The Nature Conservancy purchased 11,500 acres at the bottom of the Great South Bay in Long Island, N.Y.

The Nature Conservancy is a group that is dedicated to preserving plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters needed to survive. This group has purchased 98,059,000 acres of land around the world since 1951. They protect 14,553,000 acres within the U.S.

The latest purchase was 11,500 acres at the bottom of the Great South Bay in Long Island, N.Y. This marks the first time the group has purchased specifically marine acreage. A spokesman for the organization stated that they were hoping that this would start a new trend. The purchase is valued at two million dollars.