man.

Over the past few years, there has been contentious debate, analyzing the roles police officers serve in our everyday lives. Some people believe that they overstep, while others feel that they are under appreciated.

Adding to the omnipresence of this law enforcement dilemma, just this week, County Executive Ed Romaine (R) announced in his proposed budget that the Suffolk County Police Department intends to put an extra 330 officials, including cops, detectives and corrections officers, on the force.

However, no matter how one feels regarding the political intricacies of our society, we can all agree that every cop — every human being — should aspire to this level of goodness.

Many people preach the importance of benevolence — an act of kindness, but, far too often, people are not willing to give that word meaning. Police officers take an oath to protect and defend.

So, maybe, if we follow in the example of those who are willing to sacrifice their lives — or in a less severe instance, their comfort — for the care of people, we can live in a society that is a little more temperate, a little more understanding and a lot more loving.

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Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. File photo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

On Monday, Sept. 23, County Executive Ed Romaine (R) held a virtual press conference, which explained the key points of his 2025 Suffolk County Recommended Operating Budget.

One of the first things Romaine mentioned is that he has ensured that this budget complies with tax caps “and all other requirements for both the county and the state.”

He added that the proposal allows for $4 billion dollars, which is an increase from last year’s budget of $3.9 billion.

Speaking more specifically on what he wishes to increase spending on, Romaine expressed a strong desire to further secure our communities’ safety.

The budget “will add 200 [police officers, also] deputy sheriffs, corrections officers and detectives,” Romaine said.

“We feel that the police department needs to be adequately staffed, to address any safety issues in all, including the discouragement of illegal activities, such as gangs, drugs, etc., and to prevent any increase in crime,” he added.

Romaine has increased law enforcement staffing, particularly in the District Attorney’s Office to aid in the Gilgo Beach investigation.

Another issue the County Executive intends to tackle is the diminished sales tax revenue, from this year to last, which has contributed to Suffolk slightly raising the property tax for 2025. Homeowners in Brookhaven, Smithtown and Huntington will see an increase of about $49 per year.

“Sales tax came in at about $50 million less this year than what was projected, pension costs went up by about $43 million and health care costs went up by $66 million, which accounts for the increase in the county budget,” Romaine explained.

“So while there is a small increase, it, nevertheless, is a solid budget, which will allow the county to deliver services and provide what is needed.”

As to why we have seen such a significant decrease in sales tax, Romaine chalks it up to residents’ reduced spending, as prices for items, such as gasoline, increased.

“People are tightening their wallets. This is a difficult time, an inflationary time. For example, gasoline sales, for the first six months of 2024, went down by 9.6 percent, to give you an estimate, and we do include sales tax on gasoline,” Romaine said. 

“That is an indication that the economy is debating its future. But we’ll see what happens. A lot will depend on the national election.”

Romaine’s budget proposal refers to his intention to improve Suffolk’s infrastructure, improve emergency service efficiency, by making changes including the reduction of 311 wait time to under five minutes and to continue support for veterans, as well as to increase staffing in underfunded departments like Child Protective Services and the Department of Social Services.

It also points to the allocation of funds for a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and virtual CISO, following the 2022 cyber-attack. It will modernize the county’s IT infrastructure, to enhance security.

Additionally, Romaine wrapped up the press conference with a future initiative he hopes to see come to fruition.

“Once this budget is adopted, and once we see the revenues coming in in 2025, I am hoping to propose a reduction in the sales tax on home heating fuel. That’s propane, natural gas and, obviously, home heating oil. I find this tax regressive.”

The county Legislature must adopt the budget by Nov. 6.

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The Ward Melville boys varsity cross-country team. Courtesy David Seyfert

By Ryan DeLuca

The Ward Melville varsity boys’ cross country (XC) team has had an exceptionally productive start to the 2024 season — a testament to the hard work the athletes put in over the summer. In just the first three weeks of competition, the team has demonstrated their potential as one of the top contenders in the state.

On September 14, the team’s top eight runners traveled to upstate Queensbury to compete in the prestigious Pre-State meet, a 5k (3.1 miles) race. This early-season event attracts the best teams in New York — all vying for a spot at the NYS Championship in November. In a field of 24 teams and 195 athletes, Ward Melville’s runners claimed first place overall in their race.

Senior Jon Seyfert led the charge, finishing 1st overall with an impressive time of 15:50. Junior Anthony Anatol — in his first-ever 5K race — followed as the second Ward Melville athlete, placing 8th overall in 16:19. Sophomore Andy Senf and Junior Luke Jantzen, both competing in just their second and first 5k races respectively, crossed the finish line nearly in unison with times of 16:44.3 and 16:44.4 — placing 23rd and 24th. Sophomore Matteo Ritieni rounded out the top five for Ward Melville, finishing 35th with a time of 16:52 securing a team score of 87 points. This performance beat out second-place finisher Corning — a two-time state champion in the last four years — by an impressive 38 points.

Also competing for Ward Melville were Junior Tim Brown and Sophomores Matt Fumai and Leo Puckett. Brown finished 53rd with a time of 17:23, Fumai placed 62nd at 17:31 and Puckett — in his first 5k — clocked in at 18:10 for 89th place.

When all varsity race results were merged to compare every team that competed that day, Ward Melville once again came out on top — finishing 1st out of 117 teams and defeating the reigning state champions Saratoga Springs by 11 points.

The Ward Melville boys’ XC team is young but highly motivated — fully embracing the program laid out by Coaches DeLuca and Liebowitz. Their dedication to teamwork and relentless work ethic has created a positive competitive environment that is paying dividends. According to the coaches, this season is shaping up to be one of the best in the history of Ward Melville cross country.

In recognition of their stellar performance, the Ward Melville boys’ cross country team is now ranked #1 among all Class A (large schools) teams and #2 overall in New York State.

 

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File photo by Raymond Janis

An open letter to the residents of Port Jefferson Station and Terryville

Many local residents are aware that there is a planned redevelopment at the Jefferson Plaza Shopping Center. However, not all our neighbors necessarily know the specific details which will shape the face of our community along the major thoroughfare of Route 112. This large-scale proposal may allow for up to 280 apartments and 49,000-plus square feet of commercial space on that 10-acre parcel. This intensive use has presented us all with an opportunity to see growth and revitalization of our area, but also the challenge to address potential negative impacts to the existing neighborhood.

Members of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association have worked diligently for the past two years to impress upon the Town of Brookhaven that we welcome this opportunity but that changes could help improve the project. In particular, we expressed a need for a comprehensive traffic study of the area which takes into account surrounding developments. 

Others pointed out concerns about the unprecedented height of four-story buildings, voiced a desire for architectural design which could provide a sense of place, or questioned the need for full environmental review for a project which will nearly triple the density of any other multifamily developments in the town to date.

This entire proposal has its roots in a 2020 revision to the Town Code in the form of a Commercial Redevelopment District crafted and approved during the COVID-19 pandemic. This code, as written, seems vague and without any true metric on which to base a determination of the related density bonuses offered within the district. It is this CRD code which Staller Associates — owner of the Jefferson Shopping Center — is now pursuing for a precedent-setting change of zone on that property. It is my understanding that Brookhaven is prepared to vote on this motion and likely to approve it at its next Town Board meeting on Sept. 26 at Town Hall.

Last November, over 65 residents appeared at a public hearing to provide their input on what they wished to see for our community. Some of those comments have been incorporated by the developer into a few changes by the developer, at the urging and help of our Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook). However, much still appears unresolved in the areas of public benefits, clarity on the commitment to a comprehensive traffic study, developing consensus on architectural design and a decision on the ultimate level of density upon buildout. Some believe we should trust this all gets dealt with during the site plan review process. I am hopeful and have advocated that these issues should be addressed before the zoning change is approved in order to achieve the best, transparent outcome possible for all parties.

I solicit my neighbors, regardless of your viewpoint, to go to Town Hall this Thursday evening so that your voice is heard. More “eyes and ears” on this pivotal project will helpfully inform our local decision-makers what the public feels about how best to proceed to take pride in the place we call home. In any event, stay engaged and get involved.

Ira Costell, President

   Port Jefferson Station/ Terryville Civic Association

Port Jefferson electrification stuck in the slow lane

There is no funding allocated in the MTA’s proposed $68 billion 2025-2029 Five Year Capital Plan, just released, for advancement of the proposed $3.1 billion LIRR Port Jefferson Branch electrification project. Critical initial funding was not provided to pay for planning, preliminary design, engineering and the National Environmental Policy Act review to start advancement of this project. The next opportunity for funding will be under the 2030-2034 Five Year Capital Plan. Following the federal NEPA process is necessary to preserve future Federal Transit Administration funding eligibility.

There is only a vague reference in the plan to “improvements” on the Port Jefferson Branch. Contrast this with a specific reference to “looking at the feasibility to extend electrification of the Ronkonkoma Branch east from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank.” 

Riders east of Babylon to Patchogue and Speonk can also only count on a vague reference to “improvements” which doesn’t include electrification. No specific dollar figures, detailed scope of work or implementation schedule are attached to either Port Jefferson or Speonk Branch improvements.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber would have to request permission from the FTA to enter this project into the agency’s Capital Investment Grants (New Starts/Core Capacity) national discretionary competitive grant program. 

Funding for final design and engineering, property easements, land acquisition and utility relocation could be allocated under the 2035-2039 Five Year Capital Plan. This would be followed by $1.6 billion — probably far more due to inflation — in local MTA funding included in the MTA 2040-2044 Five Year Capital Plan. These dollars are necessary to leverage FTA funding. 

Based upon my past experiences on other FTA-MTA-LIRR projects, even if all goes well as I’ve outlined, Port Jefferson Branch electrification may not be completed until 2050. With inflation over time, the final project cost could easily grow to $4 billion and more.

 The LIRR 1960s motto “Line of the Dashing Dan” should be changed to “Line of the Slow Moving Sloth” when it comes to completing LIRR Port Jefferson Branch electrification. The concept of electrification was first proposed back in the 1950s!

Larry Penner

   Great Neck

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL 

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation. Email letters to: [email protected] or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

 

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Ellen Pikitch at the United Nations when she spoke at the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science back in February. Photo from E. Pikitch

By Daniel Dunaief

Even as Covid threatened the health of people around the world, a group of 30 leading researchers from a wide range of fields and countries were exchanging ideas and actions to ensure the sustainability of ocean fisheries.

Starting in 2020, the researchers, including Stony Brook University’s Endowed Professor of Ocean Conservation Science Ellen Pikitch, spent considerable time developing operating principles to protect the oceans and specific actions that could do more than ensure the survival of any one particular species.

Earlier this week, the researchers, who come from fields ranging from biology and oceanography to social sciences and economics, published a paper titled “Rethinking sustainability of marine fisheries for a fast-changing planet” in the Nature Journal npj Ocean Sustainability, as well as a companion 11 golden rules for social-ecological fisheries.

The researchers, who were led by first author Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter, plan to share their framework with policy makers and government officials at a range of gatherings, starting with Brussel’s Ocean Week and including the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.

“We felt something like this was needed in order to reach these audiences effectively,” said Pikitch.

The extensive work, which included two series of workshops, outlines ways to regenerate the ocean’s health and to put people before profits.

The authors suggest that fisheries need to address their contributions to the climate crisis through activities that are polluting, such as dumping fishing gear or plastics in the ocean, carbon intensive or destructive, through the disturbance of sediment carbon stores.

The paper suggests that lost or discarded fishing gear often make up the largest category of plastic waste in the open sea. This gear is not only polluting, but leads to ghost fishing, in which fish die in abandoned or discarded nets.

The authors suggest that labelling fishing gear could encourage better stewardship of the ocean. They also argued that fisheries management has historically focused on economic output, without considering social value and effects.

“We take the view that marine life is a public asset, and its exploitation and management should work for the benefit of local communities and the public,” the authors wrote in their paper.

Pikitch described the work as an “urgent” call to action and added that the researchers will be “meeting with policy makers, retailers, fishery managers and others to discuss these results and how they can be implemented.”

The researchers engaged in this effort to find a way to compile a collection of best practices that could replace a hodgepodge of approaches that overlook important elements of sustainability and that threaten fish species as well as ocean habitats.

“Fisheries are in bad shape worldwide and are degrading rapidly with overexploitation and climate change,” Philippe Cury, Senior Emeritus Researcher at the Institute of Research for Development in Marseille, France, said in a statement. “Efficient and renewed fisheries management can really help to restore marine ecosystems and to reconcile exploitation and biodiversity.”

Pikitch anticipated that some might offer pushback to the suggestions. “If you don’t get pushback, you’re probably not saying something that is important enough,’ she said.

Ecosystem focus

Using research Pikitch led in 2004 from a paper in Science, the group constructed one of the 11 actions around developing a holistic approach to the ocean habitat.

Pikitch’s expertise is in ecosystem based fishery management.

“Fish interact with one another, feed on one another, compete with one another and share the same habitats,” Pikitch said. “For those reasons alone and more, we need to stop managing species one at a time.”

Some policies currently protect ecosystems, including the spatial and temporal management of the Canadian lobster fishery to protect whales and the no-take marine reserves to protect artisanal reef fisheries in the Caribbean.

Still, these approaches need to be applied in other contexts as well.

While some people believed that researchers didn’t know enough to create and implement holistic guidelines, Pikitch and her colleagues suggested that it’s not “necessary to know everything if we use the precautionary principle.”

Pikitch suggested that the Food and Drug Administration takes a similar approach to approving new medicines.

The FDA requires that researchers and pharmaceutical companies demonstrate that a drug is safe and effective before putting it on the market.

Fisheries are making some headway in this regard, but “much more is needed,” she said.

Subsidy problem

The authors highlighted how government subsidies are problematic.

“Many fisheries are highly carbon intensive, burning large quantities of fossil fuels often made cheaper by capacity-enhancing government subsidies,” the authors noted in the paper. “Among the worst performers in terms of fuel burned per tonne of landing gears are crustacean fisheries, fisheries that operate in distant waters, deploy heavy mobile gears like trawls, or target high value, low yield species like swordfish; most of them propped up by subsidies.”

When overfishing occurs, companies switch to catching less exploited species, even when they don’t have any data about new catches. The new species, however, soon become overfished, the authors argued.

In urging fisheries management to support and enhance the health, well-being and resilience of people and communities, the scientists add that abundant evidence of widespread human rights abuses occurs in fishing, including coercive practice, bonded, slave and child labor and unsafe, indecent and unsanitary living and working conditions.

“Abuses at sea continue and more needs to be done to stop this,” Pikitch explained.

Additionally, the authors hope to give a voice to the global south, which is “often ignored in many of these discussions about how to appropriately manage these fisheries,” she suggested.

A beginning

While the paper was published, Pikitch explained that she sees this as the beginning of change and improvement in creating sustainable fisheries policies. She anticipates that the collection of talented scientists will continue the work of protecting a critical resource for human and planetary survival.

“This group will continue to work together to try get this work implemented,” she said. “I’m enormously proud of the result.”

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SBU campus. File photo

By Daniel Dunaief

In the last 18 months, Stony Brook University has generated positive headlines for a host of wins, from receiving a record donation from the Simons Foundation to climbing academic rankings to winning the bidding for a climate solutions center on Governors Island.

This year, those gains not only helped attract a larger applicant pool, but also led to a record high enrollment for first-year students in the university’s 67 year history. The total number of undergraduates is also at a record high of 18,263, exceeding the previous high of 18,010 in the fall of 2010.

The downstate flagship university received about 55,000 applications for first year students, with an acceptance rate of about 49%.

“Stony Brook has now become a premier destination for so many students” in the state, country and world, said Richard Beatty, Senior Associate Provost for Enrollment Management. The increasing applicants and the largest ever class size of 4,024 students reflects the “fruit of all the work the campus has been doing.”

Stony Brook ranked 58th in the 2025 US News and World Report rankings this week, up from 93 in 2022. Stony Brook was also ranked the top public university in New York.

Just over half of the first-year students, or 50.5%, are women, while 49.5% are men. These statistics don’t include people who chose not to disclose their gender.

The university didn’t change its admissions standards to accept this larger class.

“We had the same academic quality as in previous years,” said Beatty, as each student has had high quality experience inside and outside the classroom.

Additionally, for the class entering its second year this fall, Stony Brook had a 90% retention rate, which is also an all-time high. The university typically loses 11 or 12% of students from the first to the second year.

“We want the student [who matriculate at Stony Brook] to graduate with us and we want them to graduate in a timely manner,” said Beatty.

New hires

Recognizing the increased interest in attending Stony Brook from in and out of state, the university started hiring additional staff to provide students with the same level of education and university services.

The ratio of faculty to students “didn’t change that much” because of the university’s staffing efforts, Beatty said. “We are keeping the educational quality the same even though we have a larger [freshman] class.”

The enrollment of students who identify as Black and LatinX also increased, even as universities such as Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have experienced a decline in such enrollments.

The first-year class at Stony Brook includes 433 people who identify as black, which is an increase of 19% over the total from the previous year and represents about 10.7% of the incoming class.

LatinX, meanwhile, rose 28% to 633 this year from 496 in the previous year.

SBU Interim President Richard McCormick. File photo

“Stony Brook today exemplifies dramatically all the most important developments in modern American higher education – a growing and highly diverse student body, an expanding research enterprise, and research achievements that are contributing mightily to the economy and society,” Interim President Richard L. McCormick said in a statement.

While the number of foreign students increased over last year, the total number has still not recovered to its 2019 level, prior to the pandemic.

Stony Brook leads the SUNY system in the highest number of Educational Opportunity Program applications. The state-funded program provides financial support to New York students who have financial and academic barriers, helping them attend and graduate from a SUNY college.

Storm challenges

At the same time that the university welcomed its largest ever first year class, the campus and the area endured a sudden and violent storm that not only damaged the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill, but also made some dormitories uninhabitable.

“It was an unbelievable concerted effort throughout campus” to find places for students amid the clean up, said Beatty. “The housing team came up with solutions” that included housing some students in hotels.

Two of the residence halls, Ammann and Gray, are still undergoing repairs, although the university has found places for its students.

The university has 52 sophomores who are living at an off-campus hotel, where they are expected to remain through the semester. They should be able to return to campus in the spring.

Expanded food services

The Starbucks in SBU’s Melville Library. Courtesy facebook.com/SBUDining

Amid higher enrollment, Stony Brook expanded the hours for dining facilities this year, compared with last year.

Starbucks opened at the Melville Library with expanded hours. The foods trucks have a consistent schedule Monday through Friday and Stony Brook added a Nathan’s Famous truck to the food truck fleet.

The university launched new franchises and dining concepts this fall, such as Popeyes, Carvel and Iron Waffles.

Academically, Stony Brook has had a wide range of potential interests from its incoming students. Beyond the typical strengths in physics and math, the university also experienced a growth in the numbers of students applying for journalism, political science and economics.

“We ended up not being over enrolled in any of our programs,” Beatty said.

McCormick suggested the increased interest in the school reflects recent higher visibility.

“This historic enrollment of first-year students is a testament to Stony Brook University’s steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience and its rise in reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent public flagship research universities,” McCormick said in a statement.

The State University of New York schools have seen an increase overall in the number of applicants.

Stony Brook’s admissions process, which remains test optional for standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT, has become considerably more holistic.

The admissions committee looks beyond the grade point average or whatever test scores candidates submit, while weighing the student achievement in the context of the options available at their high schools.

The larger class size amid a greater interest in the school also has positive implications for the local economy and for the community.

More students shop at stores and restaurants and also contribute to extracurricular activities such as theatrical performances and to community service projects.

These students, who come from all over the world, add to the diversity of the area, start new clubs and present the findings of their own research while attending college, Beatty added.

As for future applications and class sizes, school officials anticipate greater numbers of interested students in the coming years.

“We expect applications to continue to rise,” said Beatty.
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