Our team at the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University is proud to advance a bold vision for healthier oceans—one grounded in innovative science, inclusive partnerships, and graduate student excellence. With the support of donors and partners, IOCS is demonstrating that science can be both rigorous and transformative, delivering real-world impact locally and globally.

At the heart of our current work is pioneering the use of environmental DNA (eDNA), a powerful, non-invasive approach to assessing marine biodiversity. Through sustained sample collection over five years in Shinnecock Bay, IOCS has built a comprehensive biodiversity dataset, documenting fish, invertebrates, and elasmobranchs while leaving habitats undisturbed. IOCS has taken this work even further by testing new technology: an autonomous eDNA sampler paired with a solar powered USV (uncrewed surface vehicle). Establishing proof of concept that this integrated technology can work is an important step in broadening its use to sample biodiversity in the open ocean. With new investments, IOCS will be able to expand this technology beyond Shinnecock Bay and into New York’s coastal waters and beyond. 

The Shinnecock Bay Hope Spot stands as a powerful example of IOCS’s commitment to conservation that is both community-centered and globally relevant. IOCS co-leads the first Indigenous Advisory Council for a Mission Blue Hope Spot, working in close partnership with the Shinnecock Indian Nation to elevate Indigenous leadership, honor traditional ecological knowledge, and set shared conservation priorities. 

Finally, IOCS maintains its commitment to cultivating the next generation of marine scientists and conservation leaders. Our SoMAS graduate students are actively engaged in both field and quantitative science, building the expertise needed to tackle tomorrow’s conservation challenges. Dozens of PhD and master’s students have earned their degrees with us, and are now making their mark at universities, government agencies, and nonprofits in the U.S. and around the world. 

Your support fuels this progress! We rely upon philanthropic donations for our work, and your generosity enables us to achieve our mission and contribute to the success of Stony Brook University as a scientific institution. We hope you will consider a contribution on this Giving Day in 2026.