County, Nature Consrvancy team up for study to reduce methoprene use, marsh resiliency

The Nature Conservancy has taken the lead on a program to study mosquito larvae in Accabonac Harbor with the aim of reducing — and, it is hoped, ending — the spraying of the chemical methoprene to control mosquitoes. The Conservancy's efforts are also intended to garner information to determine what needs to be done to protect and strengthen the marsh to deal with the effects of climate change, including erosion from rising sea levels. The Conservancy has committed money and staff to oversee the study of mosquito populations, the reasons for why and where the insects flourish, and an assessment of erosion and other destruction wrought by climate change. The Conservancy's plan to test for mosquito larvae is more expansive and more frequent than any previous mosquito testing. The data will be compiled and shared with Suffolk County Vector Control officials to help them make the most informed decisions about when and where to spray, and both the Conservancy and the agency vow to make the data and the decision-making public. This is a positive development, driven by the Conservancy, County Legislator Bridget Fleming, and Suffolk County Vector Control.