ML083360721
| ML083360721 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 12/31/2004 |
| From: | Lisa Clark, Steinberg N, Susalla M, Suszkowski D, Way J Hudson River Foundation |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML083360721 (86) | |
Text
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR I
)NTRODUCTION 4 HE .EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY .9.*
(ARBOR %STUARY IS A REMARKABLE PLACE OF SURPRISING CONTRASTS ABUSED BUT RESILIENT INTENSIVELY DEVELOPED BUT VEINED WITH NATURAL TREASURES A THRIVING PORT AND A TEEMING ESTUARY A POPULATION CENTER FOR PEO PLE FISH AND BIRDS ALIKE !S SHIPS BRING GOODS IN AND OUT OF ONE OF THE LARGEST PORTS IN THE COUNTRY AND INDEED THE WORLD AND COM MUTERS CROSS OVER AND UNDER THE ESTUARYS WATERS IN FERRIES BRIDGES AND TUNNELS EVERY DAY A PARALLEL WORLD JUST BELOW THE WATERS SURFACE IS CONDUCTING ITS BUSINESS AS WELL
3TURGEON COMMUTE UPRIVER PAST THE SKYSCRAP ERS OF -ANHATTAN AND THE CLIFFS OF THE (UDSON (IGHLANDS TO SPAWN .UTRIENTS ARE SHIPPED IN AND OUT OF THE ESTUARY VIA THE COMMERCE OF NATURAL CYCLES !ND ALL THE WHILE OSPREYS SOAR OVERHEAD AND BLUE CRABS CRAWL ALONG THE BOTTOM
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
"%2'%. 7%34#(%34%2 4HE IMPORTANCE OF THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY ECOSYS
- /5.49 2IVE R
TEM WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0!33!)#
SON !GENCY %0! WHEN IT WAS DESIGNATED AN %STUARY OF (UD .ATIONAL 3IGNIFICANCE IN AND INCLUDED IN THE .ATIONAL
,ONG )SLAND 3OUND %STUARY 0ROGRAM CURRENTLY ESTUARIES AROUND THE NATION R
I VE "2/.8 ENJOY THIS STATUS 4HE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM 2IV ER CK 2 (%0 A PARTNERSHIP OF STATE LOCAL AND FEDERAL AGENCIES SA 0AS .
BUSINESS INTERESTS SCIENTISTS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS HAS (ACKEN
.%7 *%23%9 SAI .( .!33!5 C $3 !44 SPENT THE PAST YEARS DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A
%33%8 /. !
(5 -! 15%%.3 PLAN TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE ESTUARY THE #OMPREHENSIVE "AY
- ONSERVATION AND -ANAGEMENT 0LAN ##-0
.E .%7 9/2+
5.)/. WA RK "2//+,9. "ECAUSE THE ESTUARY IS SO IMPORTANT IT IS CRITICAL TO UNDER 34!4%. *AMAICA ILL UR + )3,!.$ "AY STAND THE STATUS OF THE ESTUARYS HEALTH AND WHETHER IT IS
!R TH GETTING BETTER OR WORSE )N ORDER TO ASSESS THESE TRENDS
,OWER A VARIETY OF MONITORING PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED MOSTLY
.EW 9ORK 2 A R IT A ER "AY BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO MEASURE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE ESTUARYS ECOLOGY N 2 IV 2ARITAN IN THE SAME WAY YEAR AFTER YEAR 4HESE DATA CAN THEN BE ANALYZED OVER TIME "AY 3ANDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ESTUARYS HEALTH IS IMPROVING 4HIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS (OOK CAN HELP MANAGERS DETERMINE IF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES ARE HAVING THE DESIRED
-)$$,%3%8 -/.-/54( EFFECT AND PRIORITIZE FUTURE ACTIONS AND ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES
4HIS REPORT TRACKS PROGRESS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF THE .9.* (ARBOR
%STUARY THROUGH INTERPRETING TRENDS IN A SERIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
I]ZXdgZVgZV dgVc\Zi^ci d[XdcXZgc[dgi]Z 4HE INDICATORS WERE CHOSEN IN AT A WORKSHOP ATTENDED BY LOCAL ENVI
=VgWdg:hijVgnEgd\gVb =VgWdg8dgZ6gZV RONMENTAL MANAGERS SCIENTISTS ADVOCATES AND OTHERS WHOSE CHARGE WAS TO DESIGN AN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN TO ACCOMPANY AND SUPPORT THE (%0S
- -0 )NDICATORS WERE CHOSEN THAT WOULD WHEN TRACKED INDICATE WHETHER THE
(%0S GOALS WERE BEING MET AND WHETHER (%0 INITIATIVES WERE MAKING A DIF FERENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT /F THE APPROXIMATELY INDICATORS RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS ARE EXAMINED IN THIS REPORT
4HE REMAINING INDICATORS ARE NOT EXAMINED BECAUSE APPROPRIATE DATA ARE LACKING 4HE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF DATA ARE ADDRESSED FOR EACH INDI CATOR IN THIS REPORT IN THE FORM OF A SMALL BAR GRAPH AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SECTION 4HE TWO BARS INDICATE THE AVAILABILITY OF RELEVANT TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DATA FOR THAT INDICATOR !NALYSES FOCUS ON DATA COLLECTED IN THE (ARBOR #ORE AREA SEE MAP ABOVE ALTHOUGH THE (%0S PURVIEW INCLUDES THE ENTIRE WATER SHED OF THE (ARBOR %STUARY
'ENERALLY THE NEWS IS GOOD 4HANKS TO PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED UNDER &EDERAL AND 3TATE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES RAW SEWAGE AND TOXIC MATERIALS ARE NO LONGER DISCHARGED TO THE ESTUARY TO THE EXTENT THEY USED TO BE !S A RESULT LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN SEDIMENTS AND FISH AND CONCENTRATIONS OF BACTERIA IN THE WATER HAVE DECREASED OVER TIME (OWEVER THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR MUCH IMPROVEMENT #ONSUMPTION ADVISORIES AGAINST EATING FISH AND SHELLFISH CAUGHT IN THE ESTUARY REMAIN IN EFFECT BECAUSE OF UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR IN THEIR FLESH #OMBINED 3EWER /VERFLOWS #3/S STILL CONTRIBUTE RAW SEWAGE TO OUR WATERWAYS WHEN IT RAINS !ND SOME SHELLFISH BEDS HAVE REMAINED CLOSED FOR DECADES 0RIVATE CITIZENS REGULATORS AND SCIENTISTS STILL MUST WORK TOGETHER TO REALIZE THE (%0S VISION hA HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE (ARBOR"IGHT ECOSYSTEM WITH FULL BENEFICIAL USESv 4HIS REPORT IS ORGANIZED INTO SECTIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE MODULES OF THE (%0
- -0 (ABITAT AND +EY 3PECIES 4OXIC #ONTAMINATION 0ATHOGENS &LOATABLE
$EBRIS AND .UTRIENTS AND /RGANIC %NRICHMENT 7ITHIN EACH SECTION ARE CHAP TERS CONTAINING INFORMATION ABOUT INDICATORS RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS IN THAT SUBJECT AREA
5SE OF "ENCHMARKS
)N PRESENTING THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF THE VARIOUS NUMERIC GOVERNMENT ENFORCEABLE STANDARDS IN EFFECT IN THIS INDICATORS THIS REPORT EMPLOYS THE MOST WIDELY USED REFER REGION (OWEVER THE ACTION LIMIT FOR 0#"S n PARTS PER MIL ENCE LEVELS OR WZcX]bVg`h! FOR EACH INDICATOR (OWEVER IT LION PPM n IS YEARS OLD AND INCREASINGLY CRITICIZED FOR IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SOME OF THE BENCHMARKS PARTICU FAILING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT 0#"
LARLY THOSE RELATED TO TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE NOT UNIVERSALLY HEALTH EFFECTS ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO RECREATIONAL FISH CON ACCEPTED "ECAUSE OF A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING OUR SUMPTION PATTERNS 2ECENT HEALTH GUIDANCE DEVELOPED BY INCOMPLETE THOUGH EVOLVING UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN EIGHT STATES BORDERING THE 'REAT ,AKES USING MORE CURRENT HEALTH EFFECTS OF THE CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERN THESE BENCH SCIENCE SETS GUIDELINES FOR FISH CONSUMPTION AT MUCH LOWER MARKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE DEBATED AND UPDATED IN FUTURE CONCENTRATIONS THAN THE STANDING &$! LIMITS %0!S RECENTLY YEARS AS NEW INFORMATION IS DEVELOPED PUBLISHED h3CREENING 6ALUESv FOR CONTAMINANT CONCENTRA TIONS IN FISH CONSUMED BY RECREATIONAL ANGLERS INCLUDE A
/NE EXAMPLE IS THE USE OF THE :((ZXih GVc\Z BENCHMARK VALUE OF PPM FOR 0#"S SEE THE SECTION ON 0#"S IN IN THE DISCUSSION OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS STRIPED BASS ON PAGE
4HIS MEASURE HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY SOME AGENCIES CRITI CIZED BY OTHERS AND DEBATED WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMU 4HEREFORE THE USE OF BENCHMARKS IN THIS REPORT SHOULD NOT NITY !LTHOUGH IT IS WIDELY USED AS GUIDANCE IT WILL LIKELY BE BE VIEWED AS ENDORSEMENT OF THEM BY THE AUTHORS OR THE REFINED OR PERHAPS EVEN ABANDONED IN THE FUTURE AS NEW (%0 &URTHERMORE THEY MUST NOT BE INTERPRETED AS ABSO RESEARCH RESULTS BECOME AVAILABLE LUTE THRESHOLD LIMITS FOR TRIGGERING HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS )T MANY INSTANCES IT IS LIKELY THAT EFFECTS CAN OCCUR AT LEVELS
!NOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE ASSESSMENT OF FISH TISSUE CHEMI BELOW THE BENCHMARKS
CAL CONCENTRATIONS IN TERMS OF 53 &OOD AND $RUG
!DMINISTRATION &$! ACTION LIMITS )N THIS DOCUMENT THESE LIMITS ARE USED AS REFERENCE POINTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONLY
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
(ABITAT AND +EY 3PECIES
- (!.'%3 ). (!")4!4 !2%!
4HE (ARBOR %STUARY IS A MOSAIC OF HABITATS FOR HUNDREDS OF SPECIES OF FISH PLANTS BIRDS AND OTHER ORGANISMS 3ALT MARSHES PROVIDE NURSERY AREAS FOR YOUNG FISH 5NINHABITED ISLANDS IN THE HARBOR ARE IDEAL NESTING AND FEEDING GROUNDS FOR MANY SPECIES OF AQUATIC BIRDS -UD FLATS ARE CHOCK FULL OF SHELLFISH 2ARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE UNIQUE MARITIME HABITATS OF 3TATEN )SLAND AND .EW *ERSEY 4HE HARD EDGES OF THE URBAN ESTUARY BULKHEADS RIP RAP AND PILINGS EVEN PROVIDE HABITAT FOR A RICH COMMUNITY OF INVERTEBRATES AND OTHER ORGANISMS
(ABITATS ARE SETTINGS THAT PROVIDE CRUCIAL COMBINATIONS OF FACTORS THAT SUPPORT PARTICU
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR LAR ORGANISMS -ANY ANIMALS REQUIRE MULTIPLE HABITAT TYPES AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES &OR EXAMPLE STRIPED BASS SPAWNING HABITAT IS FOUND UPRIVER OF THE HARBOR CORE AREA IN FRESHWATER REGIONS OF THE ESTU ARY /NCE HATCHED THE YOUNG STRIPED BASS LARVAE PROGRESS DOWNSTREAM AND GROW THROUGH THEIR FIRST SUMMER IN THE FOOD RICH PROTECTED SHALLOW AREAS OF (AVERSTRAW "AY )N THE FALL THEY TAKE UP RESIDENCE IN THE HARBOR OFF THE SHORES OF -ANHATTAN WHERE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY CONDITIONS ARE OPTIMUM FOR THEIR OVERWINTER SURVIVAL !S ADULTS THE STRIPED BASS WILL MIGRATE BETWEEN THEIR OCE $ATA !VAILABILITY ANIC FEEDING GROUNDS AND THEIR UPRIVER SPAWNING HABITAT !LL OF THESE HABITATS ARE CRITICAL FOR HEALTHY STRIPED BASS POPULATIONS 'OOD
-ANY OF THE HABITATS OF THE ESTUARY PARTICULARLY IN THE URBAN HARBOR CORE &AIR AREA HAVE BEEN ALTERED AND DESTROYED OVER TIME !BOUT OF THE HARBORS TIDAL WETLANDS AND UNDERWATER LANDS ABOUT ACRES ROUGHLY TIMES 0OOR THE SIZE OF THE CURRENT AREA OF .EW 9ORK #ITY HAVE BEEN LOST BECAUSE OF FILL ING DREDGING AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES 3HALLOW WATER HABITATS HAVE BEEN 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL FILLED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF %UROPEAN SETTLEMENT APPROXIMATELY OF THE AREA OF -ANHATTAN IS FILLED LAND WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY SHALLOW WATER HABITAT OR WETLANDS #ANAL 3TREET IN -ANHATTAN USED TO BE AN ACTUAL CANAL CREATED BY CHANNELIZING AN EXISTING PORTION OF A SALT MARSH "ATTERY 0ARK #ITY IS A MORE RECENT FILL SITE !LTHOUGH MANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE NOW BANNED ESTUARINE HABITATS CONTINUE TO BE THREATENED BY DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE AND VARIOUS TYPES OF POLLUTION !S RECENTLY AS A MAJOR OIL SPILL IN THE !RTHUR +ILL DESTROYED OR DAMAGED ALMOST ACRES OF SALT MARSH MUCH OF WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN RESTORED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE .ATURAL 2ESOURCES 'ROUP OF THE .EW 9ORK
- ITY $EPARTMENT OF 0ARKS AND 2ECREATION
4HE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY TO TRACK THE HEALTH OF ESTUARINE HABITATS IS TO DETERMINE TRENDS IN NUMBERS OF ACRES OF DIFFERENT HABITATS OVER TIME !CREAGES OF HABITAT TYPES CAN BE DETERMINED USING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY ACCOMPANYING SURVEYS ON THE GROUND AND ')3 'EOGRAPHIC )NFORMATION 3YSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
4HIS TYPE OF WORK IS DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE AND SO ACREAGE DATA ARE SOMEWHAT LIMITED BUT EXISTING DATA TRENDS ARE DESCRIBED HERE ! HARDER THING TO MEA SURE BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT AS AREAL EXTENT IS THE FUNCTION OF EXISTING HABITATS n WHETHER THOSE HABITATS ARE HEALTHY OVERALL AND WORKING THE WAY THEY SHOULD
4HERE IS NO PROGRAM THAT MONITORS HABITAT FUNCTION DIRECTLY (OWEVER ONE INDI RECT WAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER HABITATS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY IS TO EXAMINE THE POPULATION SIZES OF ORGANISMS THAT THOSE HABITATS SUPPORT 4RENDS IN POPU LATIONS OF SOME FISH AND BIRD SPECIES ARE DESCRIBED LATER IN THIS REPORT
7ETLAND !CREAGE 7ETLANDS ARE AMONG THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AND IMPORTANT HABITAT TYPES IN THE ESTUARY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL NURSERY FEEDING SPAWNING AND NESTING GROUNDS FOR A VARIETY OF FISH AND WILDLIFE SPECIES "ECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH PRO DUCTIVITY WETLANDS ARE CRUCIAL LINKS IN SUPPORTING THE ESTUARINE FOOD WEB
7ETLANDS ALSO FILTER SEDIMENT AND ASSOCIATED CONTAMINANT AND NUTRIENT RUNOFF FROM THE LAND THEREBY HELPING TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN THE ESTU ARY &INALLY WETLANDS PROVIDE IMPORTANT FLOODING BUFFERS FOR SURROUNDING AREAS AT TIMES OF HIGH WATER AND STORM SURGES
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
D[mOeha D[m@[hi[o
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5NFORTUNATELY SINCE THE TIME OF %UROPEAN SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION THE VAST MAJORITY OF WETLANDS IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY HAVE BEEN DESTROYED OR DEGRADED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY INCLUDING BULKHEADING FILLING DREDGING CHANNELIZATION AND INPUTS OF TOXIC CONTAMINANTS &IGURE DEPICTS THE CHANGES IN MARSH ACREAGE BETWEEN ABOUT AND IN THE HARBOR CORE AREA ONLY 4HE SIZEABLE LOSS OF SALT MARSH IN BOTH STATES IS CLEAR
&IGURE DEPICTS THE LOSS OF WETLANDS IN ACRES BY COUNTY FOR THE NORTHERN
.EW *ERSEY COUNTIES THAT BORDER THE HARBOR FROM TO LATER IN TIME THAN THE DATA DEPICTED IN &IGURE $URING THAT PERIOD OF TIME .EW "ERGEN *ERSEY LOST APPROXIMATELY OF ITS NATURAL WETLANDS STATEWIDE 4HE n GREATEST LOSSES IN THOSE YEARS OCCURRED IN (UDSON #OUNTY WHERE
ACRES OF WETLAND OR NEARLY THE AREA OF FOOTBALL FIELDS WERE DESTROYED
.EW (UDSON BETWEEN AND )T IS LIKELY THAT THE LOSSES WERE SMALLER IN MORE
- ERSEY URBANIZED AREAS SUCH AS 5NION AND %SSEX #OUNTIES BECAUSE BY MOST
%SSEX OF THE HISTORICAL WETLANDS IN THESE COUNTIES WERE ALREADY GONE "ETWEEN n n
,ONG )SLAND AND NEARLY ACRES OF .EW *ERSEY WETLANDS WERE CON 5NION n
VERTED TO URBAN LANDS
&IGURE SHOWS HISTORIC n IN THE PINK COLORS AND MODERN
GREEN SHADES DISTRIBUTIONS OF BOTH FRESHWATER AND TIDAL WETLANDS IN THE
-IDDLESEX HARBOR CORE AREA 4HE MAJOR LOSSES AROUND *AMAICA "AY .EW *ERSEY AND n THE !RTHUR +ILL ARE APPARENT 4HERE WERE ALSO EXTENSIVE WETLANDS FRINGING
-ONMOUTH ,ITTLE .ECK "AY AND OTHER %AST 2IVER7ESTERN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND BAYS AND n IN THE SOUTHEAST "RONX
!S OF THE MID S AND EARLY S THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY
ACRES OF TIDAL MARSHES REMAINING IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF .EW *ERSEY AND ABOUT ACRES IN .EW 9ORK THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE OUTSIDE
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OF THE URBANIZED HARBOR CORE AREA THE (ACKENSACK -EADOWLANDS BEING AdhhZhVgZgZegZhZciZY^cVXgZh Gji\Zgh A NOTABLE EXCEPTION !PPROXIMATELY ACRES OF TIDAL WETLANDS NOW Jc^kZgh^in'%%' # REMAIN IN THE HARBOR CORE AREA IN BOTH STATES ABOUT n OF THE HIS
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 4ODAYS %STUARY 4HE 4IDELANDS OF THE
.EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY
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TORICAL MARSH AREA IN THE HARBOR 7ETLANDS AND OTHER UNDERWATER LANDS WERE FILLED TO EXPAND THE LAND MASS OF -ANHATTAN AND "ROOKLYN TO CREATE THE .EWARK AND *OHN & +ENNEDY AIRPORTS TO MAKE ROOM FOR RAILROAD TER MINALS AND TO PROVIDE LAND FOR PETROLEUM FACILITIES ALONG THE !RTHUR +ILL AMONG OTHER USES !LSO MOST OF THE ACRES OF FRESHWATER WETLANDS THAT EXISTED IN THE URBAN CORE AREA IN PRE COLONIAL TIMES ARE NOW LOST
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
!LTHOUGH LOSS OF WETLANDS HAS SLOWED DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE IMPLEMENTA TION OF STRICTER WETLANDS PROTECTION LAWS THERE ARE STILL MANY THREATS TO WETLANDS IN THE ESTUARY MOST OF THEM RELATED TO HUMAN ACTIVITY SEE THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS SECTION
- HANGES IN .EWARK "AY
/NE OF THE MAJOR WAYS IN WHICH HUMANS HAVE AFFECTED THE ESTUARINE ENVI RONMENT PARTICULARLY IN DENSELY POPULATED AREAS LIKE THE .9 .* METROPOLI TAN REGION IS BY FILLING IN COASTAL HABITATS -ARSH AND OPEN WATER AREAS WERE FILLED FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS BEFORE THE CRITICAL FUNCTIONS OF WETLANDS WERE UNDERSTOOD TO CREATE MORE LAND FOR RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT TO DISPOSE OF WASTE IN LANDFILLS AND TO FILL MARSHES THAT WERE CONSIDERED MERELY MOSQUITO INFESTED PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS &ILL MATERIAL RANGED FROM CELLAR DIRT TO EXCAVATED ROCK TO GARBAGE (UNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF MARSHES AND OPEN WATER AREAS HAVE BEEN FILLED IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY BEGINNING IN THE LATE TH CENTURY 3OME FAMILIAR LANDMARKS THAT ARE BUILT ON FILLED LAND INCLUDE THE &RESH +ILLS LANDFILL MUCH OF %LLIS )SLAND AND "ATTERY 0ARK #ITY ,ARGE SCALE FILLING ACTIVITIES ARE NOW SEVERELY RESTRICTED IN FACT NEARLY ELIMINATED BY WETLANDS PROTECTION LEGIS LATION AND OTHER LEGAL TOOLS PUT IN PLACE IN THE EARLY S
4HIS HISTORY OF RAMPANT FILLING OF AQUATIC HABITATS FOLLOWED BY A VIRTUAL CESSATION OF FILLING IS TYPIFIED IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY BY THE HISTORY OF THE FILLING OF .EWARK "AY )N ORDER TO FOLLOW THE PROGRESSION OF FILL ACTIVITIES IN THE "AY TRENDS IN THE AREA OF THE "AY WERE EXAMINED &IGURE !BOUT
ACRES OF MARSH ALONG THE EDGES OF .EWARK "AY WERE FILLED BETWEEN
AND THE EARLY S FOR THE CREATION OF .EWARK !IRPORT AND FOR THE PORT FACILITIES OF 0ORT .EWARK AND 0ORT %LIZABETH THE BUSIEST PLACES IN THE 0ORT OF .EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY 4HAT FILL IS REFLECTED IN THE LARGE DECREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE "AY BY ABOUT ONE THIRD BETWEEN AND "ETWEEN
AND AS A RESULT OF RESTRICTIONS ON FILLING ACTIVITIES THERE WAS VIR TUALLY NO CHANGE IN THE SIZE OF THE "AY 4HESE TRENDS ARE SHOWN GRAPHICALLY
N S GAI LOS
LOSS LOSS LOSS
ACRE LOST ACRES ACRES
!CRES PER YEAR PER YEAR PER YEAR
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR IN &IGURE WHICH TRACES THE PROGRESSION OF FILL IN THE "AY BY DEPICTING ITS SHAPE OVER TIME 4HE BLUE AREAS ARE THE SURFACE AREA OF THE WATER IN THE "AY WHILE THE RED SHOWS AREAS THAT WERE FILLED
)N ADDITION TO FILLING ACTIVITIES DREDGING HAS CHANGED THE SHAPE OF .EWARK "AY AS WELL !LTHOUGH THE "AY HAS BECOME SMALLER IT HAS ACTUALLY BECOME DEEPER AS A RESULT OF CHANNEL DREDGING /THER BASINS OF THE HARBOR HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME TREND DECREASING AREA DUE TO FILL BUT INCREASED WATER VOLUME BECAUSE OF DREDGING &OR EXAMPLE BETWEEN AND THE AREA OF THE 5PPER "AY WAS REDUCED BY DUE TO FILLING ACTIVITIES BUT DREDG ING CHANNELS INCREASED THE AVERAGE DEPTH FROM TO FEET OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD EXPANDING THE VOLUME OF THE 5PPER "AY BY
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,OSS OF 7ETLANDS IN *AMAICA "AY 7HILE FILLING AND RESULTING LOSS OF WETLANDS HAVE BEEN CURTAILED IN THE ESTUARY IN RECENT DECADES THERE HAS BEEN AN ALARMING LOSS OF TIDAL WET LANDS IN *AMAICA "AY PARTICULARLY THE MARSH GRASS ISLANDS THAT ARE SCAT TERED THROUGHOUT THE "AY !CCORDING TO ANALYSES OF HISTORICAL MAPS AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS CONDUCTED BY THE .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF
%NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION .93$%# THE SIZE OF TIDAL WETLANDS IN
- AMAICA "AY REMAINED NEARLY CONSTANT BETWEEN AND !S SHOWN IN &IGURE BETWEEN AND ABOUT ACRES OF WETLAND WERE LOST TO FILL AND OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES AT AN AVERAGE LOSS RATE OF ABOUT
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
LOSS
ACRES
LOST PER YEAR
LOSS LOSS
!CRES !VG ACRES ACRES LOST PER YEAR LOST PER YEAR
&IGURE I^YValZiaVcYadhh[gdb?VbV^XV7Vn^haVcYh!&.')*&...#6XgZV\ZhlZgZ
YZiZgb^cZY[gdbVZg^Vae]did\gVe]n ;VaadcVcYBjh]VX`Z'%%' #
ACRES PER YEAR 3INCE WETLANDS LOSS HAS OCCURRED AT AN EVEN GREATER AVERAGE RATE CURRENTLY ABOUT ACRES PER YEAR )F LOSS CONTINUES AT THIS RATE AND NOTHING ELSE CHANGES IN THE SYSTEM ALL OF THE MARSH ISLANDS IN THE "AY WILL DISAPPEAR BY &IGURE DRAMATICALLY DEPICTS THE LOSSES THAT ARE OCCURRING AT TWO REPRESENTATIVE SITES IN THE "AY 4IDAL MARSHES IN THESE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE SHOWN IN PINK FOR $UCK 0OINT ! AND %LDERS 0OINT
" IN AND $UCK 0OINT MARSHES DECREASED IN SIZE FROM
ACRES TO ACRES A LOSS OF AND %LDERS 0OINT EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR DECLINE FROM ACRES TO ACRES LOSS
)N A "LUE 2IBBON 0ANEL WAS CONVENED BY THE .ATIONAL 0ARK 3ERVICE TO INVESTIGATE THE REASONS FOR THE MARSH LOSS ! NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS RELATED TO HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE "AY WERE DIS CUSSED SEA LEVEL RISE DUE TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DISRUPTION OF THE SEDI MENT BUDGET OF THE "AY WHICH MAY PROHIBIT THE BUILDING OF NEW MARSH
INCREASED WAVE ENERGY AND SUBSEQUENT EROSION IN THE "AY DUE TO THE EXISTENCE OF DREDGED CHANNELS SMOTHERING OF THE MARSHES BY BLOOMS OF SEA LETTUCE EFFECTS OF CONTAMINANTS LEACHING INTO THE "AY FROM SURROUND ING LANDFILLS OR OTHER SOURCES EROSIONAL LOSS OF MUSSELS THAT STABILIZE THE EDGES OF THE MARSH THE
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc PRESENCE OF AN OVERABUNDANCE OF MUSSELS THAT MAY hDAMv WATER BEHIND THEM AT LOW TIDE AND ABOUT (ABITAT AND 7ETLANDS CONTRIBUTE TO BREAKDOWN OF THE MARSH AND EXCES WETLANDSFWSGOV SIVE CONSUMPTION OF THE MARSH GRASS BY WATER WWWEPAGOVOWOWWETLANDSVITALTOCHTML FOWL #LEARLY THE ISSUE IS VERY COMPLEX AS MARSH WWWDECSTATENYUSWEBSITEDFWMRMARINEMHABITATHTM LOSS MAY BE DUE TO ANY OR A COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS #ONSEQUENTLY MORE RESEARCH MUST BE CON WWWDECSTATENYUSWEBSITEDFWMRMARINETWLOSSHTML DUCTED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHICH IF ANY ARE CRSSARUTGERSEDUPROJECTSLCURBANGROWTHINDEXHTML THE MOST IMPORTANT CAUSES (OWEVER THE 0ANEL 3IGNIFICANT (ABITATS AND (ABITAT #OMPLEXES OF THE .EW 9ORK RECOGNIZED THAT ACTION MUST ALSO BE TAKEN RIGHT "IGHT REPORT TO THE (%0 53 &ISH 7ILDLIFE 3ERVICE AWAY TO STEM THE LOSS OF MARSH 3EVERAL PILOT PROJ ECTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED AND ARE UNDERWAY TO DETER MINE THE CAUSES OF THE LOSS AND THE BEST WAYS TO
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
$UCK 0OINT %LDERS 0OINT
! "
4IDAL -ARSHES SHOWN IN PINK
ACRES 4IDAL -ARSHES SHOWN IN PINK
ACRES
4IDAL -ARSHES SHOWN IN PINK
ACRES
4IDAL -ARSHES SHOWN IN PINK
ACRES
&IGURE 6Zg^Vae]didhYZe^Xi^c\i^YVa
lZiaVcYadhhZh[gdbild?VbV^XV7Vn
^haVcYh!&.,)*&...#;^\jgZ,6h]dlh+*
REMEDIATE THE PROBLEM 4HESE PROJECTS INCLUDE MONITORING THE IMPACT OF VXgZhadhiVi9jX`Ed^ci0;^\jgZ,7h]dlh
FORAGING BIRDS ON THE MARSH GRASS AND TAKING SEDIMENT CORES AROUND THE ,*VXgZhadhiVi:aYZghEd^ci#I^YVabVgh]Zh
"AY IN ORDER TO EXAMINE PATTERNS OF DEPOSITION AND EROSION OF SEDIMENTS VgZh]dlc^ce^c` CNH9:8'%%' #
THROUGH TIME %XPERIMENTAL PLANTING OF MARSH GRASS WILL ALSO BE CONDUCTED AND A VARIETY OF ADDITIONAL ACTIONS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION
(ABITAT ,OSS IN THE (ACKENSACK -EADOWLANDS 4HE LARGEST REMAINING TRACT OF TIDAL WETLANDS IN THE HARBOR ESTUARY SYSTEM IS THE (ACKENSACK -EADOWLANDS IN .EW
- ERSEY 7HILE MANY PEOPLE THINK OF THE -EADOWLANDS AS A PLACE TO GO TO WATCH A FOOTBALL GAME OTHER EQUALLY EXCIT ING EVENTS OCCUR THERE ON A DAILY BASIS /SPREYS AND HERONS CAPTURE FISH TO EAT FIDDLER CRABS DIG THEIR BURROWS AND SEARCH FOR MATES YOUNG FISH EAT AND GROW AND FAMILIES OF OUR OWN SPECIES CANOE AND KAYAK THE WINDING WATER WAYS THAT CRISS CROSS THE MARSHES !S WILD AS THE -EADOWLANDS ARE TODAY HOWEVER THEY USED TO BE EVEN LARGER AND WILDER ORIGINALLY A GLACIAL LAKE ,AKE (ACKENSACK OVER TIME THE -EADOWLANDS EVOLVED INTO A SUCCESSION OF TYPES OF FRESHWATER WETLANDS AND BECAME BRACKISH ONLY AFTER %UROPEAN SETTLERS CHANGED THE HYDROLOGY OF THE AREA WITH DIKES AND DAMS IN ORDER TO CONVERT THE WETLANDS TO FARMLAND /VER THE PAST YEARS OR SO THE -EADOWLANDS HAVE BEEN DRAINED ANDOR FILLED FIRST FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES THEN IN MISGUIDED AND ULTIMATELY FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO CON TROL MOSQUITOES AND LATER FOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL USES AND THE CREATION OF LANDFILLS 4HESE CHANGES DESTROYED VALUABLE FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT AND ALTERED THE FUNCTION OF THE AREAS THAT REMAIN
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
&IGURE DEPICTS THE LOSS OF -EADOWLANDS TIDAL ESTUARY ACREAGE INCLUDING OPEN WATER MUDFLATS AND MARSH BETWEEN AND 4OTAL ACREAGE HAS DECREASED FROM ABOUT ACRES AT THE END OF THE TH CENTURY TO ABOUT ACRES TODAY A TOTAL LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY 3IMILARLY THE 53 &ISH AND 7ILDLIFE 3ERVICE STATES THAT THE -EADOWLANDS HISTORIC
ACRES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO ACRES TODAY 0ARTICULARLY TROUBLING IS THE FACT THAT THE RATE OF LOSS WAS HIGHER BETWEEN AND THAN IT WAS IN THE YEAR PERIOD PRIOR TO "ETWEEN AND THE RATE WAS ABOUT ACRES PER YEAR ON AVERAGE WHILE ABOUT ACRES PER YEAR WERE LOST FROM TO
LOSS 4IDAL %STUARY !REA !CRES
LOSS !VG ACRES
!VG ACRES LOST PER YEAR LOST PER YEAR
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bVgh]!^ci]Z=VX`ZchVX`BZVYdlaVcYh!&-.%*&..* =VgibVc'%%' #
'OOD
$ATA !VAILABILITY
! "5.$!.#% /& 7!$).' ")2$3
)N THE MIDST OF THE MOST URBAN PART OF THE (ARBOR %STUARY IS A REMARKABLE POPULATION OF WADING BIRDS CONSISTING OF A VARIETY OF SPECIES OF HERONS EGRETS AND IBISES COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS A GROUP AS THE (ARBOR (ERONS 4HE (ARBOR (ERONS COMPLEX REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZ ING COMEBACK STORIES IN THE ESTUARY !S RECENTLY AS THE S THERE WERE VIR TUALLY NO WADING BIRDS IN THE HARBOR THEIR POPULATIONS DEVASTATED BY HUNTING
&AIR
MOSTLY FOR THEIR DECORATIVE FEATHERS POLLUTION AND LACK OF SMALL FISH FOR THEM TO EAT !S THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE HARBOR IMPROVED HUNTING OF THESE BIRDS HAD 0OOR BEEN BANNED AT THE TURN OF THE LAST CENTURY THEIR POPULATIONS GREW TREMEN DOUSLY AND THEY NESTED AND FORAGED FOR PREY IN AND AROUND THE UNINHABITED 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL ISLANDS OF THE !RTHUR +ILL +ILL VAN +ULL AND %AST 2IVER #URRENTLY THE (ARBOR (ERONS CONSTITUTE ABOUT A QUARTER OF ALL OF THE NESTING WADING BIRDS IN .EW
- ERSEY .EW 9ORK AND #ONNECTICUT
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
&OR MANY YEARS THE .EW 9ORK #ITY !UDUBON 3OCIETY 8bWYa#Yhemd[ZD_]^j>[hed =h((d#XWYa[Z>[hed HAS MONITORED THE POPULATION OF THE (ARBOR (ERONS O[bbem#Yhemd[ZD_]^j>[hed 9Wjjb[;]h[j WITH THE HELP OF TRAINED VOLUNTEERS 4HEIR LATE SPRING =h[Wj;]h[j =beiio?X_i SURVEYS OF .ORTH AND 3OUTH "ROTHER )SLAND IN THE Idemo;]h[j Ej^[h
%AST 2IVER AND 3HOOTERS AND 0RALLS )SLAND AND THE B_jjb[8bk[>[hed
)SLE OF -EADOWS IN THE +ILLS COUNT NUMBERS OF BIRDS NUMBERS OF NESTS AND OTHER POPULATION PARAMETERS
&IGURE DEPICTS THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS OF VARI OUS (ARBOR (ERON SPECIES RECORDED ON THESE ISLANDS BY THE !UDUBON SURVEY BETWEEN AND
!BUNDANCE .UMBERS
4HESE DATA INDICATE THAT THE NUMBERS OF (ARBOR (ERONS BIRDS MOST NOTABLY THE BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERON CATTLE EGRET AND GLOSSY IBIS ON THESE
ISLANDS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN DECREASING OVER THE PAST DECADE 4HESE DECLINES COULD MEAN THAT THESE SPECIES ARE SIMPLY NESTING ELSEWHERE IN THE ESTUARY
OR SOMEWHERE ELSE ALONG THE %AST #OAST OR COULD INDICATE THAT SOME DISTURBANCE OR ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTOR IS AFFECTING THEIR POPULATIONS IN THE ESTU
ARY -ORE RESEARCH AND COAST WIDE MONITORING IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL CAUSES FOR &IGURE LVY^c\W^gYedejaVi^dchdc[^kZ^haVcYh H]ddiZg1/4h!EgVaa1/4h!>haZ
THE DECLINES d[BZVYdlh!Cdgi]VcYHdji]7gdi]Zg d[i]Z=VgWdg=Zgdch8dbeaZm!CZl
Ndg`=VgWdg!&..&*'%%ZXVjhZi]ZhjgkZnlVhXdcYjXiZYY^((ZgZcian^c
&..-!i]VinZVg1/4hYViVVgZcdi^cXajYZY]ZgZ#I]^hYViVgZXdgY^hhjWhZfjZci
4HE !UDUBON 3OCIETY HAS OBSERVED NESTING WADING idi]Z&..%d^ahe^aa hZZh^YZWVg EVghdchVcYLg^\]i&..&*&..*!@Zga^c\Zg
&..+*'%%' #
BIRDS ON OTHER ISLANDS IN THE ESTUARY IN RECENT YEARS INCLUDING (OFFMAN )SLAND OFF 3TATEN )SLAND #ANARSIE 0OL IN *AMAICA "AY (UCKLEBERRY )SLAND IN ,ONG
)SLAND 3OUND AND 'OOSE )SLAND IN THE (UTCHINSON 2IVER 2ELOCATION MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE DECLINES ON ;dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc THE ISLANDS DESCRIBED ABOVE )T HAS BEEN WELL DOCU ABOUT "IRDS IN THE %STUARY
MENTED THAT THERE WAS A LARGE DECLINE OF WADING (EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK BY *OHN 7ALDMAN BIRDS ON 3HOOTERS )SLAND AFTER FROM PAIRS ,YONS 0RESS
OF BIRDS IN TO NONE IN ! SIMILAR DECLINE 4HE (UDSON !N )LLUSTRATED 'UIDE TO THE ,IVING 2IVER BY HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON )SLE OF -EADOWS (OWEVER 3TEPHEN 0 3TANNE ET AL 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
DURING THE SAME PERIOD THE NESTING POPULATIONS OF WADERS ON OTHER ISLANDS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY "EFORE AND !FTER AN /IL 3PILL 4HE !RTHUR +ILL BY *OANNA "URGER EDITOR 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
/VERALL !UDUBON REPORTS THAT POPULATIONS OF MANY OF THESE WADERS HAVE DECREASED SOMEWHAT WWWNYCASORG
- HEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IN THE ESTUARY MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON WADING AND OTHER BIRDS AS THE BIRDS BIOACCUMULATE CONTAMINANTS THAT ARE PRESENT IN THEIR PREY &OR EXAMPLE LEAD LEVELS IN THE FEATHERS OF SOME TERNS IN THE AREA INCREASED BETWEEN AND AND WERE FOUND IN SOME INDIVIDUALS AT LEVELS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH BEHAVIORAL IMPAIRMENT AND RETARDED GROWTH IN LABORATORY EXPERI MENTS (OWEVER DECREASES IN $$4 AND OTHER PESTICIDES IN THE ENVIRONMENT CAUSED EGGSHELL THICKNESS IN MARINE BIRDS TO INCREASE FROM THE S TO THE S IT IS IMPORTANT FOR BIRDS TO MAINTAIN EGGSHELL THICKNESS SO THAT THE EGGS DO NOT BREAK DURING INCUBATION
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 4HE !RTHUR +ILL /IL 3PILL
.EW 9ORK (ARBOR IS BOTH THE LARGEST OIL PORT IN THE COUN HAVE &ORTUNATELY SCIENTISTS HAD BEEN COLLECTING DATA TRY AND A PRODUCTIVE AND DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM 4HESE TWO ABOUT THE POPULATIONS OF BIRDS IN THE !RTHUR +ILL BEFORE ASPECTS OF THE ESTUARY CLASHED IN *ANUARY WHEN A THE SPILL SO THEY WERE ABLE TO COMPARE THAT INFORMA LARGE OIL SPILL ACTUALLY A LEAK FROM A NEARBY REFINERY AND TION WITH INFORMATION COLLECTED AFTER THE SPILL IN ORDER TO STORAGE FACILITY IN THE !RTHUR +ILL THREATENED THE ONGOING DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF THE SPILL ON BIRDS !LTHOUGH IT RECOVERY OF THE ESTUARY $URING THE NIGHT OF *ANUARY IS DIFFICULT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN OIL SPILL IMPACTS AND MORE THAN GALLONS OF .O FUEL OIL LEAKED INTO NATURAL POPULATION FLUCTUATIONS A SHARP DECLINE IN THE THE !RTHUR +ILL 3OME OF THE ORGANISMS THAT WERE MOST NUMBER OF GULL NESTS IN THE +ILLS WAS OBSERVED IN THE SUM DIRECTLY AND IMMEDIATELY AFFECTED BY THE SPILL WERE THE MER OF AND A SMALLER DECLINE WAS NOTED IN
BIRDS OF THE +ILLS "ECAUSE THE SPILL OCCURRED DURING THE )N THE NUMBERS STARTED TO CLIMB AGAIN BUT VIRTUALLY WINTER MIGRATORY SPECIES THAT RESIDE IN THE ESTUARY ONLY NO GULLS NOW NEST ON THE ISLANDS OF THE !RTHUR +ILL .9#
IN THE SUMMER WERE NOT DIRECTLY HARMED "IRDS ARE PAR !UDUBON BELIEVES THAT THIS ABSENCE IS DUE TO CHANGES IN TICULARLY AFFECTED BY OIL SPILLS BECAUSE THE OIL DESTROYS THE HABITAT ON THE ISLANDS THAT HAVE ELIMINATED GRASSY AREAS INSULATING AND WATERPROOF PROPERTIES OF THEIR FEATHERS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR GULLS TO LAND AND TAKE OFF #HANGES CAUSING THEM TO DIE FROM HYPOTHERMIA OR PROHIBITING IN FEEDING BEHAVIOR AND DECLINES IN REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS THEM FROM DIVING TO COLLECT FOOD )N ADDITION THEY CAN OF MANY BIRD SPECIES WERE OBSERVED IN THE TWO YEARS AFTER INGEST OR RESPIRATE THE OIL WITH LETHAL CONSEQUENCES AND THE SPILL AS WELL -OST SPECIES SEEM TO HAVE RETURNED TO THE OIL CAN DESTROY CRITICAL NESTING AND FORAGING HABITAT NORMAL ONLY A FEW YEARS AFTER THE SPILL WADING BIRDS RETURNED TO PRE SPILL REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS THREE YEARS AFTER
!BOUT DEAD BIRDS MOSTLY GULLS AND A FEW SMALL THE SPILL FOR EXAMPLE (OWEVER THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF WATERFOWL WERE FOUND IN THE ESTUARY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SPILL ON BIRDS AND OTHER SPECIES IN THE ESTUARY ARE STILL THE SPILL BUT WHAT LONG TERM EFFECTS WOULD THE OIL SPILL NOT KNOWN
! "5.$!.#% /& &)3( !.$
- 2534!#%!.3
)N HIS CLASSIC BOOK ABOUT THE (UDSON 2IVER 4HE (UDSON 2IVER ! .ATURAL AND 5NNATURAL (ISTORY 2OBERT "OYLE WRITES h&OR FISHES THE LOWER (UDSON IS A KIND OF 4IMES 3QUAREv "ECAUSE THE ESTUARY IS SUCH A PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEM AND PROVIDES PROTECTIVE AND FOOD RICH NURSERY HABITAT FOR YOUNG FISH IN PARTICU LAR IT IS TEEMING WITH A DIVERSE FISH COMMUNITY 3PECIES RANGING FROM MARINE
$ATA !VAILABILITY BLUEFISH TO FRESHWATER SUNFISH ARE FOUND THERE -IGRATORY FISHES SUCH AS STRIPED BASS STURGEON AND SHAD SPEND MOST OF THEIR LIVES AT SEA BUT COME THROUGH
'OOD THE ESTUARY ON THEIR WAY TO FRESHWATER SPAWNING GROUNDS A LIFE CYCLE CALLED ANADROMY /NCE SPAWNED THE OFFSPRING OF THESE SPECIES SPEND THEIR FIRST SUM
&AIR MER EATING GROWING AND HIDING FROM PREDATORS IN THE ESTUARY !MERICAN EELS WHICH EMPLOY THE OPPOSITE STRATEGY CATADROMY MOVE INTO THE (UDSON AFTER 0OOR HATCHING SOMEWHERE IN THE 3ARGASSO 3EA !DD TO THIS MIX THE OCCASIONAL STRAY FISH FROM DEEPER OR WARMER WATERS AND A HIGHLY DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC FISH COMMUNITY RESULTS !LL IN ALL MORE THAN SPECIES OF FISH CALL THE (ARBOR 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL
%STUARY HOME FOR SOME OR ALL OF THEIR LIFE CYCLES -ANY OF THESE SPECIES ARE IMPORTANT IN COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISHERIES ON THE %AST #OAST OR IN THE ESTUARY ITSELF )T IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT OF THE NATIONS AND OF THE
.ORTHEAST !TLANTICS COMMERCIALLY CAUGHT FISH DEPEND ON ESTUARIES AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES !NGLERS COVET THE WILY STRIPED BASS AND ACROBATIC BLUEFISH
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
/THER "IRDS IN THE %STUARY "ESIDES WADING BIRDS THERE ARE MANY OTHER BIRD SPE 4HE HARBOR IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT STOPOVER FOR WHAT ARE CIES THAT LIVE IN THE ESTUARY FOR ALL OR PART OF THE YEAR CALLED hNEO TROPICAL MIGRANTS v SMALL SONGBIRDS THAT TRAVEL
&IGURE DEPICTS TRENDS IN SOME OF THE WATERBIRD SPECIES BETWEEN .ORTH !MERICAN AND TROPICAL REGIONS IN #ENTRAL THAT ARE FOUND IN THE HARBOR AGAIN FROM THE !UDUBON AND 3OUTH !MERICA 4HE HARBOR PARTICULARLY PARTS OF 3OCIETYS SURVEY PROGRAM 'ULLS ARE ONE OF THE MOST FAMIL *AMAICA "AY AND 2ARITAN "AY PROVIDES SPECTACULAR BIRD IAR AVIAN RESIDENTS OF THE ESTUARY 4HE !UDUBON (ARBOR ING WHEN THESE BRIGHTLY COLORED BIRDS COME THROUGH IN (ERONS SURVEY HAS NOTED A DRASTIC DECLINE IN THE HERRING THE SPRING AND FALL
GULL POPULATION IN THE HARBOR IN RECENT YEARS WHILE THE GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL POPULATION HAS REMAINED STABLE
$OUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS OFTEN SEEN DRYING OUT THEIR
- ekXb[#Yh[ij[Z9ehcehWdj WINGS AROUND THE HARBOR HAVE EXPERIENCED A LARGE POP
>[hh_d]=kbb ULATION BOOM AND HAVE BEEN EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF =h[Wj8bWYa#XWYa[Z=kbb HARBOR ISLANDS ON WHICH THEY NEST
!BUNDANCE .UMBERS 7HILE #ANADA GEESE SEEM TO BE EVERYWHERE IN THE HAR BOR REGION THEIR NUMBERS SEEM TO BE DECLINING AS WELL
/THER WATERFOWL POPULATIONS SEEM TO BE FAIRLY STABLE
/NE BIRD THAT SEEMS TO BE INCREASING IN NUMBER IS THE OSPREY A FISH EATING TYPE OF RAPTOR THAT LIKES TO NEST ON PILINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES AROUND THE ESTUARY !S PRO FILED IN 2ACHEL #ARSONS WELL KNOWN AND IMPORTANT BOOK
H^aZci Heg^c\! POPULATIONS OF THESE BIRDS WERE SEVERELY DEPLETED BECAUSE THEY WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PESTICIDE $$4 USE OF WHICH IS NOW BANNED IN THE
5NITED 3TATES 4HE RESURGENCE OF THE OSPREY IS A GOOD INDICATION THAT THE ESTUARY ITSELF IS CLEANER AND HEALTHIER
THAN IT USED TO BE &IGURE 8dadc^ValViZgW^gYedejaV" i^dchdc[^kZ^haVcYh H]ddiZg1/4h!EgVaa1/4h!>haZ
d[BZVYdlh!Cdgi]VcYHdji]7gdi]Zg d[i]Z
=VgWdg=Zgdch8dbeaZm!CZlNdg`=VgWdg!
&..&*'%%& EVghdchVcYLg^\]i&..&*&..*!
WHILE COMMERCIAL FISHERS TARGET SHAD AND BLUE CRAB WITHIN THE (ARBOR %STUARY @Zga^c\Zg&..+*'%%' #
IN THE SHADOW OF SKYSCRAPERS
)T IS A KEY GOAL OF ESTUARINE PROTECTION PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THAT POPULATIONS OF NATIVE FISH AND CRABS ARE THRIVING )N TURN ABUNDANCES OF FISH AND CRABS PROVIDE A MEASURE OF THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE ESTUARY IN TERMS OF HABITAT QUALITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION )N ORDER TO DETERMINE THE HEALTH OF FISH AND CRUSTACEAN POPULATIONS IN THE ESTUARY MEASURES OF ABUNDANCE OF EIGHT REPRESENTATIVE SPE CIES ARE DEPICTED IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES "ECAUSE THERE ARE NO RELIABLE LONG TERM STUDIES OF FISH POPULATIONS IN THE HARBOR CORE AREA OF THE (%0 TWO OTHER SETS OF DATA IN THE ESTUARY WERE USED FOR THESE ANALYSES ONE IN (AVERSTRAW "AY SLIGHTLY NORTH OF THE HARBOR CORE AREA AND ONE IN *AMAICA "AY "ECAUSE SOME OF THE SPECIES DISCUSSED IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES DO NOT OCCUR REGULARLY IN *AMAICA "AY THE *AMAICA "AY DATA ARE NOT SHOWN FOR THOSE SPECIES
"ECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF A GIVEN SPECIES IN THE ESTUARY INDICES OF ABUNDANCE RATHER THAN AN EXACT COUNT OF ABUNDANCE ARE GENERALLY USED !N INDEX OF ABUNDANCE IS GENERATED BY USING STANDARD SAMPLING METHODS OVER A SET PERIOD OF TIME TO EXAMINE POPULATION SIZE 4HESE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR MEASURES CAN PROVIDE A BASIS FOR COMPARISON OF ONE YEAR TO ANOTHER SHOW TRENDS IN ABUNDANCE OVER TIME AND TELL US WHETHER A PARTICULAR YEAR WAS A hGOODv YEAR FOR THAT SPECIES OR A RELATIVELY POOR YEAR 4HEY DO NOT PROVIDE AN ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF ANY GIVEN SPECIES PRESENT IN THE ESTUARY IN A GIVEN YEAR
)T IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF CHANGES IN ABUNDANCE OF FISH AND CRAB SPECIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR IS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT 6IRTUALLY ALL SPE CIES EXPERIENCE NATURAL FLUCTUATIONS IN POPULATION SIZE OVER TIME THE REASONS FOR WHICH ARE USUALLY COMPLEX AND OFTEN UNCLEAR 0ERHAPS AN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR IS CONTROLLING THE POPULATION IN A GIVEN YEAR n A DRY SPRING OR A COLD WINTER CAN HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON YOUNG FISHES SURVIVAL (UMAN INDUCED CHANGES INCLUDING POLLUTION HABITAT DESTRUCTION AND OVERFISHING CAN AFFECT FISH AND CRAB POPULATIONS AS WELL 3OME SPECIES SPEND SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF TIME OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ESTUARY SO CONDITIONS THAT THEY ENCOUNTER ELSEWHERE ALSO WILL AFFECT THEIR NUMBERS IN THE ESTUARY PROPER )NTERACTIONS AMONG FISH SPECIES CAN AFFECT ABUNDANCE FOR EXAMPLE HIGH NUMBERS OF PREDATORY YOUNG BLUEFISH IN A PARTICULAR YEAR CAN RESULT IN LOWER NUMBERS OF THEIR PREY FISH INCLUDING YOUNG STRIPED BASS AND SHAD )N ORDER TO DETERMINE IF A SPECIES IS ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION DECLINE AS OPPOSED TO A NATURAL SHIFT IN ABUNDANCE IT IS CRITICAL TO EXAMINE AS MANY YEARS OF DATA AS POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE LONG TERM TRENDS 4HE DATA SETS USED FOR THESE ANALYSES ARE REASONABLY LONG TERM AND CONTINUOUS
7HILE THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSIONS FOCUS ON THE PATTERNS IN ABUNDANCE OBSERVED FOR INDIVIDUAL SPECIES IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT CHANGES IN THE FISH COM MUNITY OVER TIME /NE STUDY IN (AVERSTRAW "AY HAS FOUND THAT THE DIVERSITY A MEASURE OF THE NUMBER OF SPECIES ALONG WITH THEIR RELATIVE ABUNDANCES FOUND IN A GIVEN AREA OF THE FISH COMMUNITY IN (AVERSTRAW "AY HAS DECLINED OVER TIME (URST ET AL IN REVIEW
3TRIPED "ASS
)F THE (ARBOR %STUARY HAD A MASCOT IT WOULD LIKELY BE THE STRIPED BASS )N HIS BOOK (EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK *OHN 7ALDMAN CALLS STRIPED BASS h THE HARBORS SYMBOL A PIN STRIPED TOUGH GUY THAT TRANSCENDS ITS SURROUND INGSv 6OLUMES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THIS POPULAR FISH THOUSANDS OF HOURS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT ON RESEARCHING ITS ECOLOGY AND BIOLOGY AND ANGLERS GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO FISH FOR IT ALONG THE ENTIRE EAST COAST AND PARTS OF THE WEST COAST WHERE IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LATE
S FROM (UDSON 2IVER STOCK 7HILE STRIPED BASS ARE A VERY POPULAR QUARRY FOR RECREATIONAL ANGLERS THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY IN THE RIVER AND ESTUARY IS CLOSED BECAUSE OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT THE LEVELS OF 0#"S IN THEIR FLESH (EALTH ADVISORIES ARE ALSO IN EFFECT REGARDING EATING RECREATIONALLY CAUGHT FISH THROUGHOUT THE (UDSON 2IVER AND HARBOR AS WELL
3TRIPED BASS ENTER THE ESTUARY IN THE SPRING ON THEIR WAY TO FRESHWATER REACHES OF THE (UDSON BETWEEN THE (IGHLANDS AND +INGSTON TO SPAWN 4HE EGGS AND LARVAE DRIFT DOWNSTREAM AND AFTER HATCHING MOST OF THE YOUNG
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR STRIPED BASS SPEND THEIR FIRST SUMMER CONGREGATED MAINLY IN AND AROUND (AVERSTRAW "AY )N THE FALL MOST OF THE ADULTS WILL MIGRATE BACK OUT TO SEA WHILE THE YOUNG OF THE YEAR WILL SPEND THEIR FIRST WINTER IN THE LOWER RIVER OFF -ANHATTANS SHORELINE !DULTS CAN BE QUITE LARGE GROWING TO MORE THAN THREE FEET IN LENGTH AND POUNDS IN WEIGHT
3TRIPED BASS HAVE UNDERGONE A REMARKABLE RECOVERY AFTER A HUGE COAST WIDE DECLINE ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO OVERFISHING #OASTAL COMMERCIAL LAND INGS DECLINED PRECIPITOUSLY STARTING IN THE MID S AND HEAVY FISHING RESTRICTIONS INCLUDING A CLOSURE OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY IN -ARYLAND AND
$ELAWARE WERE PUT INTO PLACE 4HESE POLICIES SEEM TO HAVE WORKED STRIPED BASS HAVE INCREASED IN NUMBERS SINCE THAT TIME AND ARE AGAIN ABUNDANT THROUGHOUT THEIR RANGE 4HE FISHERY RESTRICTIONS HAVE SINCE BEEN EASED BUT NOTE AS STATED ABOVE THAT THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY IN THE (UDSON 2IVER REMAINS CLOSED BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT 0#"S
4HE .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION .93$%#
HAS CONDUCTED A SUMMER AND FALL POPULATION SURVEY OF THE hYOUNG OF THE YEARv 9/9 STRIPED BASS THOSE HATCHED IN THE SPRING AND THEREFORE NOT YET ONE YEAR OLD EVERY YEAR SINCE IN THE (AVERSTRAW "AY REGION OF THE (UDSON &ROM THE DATA COLLECTED FOR THIS SURVEY AN INDEX OF 9/9 STRIPED BASS ABUNDANCE IS CALCULATED TO PROVIDE A RELATIVE MEASURE OF THE SIZE OF THAT YEARS POPULATION 4HIS INDEX IS PLOTTED IN &IGURE FROM TO
4HERE IS NO CLEAR DIRECTIONAL TREND IN THE INDEX IN THE YEARS SHOWN
RATHER IT VARIES WIDELY FROM YEAR TO YEAR (OWEVER THE PEAK YEARS IN THE INDEX INDICATE STOCK RECOVERY BY REVEALING INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF INDI VIDUALS PRESENT IN THE SYSTEM 4HE INDEX WAS AMONG THE HIGHEST DUR ING THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE SURVEY )T IS LIKELY THAT ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgi 8EJ:
SUCH AS SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON THE YEARLY VARIA d[ndjc\"d["i]Z"nZVghig^eZYWVhh^c
TION IN THE INDEX =VkZghigVl7Vn &.,.*'%%& VcY?VbV^XV
7Vn &.-)*'%%' #8EJ:kVajZhVgZ\Zd" bZig^XbZVch#CdiZY^((ZgZcihXVaZhd[i]Z
4HE (UDSON 2IVER POPULATION STAYED FAIRLY STABLE THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT ildNVmZh =jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY8dcdkZg
THE COASTAL STOCK WAS IN DECLINE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE BECAUSE THE COASTAL '%%&!BX@dlc'%%'!7g^hX]aZg'%%( #
STOCK IS COMPRISED MOSTLY OF #HESAPEAKE
"AY FISH APPROXIMATELY #HESAPEAKE >Wl[hijhWm8WoOEO
(UDSON FISH AND $ELAWARE "AY @WcW_YW8WoOEO FISH AND THE (UDSON POPULATION DID NOT
EXPERIENCE THE PRECIPITOUS DECLINE THAT
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT #ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT OCCURRED IN #HESAPEAKE "AY
&IGURE ALSO SHOWS .93$%# SURVEY MEA
(AVERSTRAW "AY *AMAICA "AY SURES OF ABUNDANCE OF 9/9 STRIPED BASS IN *AMAICA "AY FOR THE YEARS n
.OTE THAT USUALLY THERE ARE FAR FEWER
YOUNG STRIPED BASS IN *AMAICA "AY THAN IN (AVERSTRAW "AY BUT THAT IN WHEN THE INDEX OF ABUNDANCE WAS VERY LOW IN
(AVERSTRAW "AY THE INDEX WAS THE HIGH
EST RECORDED IN THESE YEARS IN *AMAICA "AY
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 4HE REASON FOR THIS PATTERN IS NOT KNOWN 0ERHAPS CONDITIONS WERE BETTER IN *AMAICA "AY FOR STRIPED BASS THAT YEAR SO THEY CONGREGATED THERE RATHER THAN IN THE (UDSON )T APPEARS THAT NUMBERS OF STRIPED BASS WERE HIGH IN BOTH BAYS IN
!MERICAN 3HAD
%VERY SPRING AS THE hSHAD BUSHv BLOOMS ALONG THE (UDSON !MERICAN SHAD RETURN TO THE RIVER WHERE THEY WERE BORN TO SPAWN 4HEY MIGRATE FROM THE OCEAN UP THE RIVER PAST THE HARBOR TO MORE FRESHWATER PORTIONS OF THE (UDSON BETWEEN (YDE 0ARK AND #ATSKILL WHERE THEY SPAWN 4HE ADULTS THEN MIGRATE OUT OF THE ESTUARY BACK TO THE OCEAN 5NLIKE SOME SPECIES SUCH AS WEST COAST SALMON SHAD DO NOT DIE AFTER SPAWNING BUT RETURN TO SPAWN AGAIN FOR AS MANY AS ADDITIONAL YEARS 4HE JUST HATCHED SHAD RESIDE IN THE RIVER MOVING GENERALLY DOWNSTREAM OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER 4HEY MIGRATE OUT TO THE OCEAN IN THE FALL WHERE THEY LIVE FOR FOUR TO SEVEN YEARS UNTIL IT IS THEIR TURN TO RETURN TO THE RIVER AND SPAWN
4HESE SILVERY RELATIVES OF HERRING WHICH CAN REACH POUNDS CONSTITUTE THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMERCIAL FISHERY REMAINING IN THE ESTUARY 5SING MUCH THE SAME TECHNIQUE THAT HAS BEEN USED FOR
CENTURIES SHAD FISHERS FROM THE 'EORGE 7ASHINGTON "RIDGE TO (AVERSTRAW "AY PLACE THEIR NETS IN THE ESTU ARY EVERY SPRING 3HAD ROE IS A DELICACY THAT APPEARS ANNUALLY IN LOCAL FISH MARKETS AND THE FLESH OF THE SHAD ONCE THE DIFFICULT TASK OF DE BONING IT IS ACCOM
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT
PLISHED LIVES UP TO THE SHADS ,ATIN NAME !LOSA SAPI DISSIMA hHERRING MOST DELICIOUSv
&OR THE MOST PART SHAD ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE STRICT
HEALTH ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE STATES FOR MOST OTHER EDIBLE SPECIES IN THE ESTUARY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FEED WHILE ON THEIR SPAWNING RUNS AND THEREFORE DO NOT APPRECIABLY BIOACCUMULATE CONTAMINANTS
.EW 9ORK 3TATE CONDUCTS TWO ANNUAL SURVEYS FROM
WHICH SHAD ABUNDANCE CAN BE DETERMINED &IGURE
SHOWS MEASURES OF ABUNDANCE FOR hYOUNG OF THE
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[ YEARv SHAD FISH JUST HATCHED IN THE SPRING COUNTED ndjc\"d["i]Z"nZVg6bZg^XVch]VY^c IN THE SUMMER AND FALL AND THEREFORE NOT YET ONE YEAR OLD IN (AVERSTRAW
=VkZghigVl7Vn!&.-%*'%%& =jghi'%%'!
"AY COUNTED AS THEY MIGRATE OUT TO SEA 4HESE DATA INDICATE THAT YOUNG
=jghiVcY8dcdkZg'%%& #
SHAD NUMBERS HAVE BEEN DECLINING SINCE THE MID S IN THE (UDSON 2IVER /THER RELATED FISH SPECIES IN THE (UDSON 2IVER SUCH AS ALEWIFE AND BLUEBACK HERRING EXHIBIT SIMILAR DECLINES OVER THIS TIME PERIOD
&IGURE WHICH SHOWS THE ABUNDANCE OF ADULT SHAD CAUGHT IN THE COM MERCIAL FISHERY IN THE (UDSON 2IVER INDICATES A DECLINING TREND SIMILAR TO THE PATTERN FOR THE YOUNG OF THE YEAR 4HIS DECLINE COULD BE DUE TO A
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING LOSS OF SPAWNING HABITAT
OVERFISHING IN THE RIVER EFFECTS OF POLLUTION OR SIMPLY NATURAL BUT POORLY UNDERSTOOD VARIATIONS IN POPULA
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT TION SIZE OVER TIME 4HE OCEAN INTERCEPT FISHERY FOR SHAD WHICH CAUGHT LARGE NUMBERS OF SHAD IN THE OCEAN BEFORE THEY ENTERED THEIR RESPECTIVE ESTUARIES TO SPAWN
MAY HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON SHAD POPULATIONS AS WELL THIS FISHERY IS CURRENTLY BEING PHASED OUT 6ERY LARGE FLUCTUATIONS IN SHAD ABUNDANCE HAVE OCCURRED
HISTORICALLY FROM VERY HIGH NUMBERS IN COLONIAL TIMES THE FISHERY EXPERIENCED A DECLINE IN THE MID S SPIKED AT THE END OF THE TH CENTURY AND CRASHED IN
#OMMERCIAL LANDINGS EDGED UP AGAIN IN THE S
AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE TO RECORD LEVELS IN 4HEY &IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[
DECLINED AGAIN IN THE S AND ARE NOW EXPERIENCING A 6bZg^XVch]VY^ci]Z=jYhdcG^kZgXdb" FURTHER DECLINE bZgX^Vah]VY[^h]Zgn!bVaZhVcY[ZbVaZh
XdbW^cZY!&.-%*&... =ViiVaV'%%& #
7INTER &LOUNDER
/NE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORT FISH IN THE .9.* REGION >Wl[hijhWm8Wo IS THE WINTER FLOUNDER ANOTHER PART TIME ESTUARY RESI @WcW_YW8Wo DENT )N FACT IT IS SO POPULAR WITH ANGLERS THAT IN MOST
YEARS RECREATIONAL CATCHES OF WINTER FLOUNDER EXCEED
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT COMMERCIAL LANDINGS IN .EW 9ORK WATERS
7INTER FLOUNDER GET THEIR NAME FROM THE FACT THAT THEY MOVE INTO THE ESTUARY IN THE FALL AND SPAWN THERE IN
LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING 4HEY MOVE OFFSHORE TO COLDER DEEPER WATERS IN THE SUMMERTIME ALTHOUGH IT HAS ALSO BEEN SPECULATED THAT SOME STAY IN THE ESTUARY
BUT BURY THEMSELVES DEEP IN THE SEDIMENT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS 4HE YOUNG SPEND THEIR FIRST YEAR IN
THE ESTUARY BEFORE TAKING UP THE MIGRATORY PATTERNS OF THE ADULTS "ECAUSE WINTER FLOUNDER LIVE IN CLOSE CON
TACT WITH THE SEDIMENT IN OFTEN CONTAMINATED EAST COAST ESTUARIES AND FEED ON SMALL ORGANISMS IN THE SEDMENT &IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[ndjc\"
d["i]Z"nZVgl^ciZg[adjcYZg^c=VkZghigVl7Vn
CONCERN HAS BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF POLLUTION PARTICULARLY IN &.-%*'%%& VcY?VbV^XV7Vn &.-)*'%%&
CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT ON THIS FISH -ANY STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE ON THE =jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY8dcdkZg'%%&!
IMPACT OF POLLUTION ON WINTER FLOUNDER RESULTS OF THESE STUDIES INDICATE THAT BX@dlc'%%' #
ORGANIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION CAN CAUSE REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENTAL AND OTHER PROBLEMS IN WINTER FLOUNDER )N ADDITION FLATFISHES IN GENERAL SEEM TO BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO POLLUTION RELATED DISEASE THAN OTHER FISHES
(OWEVER CONTAMINANTS DO NOT SEEM TO BIOACCUMULATE IN THE MUSCLE TISSUE THAT WE EAT SO EATING FLATFISHES GENERALLY SHOULD RESULT IN LESS CONTAMINANT INTAKE THAN CONSUMING OTHER SPECIES ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE DATA
&IGURE DEPICTS THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF WINTER FLOUNDER IN (AVERSTRAW "AY AND *AMAICA "AY AS MEASURED BY TWO .93$%# YEARLY SURVEYS )N (AVERSTRAW "AY THE DATA INDICATE A SMALL AND FLUCTUATING POPULATION NOT OBVIOUSLY INCREASING OR DECREASING OVER TIME )N *AMAICA "AY THE POPULA
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR TION SEEMS TO HAVE INCREASED APPEARING TO BE LARGER IN THE S COM PARED TO THE S !BUNDANCE OF WINTER FLOUNDER IS HIGHER IN *AMAICA "AY THAN IN THE (UDSON 2IVER PRESUMABLY BECAUSE WINTER FLOUNDER PREFER MORE SALINE WATERS
!LTHOUGH THEY ARE HEAVILY FISHED THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT HABITAT LOSS AND DEGRADATION MAY BE AS INFLUENTIAL AS FISHING PRESSURE ON THE POPULA TION DYNAMICS OF THIS SPECIES "ECAUSE WINTER FLOUNDER SPEND A PORTION OF THEIR LIFE CYCLE OUTSIDE OF THE ESTUARY BOTH ESTUARINE AND OCEAN CONDITIONS MUST BE CONSIDERED IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONTROLS ON THEIR ABUNDANCE
3UMMER &LOUNDER
-ORE COMMONLY KNOWN TO ANGLERS AS FLUKE SUMMER FLOUNDER ARE ANOTHER POPULAR SPORTFISH IN THE ESTUARY ,IKE OTHER FLOUNDERS SUMMER FLOUNDER SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN AND ON THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE ESTUARY AND OCEAN BUT THEY ARE ACTIVE PREDATORS OFTEN CHASING PREY FISH ALL THE WAY TO THE SURFACE 3UMMER FLOUNDER SPAWN IN THE OPEN OCEAN OUTSIDE OF THE ESTUARY IN THE FALL AND WINTER AND MOVE INTO THE ESTUARY IN THE SPRING STAYING THROUGH THE SPRING AND SUMMER 4HE NEWLY HATCHED LARVAE PROB ABLY ENTER THE ESTUARY IN THE LATE WINTER AND SPEND THEIR FIRST SPRING AND SUMMER THERE 4HE FOLLOWING FALL THEY MIGRATE OUT OF THE
ESTUARY AGAIN SLIGHTLY AFTER THE ADULTS DO 4HEY OVER
>Wl[hijhWm8Wo WINTER ON THE OUTER PORTIONS OF THE #ONTINENTAL 3HELF
@WcW_YW8Wo 3UMMER FLOUNDER CAN GROW TO BE INCHES OR MORE IN
LENGTH
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT
3UMMER FLOUNDER UNDERGO AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION COMMON TO ALL FLATFISH SPECIES 7HEN THE LARVAE ARE FIRST HATCHED THEY SWIM UPRIGHT AND HAVE EYES PLACED SYM
METRICALLY ON EITHER SIDE OF THEIR HEAD LIKE A TYPICAL FISH
!S THEY AGE THEIR RIGHT EYE MIGRATES OVER THEIR HEAD
UNTIL BOTH EYES ARE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FISH ITS RIGHT OR hBOTTOMv SIDE LOSES ITS PIGMENTATION AND IT TAKES UP A BOTTOM DWELLING EXISTENCE
&IGURE SHOWS RELATIVE ABUNDANCES OF SUMMER FLOUN
DER IN (AVERSTRAW "AY REGION AND *AMAICA "AY FROM THE
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[ S TO .OTE THAT POPULATIONS OF THIS FISH APPEAR ndjc\"d["i]Z"nZVghjbbZg[adjcYZg^c TO FLUCTUATE WIDELY ,IKE OTHER FISH SPECIES DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT IT IS DIF
=VkZghigVl7Vn &.-%*'%%& VcY?VbV^XV
FICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT CONTROLS SUMMER FLOUNDER ABUNDANCE BUT THE FAC 7Vn &.-)*'%%& =jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY
8dcdkZg'%%&!BX@dlc'%%' # TORS COULD INCLUDE FISHING PRESSURE POLLUTION AND HABITAT AVAILABILITY
7HITE 0ERCH 7HITE PERCH ARE SMALLER ABOUT INCHES LONG AS ADULTS BUT NUMEROUS RELATIVES OF STRIPED BASS 4HERE IS VIRTUALLY NO COMMERCIAL FISHERY FOR WHITE PERCH IN THIS ESTUARY ALTHOUGH #HESAPEAKE "AY RECORDED COMMERCIAL LANDINGS OF MILLION POUNDS AS RECENTLY AS AND THERE ARE STILL ACTIVE COMMERCIAL WHITE PERCH FISHERIES TODAY IN $ELAWARE AND #HESAPEAKE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR "AYS 2ECREATIONAL FISHING FOR THEM IS SMALL COMPARED
TO ESTUARINE AND COASTAL SPORTFISH SUCH AS STRIPED BASS AND BLUEFISH 7HITE PERCH ARE OF ECOLOGICAL INTEREST BECAUSE UNLIKE STRIPED BASS THEY GENERALLY REMAIN IN
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT THE ESTUARY YEAR ROUND FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE RATHER THAN MIGRATING OUT TO THE OCEAN
&IGURE SHOWS THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF WHITE PERCH COLLECTED IN A .EW 9ORK 3TATE SURVEY IN THE (AVERSTRAW "AY REGION !BUNDANCE OF WHITE PERCH HAS BEEN DECLIN ING IN THE RIVER SURVEY SINCE THE EARLY S WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF A SPIKE IN ABUNDANCE IN AND UNI FORMLY LOW IN THE S EXTENDING A DECLINING TREND THAT BEGAN IN THE LATE S !LTHOUGH THE EXACT REASONS
FOR THIS DECLINE ARE NOT CERTAIN IT IS LIKELY THAT CONDITIONS
WITHIN THE ESTUARY ITSELF HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON WHITE
PERCH BECAUSE OF THEIR YEAR ROUND RESIDENCY 4HERE HAS &IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[ndjc\"
BEEN SIGNIFICANT CONCERN ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT ENTRAIN d["i]Z"nZVgl]^iZeZgX]^c=VkZghigVl7Vn!
MENT AND IMPINGEMENT IN THE COOLING SYSTEMS OF (UDSON 2IVER POWER &.-%*'%%& =jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY8dcdkZg
'%%&!BX@dlc'%%' #
PLANTS HAVE ON THEIR POPULATION )T IS ALSO POSSIBLE AS SUGGESTED BY SCIEN TISTS WHO LOOKED AT WHITE PERCH ABUNDANCE IN THE S AND S THAT IT HAS BECOME HARDER TO MEASURE ACCURATELY WHITE PERCH ABUNDANCE OVER TIME BECAUSE COVERAGE OF INVASIVE DENSE VEGETATION IN THE (UDSON WHICH WHITE PERCH MAY USE AS HABITAT HAS INCREASED 3IMILAR DECLINES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE FULL TIME RESIDENTS OF THE ESTUARY INCLUD ING TOMCOD HOGCHOKER AND FOUR SPINE STICKLEBACK
!MERICAN %EL 4HE SLIPPERY SNAKE SHAPED !MERICAN EEL IS ANOTHER FAMILIAR FISH THAT RESIDES IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY FOR PART OF ITS LIFE CYCLE EXHIBITING A CATAD ROMOUS LIFE HISTORY OPPOSITE THAT OF ANADROMOUS STRIPED BASS AND SHAD
)NSTEAD OF COMING INTO THE ESTUARY AND RIVER TO SPAWN EELS SPAWN ABOUT
MILES AWAY FROM THE (UDSON 2IVER IN THE 3ARGASSO 3EA NEAR THE "AHAMAS IN THE !TLANTIC /CEAN OR AT LEAST EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT IS WHERE THEY SPAWN n NO ONE HAS ACTUALLY EVER CAPTURED AN ADULT !MERICAN EEL THERE OR SEEN THEM SPAWNING %ELS HAVE STRANGE LARVAE CALLED LEPTOCEPHALI THAT RESEMBLE TRANSPARENT WILLOW LEAVES 4HE LEPTOCEPHALI DRIFT IN OCEAN CURRENTS FOR UP TO A YEAR BEFORE HEADING TOWARD COASTAL AREAS WHERE THEY METAMORPHOSE INTO hELVERS v WHICH MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLE SMALL ADULT EELS EXCEPT THAT THE ELVERS REMAIN TRANSPARENT 4HE ELVERS UNDERGO ANOTHER TRANSFORMATION TO THE SO CALLED hYELLOW EELv PHASE WHICH LASTS FOR A NUM BER OF YEARS ALL OF WHICH ARE SPENT IN THE ESTUARY &INALLY THE YELLOW EELS TRANSFORM INTO THE FAMILIAR ADULT EEL !DULT EELS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST BROADLY DISTRIBUTED FISH IN THE (UDSON SYSTEM INHABITING ALL REACHES AND BASINS OF THE ESTUARY FROM SALT WATER TO FRESH !FTER RESIDING IN THE ESTUARY FOR TO YEARS THEY UNDERGO A FINAL TRANSFORMATION THEN MIGRATE TO THE 3ARGASSO 3EA SPAWN AND DIE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
/NE REASON WHY EELS ARE OF GREAT INTEREST ECOLOGI CALLY IS THAT THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN THE
SEDIMENTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ESTUARY AND EXHIBIT
>Wl[hijhWm8Wo A HIGH DEGREE OF hSITE FIDELITY v MEANING THAT THEY
@WcW_YW8Wo TEND TO STAY IN ONE AREA AND DO NOT MOVE VERY FAR
4HESE TRAITS MEAN THAT IT IS LIKELY THAT THE HEALTH AND
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT CONTAMINANT BURDENS IN EELS REFLECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS PARTICULARLY THE SEDIMENT CONDITIONS OF THE SITE WHERE THEY ARE CAPTURED 4HEY ARE HARDY FISH
AND EXHIBIT SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE HARBOR CORE AREA PARTICULARLY IN AREAS WHERE CONTAMINANTS IN THE SEDIMENTS ARE FOUND IN HIGH CON
CENTRATIONS
4HERE IS STILL A SMALL EEL FISHERY BOTH FOR FOOD AND
BAIT IN SOME PARTS OF THE ESTUARY %ELS ARE A POPU
LAR FOOD FISH IN %UROPE )N THE S TO MILLION POUNDS OF EELS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WHICH WERE THE
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[ndjc\" JUVENILE hGLASS EELSv WERE SHIPPED TO %UROPE AND d["i]Z"nZVg6bZg^XVcZZa^c=VkZghigVl7Vn BEYOND FROM THE EAST COAST EACH YEAR ONLY POUNDS WERE SOLD IN
&.-**'%%& VcY?VbV^XV7Vn &.-)*'%%&
THE 53 PER YEAR DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD %ELS HAVE SEEMED TO DECLINE
=jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY8dcdkZg'%%&!
BX@dlc'%%' # OVER TIME AND IN 2ARITAN "AY BY ONLY TWO EEL FISHERMEN WERE STILL ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING
&IGURE SHOWS TRENDS IN EEL ABUNDANCE IN .93$%# SEINE SURVEYS IN THE (AVERSTRAW "AY REGION AND *AMAICA "AY FROM THE MID S TO /VER THAT TIME PERIOD THE POPULATION OF EELS IN BOTH AREAS HAS DECLINED DRA MATICALLY 4HIS TREND IS PARTICULARLY WORRISOME BECAUSE EELS ARE GENERALLY VERY HARDY THEY USUALLY SEEM TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE UNDER CONDITIONS THAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL AND EVEN LETHAL TO OTHER SPECIES 4HE REASON FOR THIS POPULATION DECLINE IS UNKNOWN HOWEVER OVERFISHING IS ONE LIKELY CAUSE
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ABOUT &ISH IN THE %STUARY
(EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK BY *OHN 7ALDMAN ,YONS 0RESS
4HE &ISHERIES OF 2ARITAN "AY BY #LYDE , -AC+ENZIE *R 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
4HE )NLAND &ISHES OF .EW 9ORK 3TATE BY # , 3MITH .EW 9ORK 3TATE
$EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION
4HE (UDSON 2IVER ! .ATURAL AND 5NNATURAL (ISTORY BY 2OBERT ( "OYLE
7 7 .ORTON AND #O
4HE (UDSON !N )LLUSTRATED 'UIDE TO THE ,IVING 2IVER BY 3TEPHEN 0
3TANNE ET AL 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
WWWDECSTATENYUSWEBSITEDFWMRMARINEHUDSONINDEXHTML
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
&ORAGE &ISH "AY !NCHOVY
&ORAGE FISH SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS BAITFISH IS A >Wl[hijhWm8Wo GENERIC TERM FOR SMALL FISH OF NUMEROUS SPECIES THAT @WcW_YW8Wo ARE PREYED ON BY LARGER FISH FORMING AN IMPORTANT
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT LINK IN THE ESTUARYS FOOD WEB (EALTHY FORAGE FISH
POPULATIONS ARE CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING POPULATIONS OF COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISH SUCH AS STRIPED BASS AND BLUEFISH )N THE (ARBOR %STUARY THREE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FORAGE FISH SPECIES ARE THE BAY
ANCHOVY !TLANTIC SILVERSIDE AND KILLIFISH !NCHOVIES AND SILVERSIDES BOTH ABOUT n INCHES FULL GROWN ARE SPAWNED IN ESTUARIES IN THE SPRING SPEND THEIR FIRST SUMMER IN THE ESTUARY AND THEN MIGRATE OUT OF THE ESTUARY TO THE OCEAN IN THE FALL 4HESE TWO
SPECIES ARE TWO OF THE MOST ABUNDANT FISH IN THE
MID !TLANTIC +ILLIFISH OR MUMMICHOG ARE SMALLER 3ILVERSIDES AND CHUBBIER LITTLE FISH THAT ARE COMMON YEAR ROUND
IN NORTHEAST ESTUARIES h+ILLIESv ARE IMPORTANT FOOD >Wl[hijhWm8Wo SOURCES FOR BOTH FISH AND BIRD PREDATORS @WcW_YW8Wo
&IGURE SHOWS MEASURES OF POPULATION SIZE OF BAY
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT
ANCHOVIES !TLANTIC SILVERSIDES AND KILLIFISH AS DETER MINED BY .93$%# SURVEYS IN (AVERSTRAW "AY AND
- AMAICA "AY *AMAICA "AY ONLY FOR KILLIFISH 7HILE THERE IS NO CLEAR TREND IN POPULATIONS OF ANY OF THESE SPECIES THERE IS A SLIGHT INDICATION OF AN INCREASE IN
SILVERSIDES IN (AVERSTRAW "AY AND PERHAPS A DECLINE IN ANCHOVIES IN (AVERSTRAW "AY !LL OF THESE SPECIES
POPULATIONS ARE KNOWN TO BE HIGHLY VARIABLE FROM YEAR TO YEAR AND COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECTED BY
A VARIETY OF FACTORS INCLUDING SALINITY TEMPERATURE
RIVER FLOW PRESENCE OF PREDATORS AND FOOD AVAILABIL ITY )N ADDITION THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONCERN OVER +ILLIFISH
THE IMPACT OF POWER PLANTS ALONG THE (UDSON 2IVER @WcW_YW8Wo ON ANCHOVY POPULATIONS n IN SOME YEARS THE COOL ING WATER INTAKES AT THE PLANTS ENTRAIN DRAW IN OR
IMPINGE TRAP ON THEIR INTAKE SCREENS POTENTIALLY SIG
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT NIFICANT NUMBERS OF ANCHOVY
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[i]gZZheZX^Zhd[[dgV\Z[^h]
^c=VkZghigVl7Vn &.-**'%%& VcY?VbV^XV7Vn &.-)*'%%& #
CdiZi]ZgZVgZcd=VkZghigVl7VnYViV[dg`^aa^[^h]#CdiZi]ZY^["
[ZgZciN"Vm^hhXVaZh[dgi]Zi]gZZheZX^Zh =jghi'%%'!=jghiVcY
8dcdkZg'%%&!BX@dlc'%%' #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR "LUE #RAB "LUE CRABS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO LOCALLY AS BLUE CLAW CRABS ARE CON SIDERED ONE OF THE PRIME SYMBOLS OF ANOTHER MID !TLANTIC ESTUARY THE
- HESAPEAKE "AY 4HESE CRABS ARE FOUND IN ABUNDANCE IN THE (UDSON 2IVER
%STUARY AS WELL IN FACT BLUE CRABS CONSTITUTE ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING
ALBEIT SMALL COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN THE ESTUARY "LUE CRABS ARE HARVESTED COMMERCIALLY AND RECREATIONALLY IN BOTH THE .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY POR TIONS OF THE ESTUARY BUT THE TOTAL LANDINGS ARE MUCH SMALLER HERE THAN IN MORE SOUTHERN ESTUARIES SUCH AS THE #HESAPEAKE BECAUSE THE (UDSON IS CLOSE TO THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF THE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION (ISTORICALLY BLUE CRABS WERE HARVESTED IN GREAT NUMBERS IN 2ARITAN "AY PARTICULARLY IN THE
S AND S )N THOSE DAYS STREET VENDORS IN 2ED "ANK SOLD GREAT NUMBERS OF SOFT SHELLED CRABS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS FOR CENTS EACH
&IGURE SHOWS A RECORD OF BLUE CRAB ABUNDANCE AS MEASURED IN A SEIN ING SURVEY CONDUCTED EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST YEARS IN THE (AVERSTRAW "AY REGION ON THE (UDSON 2IVER AND FOR THE PAST YEARS IN *AMAICA "AY
4HESE DATA INDICATE THAT BLUE CRAB ABUNDANCE HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE OVER THE LENGTH OF THE SURVEY IN (AVERSTRAW "AY WITH A LARGE SPIKE IN ABUNDANCE IN THE LATE S #OMMERCIAL LANDING STATISTICS FOR BLUE CRABS FROM THE LATE S TO SHOW A SIMILAR STABILITY IN ABUNDANCE WITH OCCASIONAL SPIKES 4HE NUMBERS OF CRABS IN *AMAICA "AY HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE VARIABLE FROM YEAR TO YEAR THAN IN (AVERSTRAW "AY
"LUE CRABS RELEASE THEIR EGGS OFFSHORE AND THEN THE MICROSCOPIC CRAB LAR VAE RETURN TO THE ESTUARY BY RIDING ON SHORE BOUND CURRENTS &LUCTUATIONS IN THEIR POPULATION CAN THEREFORE BE CAUSED BY MANY FACTORS BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THE ESTUARY MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF THE CHANGES IN BLUE CRAB ABUNDANCE FROM YEAR TO YEAR
!N INCREASE IN ABUNDANCE IN THE EARLY S MAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE CESSATION OF PRODUCTION AND USE OF THE PESTICIDE $$4 WHICH HAD A LARGE IMPACT ON AQUATIC CRUSTACEAN POPULATIONS (OWEVER THERE IS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR THIS EXPLANATION
>Wl[hijhWm8Wo
@WcW_YW8Wo
- ATCH PER 5NIT %FFORT
&IGURE 8ViX]eZgJc^i:((dgid[WajZ
XgVWh^c=VkZghigVl7Vn &.-%*'%%& VcY
?VbV^XV7Vn &.-**'%%& =jghi'%%'!
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!NIMALS AND PLANTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEDIMENTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ESTUARY CALLED BENTHIC ORGANISMS ARE PARTICULARLY SUSCEP TIBLE TO THE EFFECTS OF CONTAMINATION BECAUSE THEY LIVE AND FEED IN AND ON THE SEDIMENTS WHICH ARE FINAL RECEPTACLES FOR MUCH OF THE CHEMI CAL CONTAMINATION IN THE ESTUARY AND BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE NOT MOBILE ENOUGH TO ESCAPE UNFAVORABLE OR TOXIC CONDITIONS 4HE STRUCTURE OF THE BENTHIC
'OOD
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$ATA !VAILABILITY COMMUNITY n THE NUMBER OF SPECIES THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS OF EACH SPECIES 0OOR AND THE NUMBER OF POLLUTION TOLERANT VS POLLUTION INTOLERANT SPECIES THERE ARE n CAN BE AN ACCURATE INDICATOR OF THE HEALTH OF A GIVEN SITE )T IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF THE BENTHIC COMMUNITY BECAUSE THESE ORGANISMS ARE 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL IMPORTANT LINKS IN THE ESTUARINE FOOD WEB AND THEY PERFORM CRITICAL FUNCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO NUTRIENT CYCLING
! MONITORING PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY THE %0! CALLED THE 2EGIONAL %NVIRONMENTAL
-ONITORING AND !SSESSMENT 0ROGRAM 2 %-!0 HAS CONDUCTED A COMPREHEN SIVE SURVEY OF THE BENTHIC COMMUNITIES OF THE HARBOR CORE AREA AND CONCURRENT MEASUREMENTS OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION AND TOXICITY IN ORDER TO CHARACTERIZE THE SEDIMENT QUALITY OF THE HARBOR )N AND AGAIN IN 2 %-!0 COL LECTED SAMPLES OF THE BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES LARGER BENTHIC ORGANISMS WITHOUT BACKBONES SUCH AS CLAMS WORMS AND AMPHIPODS AT SITES THROUGH OUT THE HARBOR !T THE SAME LOCATIONS THE PROGRAM MEASURED CONCENTRATIONS OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE SEDIMENTS AND DETERMINED WHETHER THE SEDIMENTS AT THOSE SITES WERE TOXIC TO TEST ORGANISMS THE PROGRAM COLLECTED DATA IN AS WELL WHICH ARE STILL UNDERGOING ANALYSIS "Y COMBINING A NUMBER OF MEASUREMENTS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BENTHIC COMMUNITY NUMBER OF SPECIES NUMBER OF ORGANISMS BIOMASS THE FRACTION OF POLLUTION SENSITIVE ORGANISMS PRESENT AND THE FRACTION OF POLLUTION TOLERANT ORGANISMS PRESENT 2 %-!0 HAS DEVELOPED AN INDEX OF BENTHIC COMMUNITY HEALTH BASED ON COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS AT STRESSED AND PRISTINE REFERENCE SITES THROUGHOUT THE HARBOR AND ELSEWHERE
!PPLYING THIS INDEX TO BOTH THE AND DATA %0! CHARACTERIZED THE PERCENTAGE OF THE BENTHIC COMMUNITY IN EACH OF THE 2 %-!0 SUBBASINS IN THE HARBOR CONSIDERED hIMPACTED v OR OF DEGRADED QUALITY
&IGURE DEPICTS THE PERCENTAGE OF SAMPLING SITES WITHIN DIFFERENT BASINS OF THE HARBOR THAT WERE CONSIDERED hIMPACTEDv IN AND
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(OWEVER DATA FROM JUST TWO YEARS DO NOT CONSTITUTE A TREND -ORE DATA LIKE THESE MUST BE COLLECTED IN FUTURE YEARS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF A PATTERN OF DECREASING IMPACTED BENTHOS IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING
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-ANY PEOPLE ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THE WATERS OF THE (ARBOR
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!LTHOUGH IT IS NORMAL FOR A RIVERESTUARY SYSTEM TO CARRY SUSPENDED SEDIMENT HUMAN ACTIVITIES CAN CAUSE SEDIMENT LOADS TO INCREASE WITH SERIOUS ENVIRON
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR MENTAL CONSEQUENCES -UCH OF THE SUSPENDED SEDIMENT LOAD OF THE (ARBOR
%STUARY CONSISTS OF VERY SMALL PARTICLES n MUD RATHER THAN SAND -OLECULES OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PREFERENTIALLY ATTACH THEMSELVES TO THESE SMALLER PARTICLES AND THEN HITCH A RIDE FROM THEIR SOURCE TO THE ESTUARY (IGH SEDIMENT LOADS ALSO SETTLE IN THE HARBOR CLOGGING SHIPPING CHANNELS AND MAKING DREDG ING OF THESE OFTEN CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PORT OPEN "ECAUSE THE SEDIMENTS ARE CONTAMINATED DISPOSAL OPTIONS ARE LIMITED CONTENTIOUS AND FREQUENTLY EXPENSIVE &INALLY IN THOSE AREAS WHERE HEAVY SEDIMENTATION IS INDUCED SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CAN SETTLE OUT ONTO THE BOTTOM AND SMOTHER SENSITIVE HABITATS SUCH AS OYSTER REEFS AND SEA GRASS BEDS
,AND USE HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON SEDIMENT LOAD $ENSE TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION OF FORESTED LANDS hGRIPv THE SOIL TIGHTLY PREVENTING EROSION AND RESULTING SEDIMENT RUNOFF TO LOCAL TRIBUTARIES ,AND CLEARED FOR AGRICULTURE IS MORE PRONE TO EROSION AND THEREFORE IS A PROPORTIONALLY HIGHER SOURCE OF SEDI MENT TO THE ESTUARY ,AND CLEARING AND EARTH MOVING FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT IS POTENTIALLY AN EVEN GREATER SOURCE OF SEDIMENT TO WATERWAYS THAN AGRICULTURAL LAND CLEARING &URTHER PAVED SUBURBAN AND URBAN LANDS RETAIN LESS SEDIMENT ON LAND THAN VEGETATED AREAS AND PAVED AREAS CAN CHANNEL THE FLOW INTO ADJA CENT STREAMS AND CAUSE EROSION
2ESEARCHERS HAVE USED INFORMATION ABOUT LAND USE AND WEATHER PATTERNS TO CONSTRUCT A MATHEMATICAL MODEL THAT CALCULATES WHAT SEDIMENT LOADING TO THE (UDSON 2IVER MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST UNDER HISTORICAL LAND
USES &IGURE SHOWS THE MODELING RESULTS AS SEDIMENT FLUX A RELATIVE MEASURE OF SEDIMENT LOADING COMPARED TO TODAY WHICH IS SET AS 4HE FIGURE SHOWS SEDIMENT
LOADS FROM THE ,OWER (UDSON 2IVER 5PPER (UDSON
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SCALED TO CURRENT FLUX
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CENTURY AND TODAY
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR CAN CAUSE A NUMBER OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS /NE OF THE MAIN PATHWAYS FOR CONTAMINANTS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE TISSUE OF FISH AND SHELLFISH INCLUDING EDIBLE SPECIES IS THROUGH THE FOOD CHAIN #ONTAMINANTS BUILD UP IN
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'OOD THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EAT !NOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THE DISPOSAL OF CONTAMI NATED SEDIMENT DREDGED FROM THE HARBOR TO ENSURE THAT THE PORT IS NAVIGABLE
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR THESE CONTAMINANTS AND OTHERS IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS AT THE SITES REPRESENTED BY THE DOTS ON THE MAPS 4HE RED DOTS INDICATE STATIONS WHERE THE CONTAMINANT IN QUESTION IS ABOVE THE %2 - EFFECTS RANGE MEDIAN SEE BOX BELOW FOR AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT CHEMICAL WHILE THE BLUE DOTS INDICATE STATIONS WHERE THE CONCENTRATION IS BELOW THE %2 - FOR THAT CHEMICAL )T APPEARS THAT NOT MUCH CHANGE HAS TAKEN PLACE BETWEEN AND WITH RESPECT TO THE LOCATION OF THE MORE CONTAMINATED SITES &OR EXAMPLE LEVELS OF MERCURY CADMIUM NICKEL AND LEAD IN ALL OF THE BASINS ARE NOT STATISTICALLY DIFFERENT IN AND
&OR SILVER THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IS IN .EWARK "AY WHERE SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SILVER WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN THAN IN .EWARK "AY AND THE +ILLS STAND OUT AS PROBLEM AREAS IN BOTH SURVEYS AND ONE OR TWO STATIONS IN THE %AST 2IVER7ESTERN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND EXCEED THE %2 - FOR SOME CONTAMINANTS 4HERE WAS NOT MUCH OVERALL CHANGE IN DIOXIN LEVELS IN THE ESTUARY BETWEEN AND .OTE THAT STATIONS IN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND AND THE "IGHT WERE NOT SAMPLED IN THE SURVEY
7ATER COLUMN MEASUREMENTS OF HEAVY METALS SHOW PATTERNS SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN SEDIMENTS )N THE MID TO LATE S SCIENTISTS MEASURED LEVELS OF COPPER CADMIUM NICKEL ZINC MERCURY SILVER LEAD AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS DISSOLVED IN THE WATER THROUGHOUT THE ESTUARY AND COMPARED THEM TO SIMILAR MEASUREMENTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE IN THE S 4HEY FOUND THAT MOST METAL CONCENTRATIONS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THOSE YEARS SOME AS MUCH AS
4HEY ATTRIBUTED THE DECLINES TO DECREASED INDUSTRIAL AND SEWAGE TREAT MENT PLANT DISCHARGES (OWEVER THEY POINTED OUT THAT CURRENT SOURCES OF MANY OF THESE METALS ARE NOT SO EASY TO CONTROL AS THEY SEEM TO BE COMING FROM NON POINT SOURCES SUCH AS RESERVOIRS OF CONTAMINANTS IN WATERSHED SOILS AND ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS
!NOTHER IMPORTANT PARAMETER IS THE AMOUNT OF A GIVEN CONTAMINANT ENTERING THE ESTUARY AT THE CURRENT TIME RATHER THAN THE CONCENTRATION PRESENT IN THE SEDI MENT ALREADY 4HIS PARAMETER IS CALLED THE CONTAMINANT LOADING ,OADINGS ARE NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO MEASURE AND AS A RESULT VERY FEW MEA SUREMENTS OF LOADINGS HAVE BEEN MADE ! COMPREHENSIVE CONTAMINANT MONI 7HAT IS AN %FFECTS 2ANGEn-EDIAN
4HE %2 - IS A NUMBER USED TO CORRELATE SEDIMENT CONTAMI ARE USUALLY COMBINED TO DEVELOP THE %2 - 4HESE VALUES NATION WITH OBSERVED EFFECTS IN ORGANISMS AND BIOLOGICAL ARE NOT REGULATORY GUIDELINES AND THEY INDICATE ONLY A COR COMMUNITIES )T WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED BY SCIENTISTS AT RELATION RATHER THAN A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP (OWEVER THEY THE .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION !N ARE AMONG THE ONLY GUIDANCE NUMBERS AVAILABLE IN EXAM
%2 - FOR A PARTICULAR CONTAMINANT IS THE MEDIAN SEDIMENT INING THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION ON CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATION AT WHICH ADVERSE BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS &OR DIOXIN THE %0! GUIDANCE VALUE IS SLIGHTLY EFFECTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED THE MEDIAN IS THE VALUE IN A DIFFERENT FROM THE %2 - AND REPRESENTS THE SEDIMENT DATA SET THAT HAS AN EQUAL NUMBER OF VALUES ON EITHER SIDE CONCENTRATION AT WHICH THERE IS HIGH RISK TO MAMMALIAN OF IT AND IS TYPICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE MEAN OR AVERAGE WILDLIFE CONSUMING FOOD CONTAMINATED WITH DIOXIN
2ESULTS FROM A VARIETY OF STUDIES OF THE GIVEN CONTAMINANT
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
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RECENTLY USING A SIMILAR APPROACH 4HE PAT TERN INDICATES A TREND OF INCREASING LOADINGS THROUGH THE S AND A DECREASE FROM THE
S TO DUE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A
NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND MORE STRIN
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%$)-%.4 4/8)#)49 3EDIMENT TOXICITY TESTING IS ONE WAY TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF $ATA !VAILABILITY MARINE SEDIMENTS 4YPICALLY TEST ORGANISMS ARE EXPOSED TO TEST AND REFERENCE SEDIMENTS FOR A PROSCRIBED NUMBER OF DAYS AND THEN THE SURVIVORS ARE COUNTED 'OOD 4HE RESULTS OF THESE TESTS CAN TELL US ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF SEDIMENT QUALITY ON THE HEALTH OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT BUT THEY DO NOT INDICATE THE IMPACT OF &AIR THESE SEDIMENTS ON HUMAN HEALTH
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/NE PROGRAM THAT HAS GENERATED SEDIMENT TOXICITY DATA IS 2 %-!0 DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY ON PAGE 4HIS PROGRAM EXPOSED AMPHIPODS FOR DAYS TO SEDIMENT SAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT SITES IN SIX BASINS .EW 9ORK "IGHT !PEX 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL
- AMAICA "AY 7ESTERN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND .EWARK "AY 2ARITAN "AY AND THE 5PPER (ARBOR%AST 2IVER AND TO CLEAN REFERENCE SEDIMENTS 4HE RESULTS ARE EXPRESSED AS AMPHIPOD SURVIVAL AS A PER CENTAGE OF THE SURVIVAL OBSERVED IN THE REFERENCE TANKS SUCH THAT IF THE SAME NUMBER OF AMPHIPODS SURVIVED IN THE TEST SEDIMENTS AND THE REFERENCE THE SCORE WOULD BE ! SCORE BELOW IS CONSIDERED TOXIC AND A SCORE BELOW
IS CONSIDERED HIGHLY TOXIC &IGURES ! AND " SHOW THE RESULTS OF THESE TESTS IN AND #LOSE UPS OF
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
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(IGHLY 4OXIC 4OXIC .ON 4OXIC
&IGURE Idm^X^inaZkZahd[CN$C? ! COMPARISON OF THE AND DATA REVEALS THAT THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY
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&..- 7 #I]ZWdiidbildbVehh]dl TOXIC SITES INCREASED FROM SITES OF THE SITES SAMPLED IN TO SITES ZcaVg\ZbZcihd[?VbV^XV7Vn^cZVX] OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SITES SAMPLED IN 4HE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBU nZVg JH:E6&..-W!6YVbh'%%' # TION OF hPROBLEM SPOTSv ALSO CHANGED SOMEWHAT 4HE AREA OF HIGHEST CONCERN IN n .EWARK "AY AND THE +ILLS n REMAINED SO IN BUT 2ARITAN "AY EXHIBITED FEWER TOXIC SITES AND TWO HIGHLY TOXIC SITES WERE REVEALED IN WESTERN
,ONG )SLAND 3OUND *AMAICA "AY IS AN AREA OF SERIOUS INCREASING CONCERN &OUR SITES IN THE "AY WERE CONSIDERED HIGHLY TOXIC IN AND SEVEN SITES WERE DETERMINED TO BE HIGHLY TOXIC IN
)T IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS SUGGESTS THAT THINGS MAY BE ON THE WRONG TRACK THE DIFFERENCES ARE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR ANY OF THE BASINS OR FOR THE HARBOR OVERALL SO THE DATA DO NOT INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT TREND IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION -ORE YEARS OF DATA NEED TO BE COLLECTED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF SEDIMENT TOXICITY IS REALLY GETTING BETTER OR WORSE IN THE ESTUARY
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR (UDSON
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4OXICITY TESTS DO NOT DETERMINE CAUSES OF THE OBSERVED TOXICITY !N INDIVIDUAL CHEMICAL OR A COMBINATION OF CHEMICALS COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM 3EDIMENT 4OXICITY )DENTIFICATION %VALUATIONS 4)%S ARE TESTS THAT CAN ISOLATE THE CAUSE OR CAUSES OF SEDIMENT TOXICITY MORE OF THIS TYPE OF WORK NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE ESTUARY
4HE .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION ./!! CONDUCTED A VARIETY OF TYPES OF SEDIMENT TOXICITY TESTING THROUGHOUT THE HARBOR IN
4HE FOUR TYPES OF TESTS WERE THE AMPHIPOD TOXICITY TEST USED BY 2 %-!0
MEASURING THE MORTALITY RATES AND DEVELOPMENT OF CLAM LARVAE AND
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,IKE THE 2 %-!0 RESULTS THIS ANALYSIS SHOWS .EWARK "AY AND THE +ILLS TO BE AREAS OF CONCERN WITH RESPECT TO SEDIMENT TOXICITY (OWEVER THE %AST 2IVER AND 3ANDY (OOK "AY ALSO APPEAR AS TOXIC IN THIS ANALYSIS *AMAICA "AY WAS NOT SAMPLED IN THIS PROGRAM
4AKEN TOGETHER THE 2 %-!0 AND ./!! SURVEYS SUGGEST THAT THERE IS SOME CONCERN ABOUT SEDIMENT TOXICITY IN MOST PARTS OF THE HARBOR 4HE SITES WITH THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TOXICITY ARE GENERALLY THOSE WITH CONSISTENT PATTERNS OF SURFACE SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS OF MANY CONTAMINANTS SEE THE DISCUSSION OF SEDI MENT CONTAMINATION ON PAGES n ./!! ALSO MEASURED CONCENTRATIONS OF A VARIETY OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE SEDIMENTS AT THEIR TOXICITY TESTING SITES AND FOUND CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF TOXICITY OBSERVED AND CONTAMINANT
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR CONCENTRATION &OR EXAMPLE THERE WAS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMPHI POD SURVIVAL IN THE TOXICITY TESTS AND THE CONCENTRATION OF TOTAL 0#"S IN THE SED IMENTS (OWEVER THESE ANALYSES AND CORRELATIONS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO PROVE THAT THESE SEDIMENT CONTAMINANTS CAUSED THE OBSERVED TOXICITY 4HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOXICITY AND CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATION IS THUS FAR CORRELATIVE AND NOT CAUSAL )N ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT EXACTLY IS CAUSING THE TOXICITY WHETHER IT IS A SINGLE CONTAMINANT OR THE ADDITIVE EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE CONTAMINANTS OR OTHER STRESSORS 4)%S MUST BE PERFORMED
0 #"S ). 342)0%$ "!33 4HE MOST RECOGNIZABLE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE (UDSON 2IVER %STUARYS FISH FAUNA IS PROBABLY THE STRIPED BASS A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE AQUATIC COMMUNITY ALONG THE ENTIRE %AST #OAST 7HEREVER IT IS FOUND AND REGULATIONS ALLOW THEM TO BE HARVESTED YOU CAN BE SURE THAT ENTHUSIASTIC ANGLERS AND COMMERCIAL FISHERS ARE NOT FAR BEHIND 4HE (UDSON 2IVERS STRIPED BASS POPULATION IS THE SECOND LARGEST ON THE %AST #OAST
5NFORTUNATELY AS WITH MANY OTHER FISH AND CRUSTACEAN SPECIES IN OUR ESTUARY THE FLESH OF STRIPED BASS IS CONTAMINATED WITH A VARIETY OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS INCLUDING 0#"S 0#"S OR POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS ARE A CLASS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USED IN A VARIETY OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS FROM THE S TO THE S MOST NOTABLY IN THE PRODUCTION OF CAPACITORS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT BY 'ENERAL %LECTRIC IN THE TOWNS OF &ORT %DWARD AND (UDSON &ALLS .9 $URING THOSE DECADES APPROXIMATELY MILLION POUNDS OF 0#"S WERE DISCHARGED TO THE RIVER FROM THE '% FACILITIES WHERE THEY SPREAD DOWN STREAM AND WERE FOUND IN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH LEVELS IN THE FLESH OF RESI DENT AND MIGRATORY FISHES #ONSEQUENTLY A BAN ON ALL FISHING WAS INSTITUTED IN A PORTION OF THE UPPER RIVER SUBSEQUENTLY MODIFIED TO CATCH AND RELEASE REGULATIONS IN THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY FOR STRIPED BASS WAS CLOSED AND HEALTH ADVISORIES ON CONSUMPTION OF STRIPED BASS AND OTHER SPECIES WERE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE ESTUARY
)N ADDITION TO THE '% FACILITIES THERE ARE SOURCES OF 0#"S IN THE HARBOR ITSELF WHICH ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING QUANTIFIED BY THE (%0S #ONTAMINANT
!SSESSMENT AND 2EDUCTION 0ROJECT 2ESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT ABOUT HALF OF THE LOADING OF 0#"S TO .EW 9ORK (ARBOR COMES OVER THE 4ROY DAM FROM THE '% SITE AND HALF IS FROM LOCAL SOURCES IN THE HARBOR COMPLEX
&IGURE SHOWS THAT LEVELS OF 0#"S IN STRIPED BASS GREATLY EXCEEDED PARTS PER MILLION THE &OOD AND $RUG !DMINISTRATION ACTION LIMIT FOR COMMERCIAL SALE OF FISH THE RED LINE ON THE GRAPH WHEN DATA WERE COLLECTED IN THE MID S
!S 0#"S WERE NO LONGER BEING ACTIVELY DISCHARGED TO THE RIVER LEVELS DECLINED IN STRIPED BASS THROUGHOUT THE S AND S )N 0#" LEVELS INCREASED AGAIN BECAUSE OF DOCUMENTED RELEASES OF 0#" BEARING OIL AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF
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,EVELS IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY HAVE CONTINUED TO DECREASE SINCE THE EARLY S AND IN THE LOWER ESTUARY AVERAGE CONCENTRATIONS ARE NOW BELOW THE &$! GUIDE LINE OF PARTS PER MILLION 4HESE RECENT LOWER LEVELS HAVE PROMPTED .EW 9ORK 3TATE TO BEGIN AN EVALUATION OF WHETHER THE CURRENT BAN ON THE COMMERCIAL HARVEST OF STRIPED BASS CAN BE LIFTED "OTH .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY CONTINUE TO ISSUE HEALTH ADVISORIES ON THE CONSUMPTION OF STRIPED BASS CAUGHT IN THE ESTUARY &OR A MORE COMPLETE DISCUSSION OF FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES SEE THE h#ONTAMINANTS IN &ISH 4ISSUEv SECTION OF THIS REPORT PAGE AND THE SIDEBAR ON CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES
0#" LEVELS IN STRIPED BASS STILL EXCEED OTHER GUIDANCE VALUES &OR EXAMPLE THE
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- ALCULATION OF THIS 3CREENING 6ALUE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT CURRENT TRENDS IN FISH CONSUMPTION COMBINED RISK ;dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc THROUGH CONSUMING MULTIPLE CONTAMINANTS AND OTHER PATHWAYS THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE CAN BE EXPOSED TO ABOUT 0#"S AND 0#"S IN 3TRIPED "ASS
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$ATA !VAILABILITY RANGES OF LEVELS OF A VARIETY OF CONTAMINANTS IN FISH AND SHELLFISH SPECIES IN THE
'OOD ESTUARY AS MEASURED IN )N MOST PLOTS THE VERTICAL LINE REPRESENTS THE LEVEL AT WHICH THE 53 &OOD AND $RUG !DMINISTRATION LIMITS COMMERCIAL SALE OF
&AIR FISH THE STATES GENERALLY USE THIS LEVEL AS WELL AS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CONDUCTING RISK ASSESSMENTS ON WHICH THEIR HEALTH ADVISORIES ARE BASED SEE PAGES n FOR A MORE COMPLETE DISCUSSION OF HEALTH ADVISORIES 4HE MEAN 0OOR VALUE MEASURED FOR THE GIVEN CONTAMINANT IN THAT SPECIES IS INDICATED BY THE GREEN BOX ON THE PLOT AND THE RANGE OF VALUES MEASURED IS INDICATED BY THE 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL HORIZONTAL LINE AND CIRCLES )F THE RANGE OF OBSERVED CONCENTRATIONS OF A GIVEN CHEMICAL DOES NOT EXCEED THE ESTABLISHED GUIDELINE THE VERTICAL LINE IN A PAR TICULAR SPECIES THERE IS LESS CAUSE FOR CONCERN THAN IF THE OBSERVED RANGE DOES EXCEED THE LIMIT BUT IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT CONSUMPTION OF FISH BELOW THOSE LEVELS IS RISK FREE .OTE THAT THE STATES HAVE NOT ISSUED HEALTH ADVISORIES FOR THE FLOUN DER SPECIES SEE TABLE ON PAGE &LOUNDERS TEND TO BE LOWER IN CONTAMINANT
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 3TRIPED BASS 3TRIPED BASS MM
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(")"-".#J9:: ffjh ::JYedY[djhWj_ed ffX
&IGURE 9^dm^c '!(!,!-"I899 aZkZah^chZaZXiZY[^c[^h]VcY &IGURE IdiVa99IaZkZah^chZaZXiZY[^c[^h]VcYXgjhiVXZVc
XgjhiVXZVcheZX^Zh[dgVaaVgZVhd[i]ZZhijVgnXdbW^cZY#GZYa^cZ heZX^Zh[dgVaaVgZVhd[i]ZZhijVgnXdbW^cZY#GZYa^cZ^cY^XViZh
^cY^XViZhCNH9D=a^b^i[dg^bedh^i^dcd[]ZVai]VYk^hdg^Zh#<gZZc ;96\j^YVcXZkVajZd['eeb[dgXdbbZgX^VahVaZ#<gZZcWdm
Wdm^cY^XViZhbZVc!\gZna^cZhVcYX^gXaZh^cY^XViZgVc\Zd[kVajZh ^cY^XViZhbZVc!\gZna^cZhVcYX^gXaZh^cY^XViZgVc\Zd[kVajZh
bZVhjgZY# H`^ccZgZiVa#&..,W # bZVhjgZY# H`^ccZgZiVa#&..+ #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR LEVELS PROBABLY IN PART BECAUSE THEY SPEND MORE 3TRIPED BASS OF THEIR TIME IN THE RELATIVELY CLEAN ,OWER "AY AND 3UMMER FLOUNDER "IGHT RATHER THAN IN THE MORE CONTAMINATED AREAS 7INDOWPANE FLOUNDER OF THE HARBOR
7INTER FLOUNDER
!LMOST ALL OF THE MEAN OBSERVED CONCENTRATIONS 7HITE PERCH THE BOXES ON THE PLOTS FALL BELOW THE ACTION LIMIT
!MERICAN EEL FOR THAT CHEMICAL WITH THE NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS OF "LUE CRAB DIOXIN 4#$$ AND 0#"S IN BLUE CRAB AND
(EPATOPANCREAS LOBSTER HEPATOPANCREAS THE GREEN SUBSTANCE COM
!MERICAN LOBSTER MONLY KNOWN AS hTOMALLEYv 4HE RANGES OF SOME
(EPATOPANCREAS CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS STILL INDICATE SOME "LUE CRAB CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN THE CASES OF CHLORDANE A
MUSCLE PESTICIDE IN WHITE PERCH AND BLUE CRAB HEPATO
!MERICAN LOBSTER PANCREAS MERCURY IN STRIPED BASS LARGER THAN
MUSCLE MM DIOXIN IN STRIPED BASS AND WHITE PERCH AND
0#"S IN STRIPED BASS LARGER THAN MM WINTER FLOUNDER AND WHITE PERCH 0#" RANGES FOR SUMMER 9^behZWd[YedY[djhWj_ed ffX FLOUNDER AND WINDOWPANE FLOUNDER ARE ALSO CLOSE TO THE ACTION LEVEL !MERICAN EEL EXCEED ALL OF THE
&IGURE IdiVa99IaZkZah^chZaZXiZY[^c[^h]VcYXgjhiVXZVcheZX^Zh[dgVaa GUIDELINES EXCEPT FOR MERCURY MOST LIKELY BECAUSE VgZVhd[i]ZZhijVgnXdbW^cZY#GZYa^cZ^cY^XViZh;96\j^YVcXZkVajZd['eeb
[dgXdbbZgX^VahVaZ#<gZZcWdm^cY^XViZhbZVc!\gZna^cZhVcYX^gXaZh^cY^XViZ AS BENTHIC SPECIES THEY LIVE IN CONSTANT CLOSE ASSO gVc\Zd[kVajZhbZVhjgZY# H`^ccZgZiVa&..+ # CIATION WITH CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS AND THEY DO NOT MIGRATE VERY FAR OUTSIDE A VERY SMALL HOME RANGE !S A RESULT EELS THAT LIVE IN CONTAMINATED AREAS TEND TO ACCUMULATE HIGH LEVELS OF CONTAMI NANTS AND DO NOT DEPURATE BY MIGRATING TO CLEANER
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc AREAS .OTE THAT WHILE THE LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS ABOUT #ONTAMINANTS IN &ISH IN CRAB AND LOBSTER HEPATOPANCREAS ARE HIGH THE AND #RUSTACEANS MUSCLE TISSUE LEVELS THE PARTS THAT ARE USUALLY EATEN ARE TOO LOW TO BE DETECTED #ONSEQUENTLY IT WWWEPAGOVOSTFISH IS ADVISABLE NOT TO EAT THE HEPATOPANCREAS OF LOCAL WWWHEALTHSTATENYUSNYSDOHFISHFISHHTM CRABS OR LOBSTERS
WWWSTATENJUSDEPDSRNJMAINFISHHTM WWWCARPWEBORG 4ABLE SUMMARIZES THE DATA ON THESE CONTAMI NANTS IN FISH AND SHELLFISH BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA WITHIN THE ESTUARY !N OPEN CIRCLE IN THIS FIGURE MEANS THAT NO SPECIES ARE ABOVE THE &$! OR .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH TOLERANCE LEVELS FOR THAT CHEMICAL IN THAT BASIN A HALF FILLED CIRCLE
- dg;jaa=ZVai]6Yk^hdg^Zh MEANS THAT ONE SPECIES IS ABOVE THE ACTION LIMIT AND A FILLED CIRCLE MEANS THAT TWO OR MORE SPECIES
'/ 4/ ARE ABOVE THE LIMIT FOR THAT CHEMICAL IN THAT BASIN
WWWHEALTHSTATENYUSNYSDOHFISHFISHHTM 4HE GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN WHICH THE MOST EXCEED
.EW 9ORK ADVISORIES AND ANCES WERE OBSERVED WAS THE .EWARK "AY+ILLS WWWSTATENJUSDEPDSRNJMAINFISHHTM COMPLEX WHILE THE "IGHT !PEX HAD THE FEWEST
.EW *ERSEY ADVISORIES EXCEEDANCES 4HE TABLE ALSO INDICATES THAT WHILE 0#"S AND CHLORDANE ARE OF WIDESPREAD CONCERN THROUGHOUT THE ESTUARY $$4 AND MERCURY ARE NOT OF MAJOR CONCERN IN TERMS OF LEVELS IN FISH AND DIOXIN IS OF CONCERN IN A FEW AREAS ALTHOUGH IT HAS
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 5PPER "AY (ARLEM +ILLS *AMAICA ,OWER .9 "IGHT
%AST 2IVER .EWARK "AY "AY "AY !PEX 0#"S
- HLORDANE
$$4
$IOXINS NS NS
-ERCURY
.O SPECIES SPECIES ABOVE OR MORE SPECIES NS .OT SAMPLED ABOVE ACTION LIMIT ACTION LIMIT ABOVE ACTION LIMIT 4ABLE >cX^YZcXZd[XdciVb^cVciaZkZah^c[^h]VcYXgjhiVXZVch#HeZX^Zh^cXajYZY^ci]^hVcVanh^hVgZWajZXgVW!6bZg^XVc
adWhiZg!l]^iZeZgX]!hig^eZYWVhh!6bZg^XVcZZa!l^ciZg[adjcYZgVcYl^cYdleVcZ[adjcYZg#=ZVai]VYk^hdg^ZhVgZ^cZ((ZXi^cVaad[
i]ZZhijVgnhZ\bZcih^ci]ZiVWaZ# H`^ccZgZiVa#&..,V!&..,W #
NOT BEEN MEASURED IN FISH FROM ALL BASINS OF THE ESTUARY 4HESE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE PATTERNS IN THE LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN THE SEDIMENTS IN THESE BASINS SEE PAGES n
4AKEN AS A WHOLE THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT WHILE THE LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN FISH AND SHELLFISH ARE GENERALLY START ING TO DECREASE REFLECTING THE REDUCTION IN LOADINGS OF THESE CHEMICALS TO THE ENVIRONMENT THERE ARE STILL SOME SPECIES CHEMICALS AND AREAS THAT ARE CAUSES FOR CONCERN WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN HEALTH (EALTH ADVISORIES ISSUED BY THE TWO STATES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED AND STEPS CAN BE TAKEN IN THE PREPARATION OF FISH AND SHELLFISH THAT WILL REDUCE THE RISK ASSOCI ATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF THESE SPECIES (OWEVER EVEN IN THOSE SPECIES WHERE AVERAGE CONTAMINANT LEVELS ARE BELOW THE ACTION LEVELS BODY BURDENS OF CONTAMINANTS MAY STILL POSE A HEALTH RISK TO PEOPLE IF THE FISH ARE EATEN AND MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ANIMALS THEMSELVES )N OTHER WORDS AN ACTION LIMIT IS NOT A hMAGICv LEVEL BELOW WHICH THERE IS NO IMPACT ON HUMANS OR THE ECOSYSTEM )N FACT AS DISCUSSED ON PAGE %0! HAS DEVELOPED A 3CREENING 6ALUE FOR LEVELS OF 0#"S IN FISH TISSUE FOR CONSUMPTION BY RECREATIONAL ANGLERS WHICH IS MUCH LOWER THAN THE &$! VALUE
&ISH #ONSUMPTION !DVISORIES IN THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY "ECAUSE OF THE ELEVATED LEVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN FISH AND EASE CAUSED BY THE FISH KNOWN HOT SPOTS OF CONTAMINATION SHELLFISH IN THE ESTUARY THE STATES OF .EW 9ORK AND .EW AND THE CONSUMPTION RATES OF ANGLERS WHICH ARE GENERALLY
- ERSEY BOTH ISSUE CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES FOR MANY RECRE GREATER THAN OTHERS RATES
ATIONALLY CAUGHT SPECIES OF FISH AND CRUSTACEANS
4HE STATE ADVISORIES THEREFORE PROVIDE GUIDANCE ABOUT THE 4HE STATES CONSIDER A VARIETY OF FACTORS IN FORMULATING THEIR AMOUNTS AND KINDS OF FISH CAUGHT IN SPECIFIC AREAS THAT CAN HEALTH ADVISORIES /NE IS HOW THE LEVELS OF 0#"S AND OTHER BE CONSUMED SAFELY )N ADDITION BOTH .EW 9ORK AND .EW CONTAMINANTS IN THE FISH FLESH COMPARE TO THE 53 &OOD AND *ERSEY ADVISE THAT WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE INFANTS AND
$RUG !DMINISTRATION ACTION LEVELS BY WHICH THE &$! REGU CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SHOULD NOT EAT ANY OF THE SPE LATES THE COMMERCIAL SALE OF FISH &OR A VARIETY OF REASONS IT CIES FROM ANY WATER BODIES FOR WHICH THERE ARE ADVISORIES
IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO USE ONLY THIS LEVEL AS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN DEVISING HEALTH ADVISORIES FOR SPORTFISH CONSUMP 4ABLE ON THE NEXT PAGE OUTLINES SOME OF THE FISH CONSUMP TION /THER FACTORS MUST ALSO BE CONSIDERED INCLUDING THE TION ADVISORIES ISSUED BY .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY FOR ESTU POTENTIAL ADDITIVE EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE CONTAMINANTS IN THE ARY WATERS IN
FISH THE VULNERABILITY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS TO DIS
4ABLE ;^h]8dchjbei^dc6Yk^hdg^ZhCNVcYC?
!REA 3PECIES NOTE NOT ALL .EW 9ORK !DVISORY .EW *ERSEY !DVISORY SPECIES UNDER ADVISORIES FOR CANCER RISK ARE LISTED HERE
%AST (ARLEM 2IVERS !MERICAN EEL %AT NONE .! NOT APPLICABLE
%AST (ARLEM 2IVERS "LUEFISH STRIPED BASS .O MORE THAN ONE .!
MEAL PER MONTH
- AMAICA "AY "LUEFISH !MERICAN EEL .O MORE THAN ONE .!
MEAL PER WEEK
- AMAICA "AY 3TRIPED BASS .O MORE THAN ONE .!
MEAL PER WEEK (UDSON 2IVER DOWNSTREAM OF !MERICAN EEL .O MORE THAN ONE .O MORE THAN ONE
- ATSKILL 5PPER "AY +ILLS MEAL PER MONTH MEAL PER YEAR (UDSON 2IVER DOWNSTREAM OF "LUEFISH .O MORE THAN ONE FISH LBS .O MORE THAN
- ATSKILL 5PPER "AY +ILLS MEAL PER MONTH MEALS PER YEAR FISH LBS .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER MONTH (UDSON 2IVER DOWNSTREAM OF 3TRIPED BASS .O MORE THAN ONE .O MORE THAN
- ATSKILL 5PPER "AY +ILLS MEAL PER MONTH MEALS PER YEAR
.EWARK "AY (ACKENSACK 3TRIPED BASS +ILLS .O MORE THAN ONE %AT NONE 2IVER +ILLS MEAL PER MONTH
.EWARK "AY (ACKENSACK "LUEFISH +ILLS .O MORE THAN ONE FISH LBS .O MORE THAN 2IVER +ILLS MEAL PER MONTH MEALS PER YEAR FISH LBS .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER MONTH
!RTHUR +ILL +ILL VAN +ULL "LUE CRAB .O MORE THAN CRABS PER WEEK %AT NONE DO NOT EAT HEPATOPANCREAS (UDSON 2IVER DOWNSTREAM OF "LUE CRAB .O MORE THAN CRABS PER WEEK .O MORE THAN CRABS PER WEEK
- ATSKILL 5PPER "AY +ILLS DO NOT EAT HEPATOPANCREAS DO NOT EAT HEPATOPANCREAS
,OWER "AY "LUEFISH !MERICAN EEL .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER WEEK "LUEFISH LBS .O MORE THAN
MEALS PER YEAR "LUEFISH LBS .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER MONTH EELS .O MORE THAN
MEALS PER YEAR
,OWER "AY 3TRIPED BASS .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER MONTH .O MORE THAN ONE
WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE AND MEAL PER MONTH AND CHILDREN UNDER %AT NONE
.EWARK "AY (ACKENSACK "LUE CRAB .! %AT NONE 0ASSAIC 2IVERS 0ASSAIC 2IVER DOWNSTREAM OF !LL SPECIES OF FISH AND .! %AT NONE
$UNDEE $AM SHELLFISH 2ARITAN "AY 2ARITAN 2IVER "LUEFISH .! FISH LBS .O MORE THAN 3ANDY (OOK "AY MEALS PER YEAR FISH LBS .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER MONTH 2ARITAN "AY 2ARITAN 2IVER 3TRIPED BASS .! .O MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER WEEK 3ANDY (OOK "AY 2ARITAN "AY 2ARITAN 2IVER "LUE CRAB .! .O MORE THEN CRABS PER WEEK
3ANDY (OOK "AY DO NOT EAT HEPATOPANCREAS
)N !DDITION TO THE CANCER RISK ADVISORIES SUMMARIZED HERE .EW *ERSEY ISSUES SEPARATE MORE RESTRICTIVE ADVISORIES FOR A LIFETIME CANCER RISK OF
AS WELL AS FOR HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS INFANTS CHILDREN PREGNANT WOMEN NURSING MOTHERS AND WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE 0LEASE GO TO THEIR WEB SITE
WWWSTATENJUSDEPDSRNJMAINFISHHTM FOR MORE DEAILED HEALTH ADVISORIES
.93$/( STRESSES THAT IN ADDITION TO THE WARNING FOR WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE INFANTS AND CHILDREN UNDER SEE BELOW OTHER PEOPLE ARE ADVISED TO EAT NO MORE THAN ONE MEAL PER WEEK OF UNLISTED SPECIES IN THESE .9 WATERS
)N ADDITION TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BOTH .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY ADVISE THAT WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE INFANTS AND CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SHOULD NOT EAT ANY OF THE SPECIES FROM ANY WATER BODIES FOR WHICH THERE ARE CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
0ATHOGENS
! #2%3 /& /0%. 3(%,,&)3( "%$3
&OR MORE THAN YEARS FROM THE TIME OF %UROPEAN SETTLEMENT OF THIS REGION CLAMS MUSSELS AND OYSTERS WERE A CRITICAL PART OF THE HARBORS ECONOMY AND OF THE DIETS OF LOCALS /YSTERS IN PAR TICULAR WERE SO LARGE AND PLENTIFUL IN THE HARBOR AREA THAT UNTIL THE MID S A MAJOR INDUSTRY IN THE HARBOR REGION WAS THE PROCESSING AND EXPORT OF OYSTERS 4HE MEATS OF h2OCKAWAYS v h*AMAICAS v AND h!MBOYSv WERE EAGERLY CONSUMED AND THE SHELLS WERE USED IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
(ARDSHELL AND SOFTSHELL CLAMS WERE ALSO IMPORTANT FISHERIES PARTICULARLY IN 2ARITAN "AY !S THE HUMAN POPULATION INCREASED IN
.EW 9ORK #ITY AND THE SURROUNDING REGION POLLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT BEGAN TO TAKE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
$ATA !VAILABILITY THEIR TOLL ON THE HARBORS WATER QUALITY AND ON LOCAL SHELLFISHERIES !LTHOUGH OVERHARVESTING AND LOW DIS
'OOD SOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS IN THE WATER DUE TO DISCHARGE OF RAW SEWAGE TO THE HARBOR CAUSED THE DECLINE OF SHELLFISH
&AIR POPULATIONS IN THE ESTUARY ULTIMATELY THE INDUSTRY WAS DEVASTATED WHEN CASES OF TYPHOID IN THE REGION WERE 0OOR LINKED TO CONTAMINATED OYSTERS IN
7ITH THE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWAGE TREATMENT AND 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL WATER QUALITY THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE PAST YEARS SOME AREAS ARE ONCE AGAIN AVAILABLE FOR EITHER DIRECT SHELLFISH HARVEST OR RELAY HARVESTED SHELLFISH ARE PLACED IN CLEAN WATERS TO PURGE THEMSELVES OF CONTAMINANTS BEFORE BEING SOLD OR CONSUMED OR DEPURATION HARVEST
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ED SHELLFISH ARE PLACED IN TANKS OF CLEANED TREATED SEA ABOUT 3HELLFISH AND 3HELLFISH "EDS WATER TO REMOVE CONTAMINANTS FROM THE SHELLFISH BEFORE THEY ARE SOLD 3TATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NOW ASSESS (EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK BY *OHN 7ALDMAN ,YONS THE SUITABILITY OF SHELLFISH BEDS FOR HARVEST ON THE BASIS 0RESS
OF A VARIETY OF FACTORS PRIMARILY LEVELS OF COLIFORM BACTE 4HE &ISHERIES OF 2ARITAN "AY BY #LYDE , -AC+ENZIE RIA FOUND IN THE WATER /THER FACTORS SUCH AS HISTORICAL
- R 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS OR PRESENCE OF OTHER POLLUTANTS WWWHARBORESTUARYORGPDFHEPSHELLFISHPDF ALSO INFLUENCE THESE DECISIONS )N .EW 9ORK hADMIN WWWSTATENJUSDEPFGWSHELHOMEHTM ISTRATIVE CLOSURESv BASED NOT ON BACTERIAL MEASURE WWWDECSTATENYUSWEBSITEDFWMRMARINESHELLFISH MENTS BUT ON CIRCUMSTANCES KNOWN TO CAUSE SHELLFISH WWWHSRLRUTGERSEDU TO BECOME CONTAMINATED ARE MAINTAINED YEAR ROUND WWWNYNJBAYKEEPERORGOYSTER?GARDENHTM NEAR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS AND NEAR MARINAS IN THE BOATING SEASON !DMINISTRATIVE CLOSURES ARE ALSO ISSUED IN SOME AREAS AFTER HEAVY RAINFALLS BACTERIAL SAMPLING IS CONDUCTED IN THESE CASES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHEN A BED SHOULD BE REOPENED !LTHOUGH THERE ARE SMALL DIF FERENCES IN THE WAYS IN WHICH THE TWO STATES DETERMINE D[m@[hi[oIjWj[m_Z[ WHETHER SHELLFISH BEDS SHOULD BE CLOSED TO HARVEST BOTH
Cedcekj^9ekdjo STATES FOLLOW THE .ATIONAL 3HELLFISH 3ANITATION 0ROGRAM GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR MONITORING
SHELLFISH BEDS
OF ALL AVAILABLE WATERS
&IGURE SHOWS THE PERCENT OF AVAILABLE SHELLFISH BED
AREA OPEN TO HARVEST IN THE STATE OF .EW *ERSEY FROM THE MID S TO 4HE INCREASING TREND IN OPEN
ACREAGE STATEWIDE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO BETTER WATER QUALITY MOSTLY DUE TO IMPROVED SEWAGE TREATMENT
/PEN BED ACREAGE IN -ONMOUTH #OUNTY .AVESINK
AND 3HREWSBURY 2IVERS 3ANDY (OOK AND 2ARITAN "AYS HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE OVER THE PERIOD SHOWN
-ANY OF THE CONTINUING CLOSURES ARE DUE TO A VARIETY
OF GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS PRESENCE OF #3/S HISTORICAL CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION IN ADDITION TO POOR
&IGURE EZgXZcid[VkV^aVWaZh]Zaa[^h]WZYhdeZc[dg]VgkZhi^c
CZl?ZghZn!hiViZl^YZVcY^cBdcbdji]8djcinVadcZ!&.,,*'%%% WATER QUALITY FOR EXAMPLE HAVING CHARACTERISTICS SUCH
:^hZaZ'%%%!CN$C?=:E'%%'W # AS LOW DISSOLVED OXYGEN OR HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR COLIFORM BACTERIA 3OME AREAS ARE CLOSED PERMANENTLY
FOR EXAMPLE PARTS OF THE 3HREWSBURY AND .AVESINK 2IVERS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REASONS SUCH AS INSUFFICIENT
- ONSERVATION /FFICERS TO PATROL AND ENFORCE REGULATIONS IN THOSE AREAS 4HERE ARE SEVERAL SUCCESS STORIES IN .EW
- ERSEY WATERS INCLUDING THE REOPENING OF AREAS OF THE LOWER .AVESINK IN AFTER HAVING BEEN CLOSED TO 7jbWdj_YEY[Wd SHELLFISHING FOR YEARS M[ij[hdBed]?ibWdZIekdZ C_Z#[ijkWhoWdZDO%D@>WhXeh
&IGURE SHOWS THE PERCENT OF AVAILABLE SHELLFISH BED
AREA OPEN FOR HARVEST IN THREE .EW 9ORK WATER BODIES
.EW 9ORK "IGHT 7ESTERN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND AND THE
OF ALL AVAILABLE WATERS ESTUARY FROM 0EEKSKILL TO THE HARBOR "ECAUSE OF CON
CERNS ABOUT PERSISTENT WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS AND OTHER POLLUTION PROBLEMS DIRECT HARVEST IE WITHOUT RELAY OR
DEPURATION OF SHELLFISH IS NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE IN THE HARBOR ITSELF /VER THE TIME PERIOD DEPICTED THE ACREAGE
OF SHELLFISH BEDS OPEN HAS REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE
&IGURE SHOWS THE SIZE OF THE RELAY FISHERIES IN EACH STATE THE 2ARITAN 3ANDY (OOK "AY FISHERY IN .EW *ERSEY FROM THE S TO THE LATE S AND THE 3TATEN )SLAND
HARD CLAM RELAY FISHERY FROM THE LATE S TO &OR
.EW 9ORK THE ORANGE PORTION OF THE LINE SHOWS BUSHELS
&IGURE EZgXZcid[VkV^aVWaZh]Zaa[^h]WZYhdeZc[dg]VgkZhi^c
OF CLAMS THAT WERE DEPURATED OR HARVESTED FROM THE CZlNdg`^ci]gZZVgZVh!&.,%*'%%% AZl^h'%%%!7VgcZh'%%% #
ENVIRONMENT AND THEN PLACED IN TANKS ON LAND TO CLEANSE THEMSELVES FOR HOURS 4HE DEPURATION PROCESS WAS NOT USED AFTER FOR ECONOMIC REASONS 3TARTING IN
THE GREEN PORTION OF THE LINE CLAMS HAVE BEEN HARVESTED FROM 2ARITAN "AY AND RELAYED TO AREAS IN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND AND 0ECONIC "AY FOR A DO:[fkhWj[Z D@H[bWo[Z :[fkhWj[Z MINIMUM DAY CLEANSING PERIOD /VER TIME DOH[bWo[Z THE AMOUNT OF CLAMS ANNUALLY TRANSPLANTED FROM 3TATEN )SLAND HAS RISEN FROM ABOUT BUSH
ELS TO MORE THAN BUSHELS )N .EW *ERSEY
OF ALL AVAILABLE WATERS THE AMOUNT OF CLAMS DEPURATED AND RELAYED HAS
GROWN FROM BUSHELS TO ABOUT
BUSHELS
'ENERALLY SPEAKING AS WATER QUALITY HAS
IMPROVED MORE HARVESTING PARTICULARLY UNDER
THE RELAYDEPURATION PROGRAM HAS TAKEN PLACE IN BOTH STATES EITHER BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME
SAFER TO CONSUME SHELLFISH FROM THE ESTUARY OR BECAUSE IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER QUALITY HAVE
LED TO INCREASES IN SHELLFISH POPULATIONS AND
INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HARVESTING SHELLFISH COMMERCIALLY &IGURE GZaVnVcYYZejgVi^dcXaVb[^h]Zg^Zh^cCZlNdg`VcY
CZl?ZghZn!&.,-*'%%& hZZiZmi[dgZmeaVcVi^dcd[i]ZhZegVXi^XZh
:^hZaZ'%%%!AZl^h'%%%!7VgcZh'%%%!CN$C?=:E'%%'W #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
'OOD
&AIR
$ATA !VAILABILITY
$ )3%!3% ,).+%$ 4/
- /.4!-).!4%$ 3(%,,&)3(
4HE DECLINE OF THE SHELLFISHING INDUSTRY IN THE HARBOR PARTICULARLY T H E OYSTER FISHERY WAS HASTENED WHEN OUTBREAKS OF TYPHOID IN THE AREA WERE LINKED TO CONSUMPTION OF CONTAMINATED OYSTERS SEE THE SECTION ON SHELLFISH BEDS PAGE )N A TYPHOID OUTBREAK WAS TRACED TO OYSTERS HARVESTED FROM 2ARITAN "AY 4HIS OUTBREAK CAUSED ILLNESSES AND DEATHS !S 0OOR A RESULT THE 3URGEON 'ENERAL OF THE 53 ESTABLISHED THE .ATIONAL 3HELLFISH 3ANITATION 0ROGRAM .330 IN TO CLASSIFY SHELLFISH WATERS INSPECT SHELL FISH DEALERS AND ADDRESS THE PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH SHELLFISH 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL HARVEST
-OST OF THE SHELLFISH THAT PEOPLE EAT ARE FILTER FEEDERS MEANING THAT THEY PUMP WATER THROUGH THEIR SYSTEM TO FILTER OUT PHYTOPLANKTON MICROSCOPIC PLANTS AS THEIR FOOD SOURCE )N POLLUTED WATERS THEY MAY ALSO FILTER AND ACCUMULATE CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS DISEASE CAUSING BACTERIA AND VIRUSES 4HESE DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS WHICH USUALLY COME FROM HUMAN SEWAGE SOURCES SUCH AS COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS ILLEGAL SEWER BYPASSES SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT MALFUNCTIONS AND BOAT DISCHARGES CAN BECOME CONCENTRATED IN THE GUTS OF THE SHELLFISH AND ULTIMATELY CAUSE A VARIETY OF ILLNESSES IN HUMANS 4HESE ILLNESSES INCLUDE TYPHOID FEVER AND CHOLERA CAUSED BY BACTERIA AND VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS AND HEPATITIS CAUSED BY VIRUSES 7ITH THE ADVENT OF ADVANCED SEWAGE TREAT MENT IN THE PAST YEARS SOURCES HAVE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED AS HAS THE RISK OF BECOMING SICK FROM EATING SHELLFISH GROWN IN HARBOR WATERS
)T IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT EVEN SHELLFISH HARVESTED FROM SEEMINGLY PRISTINE WATERS IF CONSUMED RAW CAN CAUSE DISEASE IF THEY HAVE BEEN FEEDING ON DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS OR IF THEY ARE MISHANDLED AND CONTAMINATED AFTER THEY ARE HARVESTED #ONSUMPTION OF ANY RAW SHELLFISH REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT WAS HARVESTED CARRIES SOME 4YPHOID (EPATITIS RISK WHICH CAN BE REDUCED BUT NOT NECESSARILY ELIMINATED BY COOKING
,AST APPEARANCE &IGURE SHOWS THE HISTORY OF
OF TYPHOID OCCURRENCE OF TWO OF THE MOST SERI
.UMBER OF CASES
OUS SHELLFISH ASSOCIATED DISEASES
&IRST APPEARANCE TYPHOID AND HEPATITIS CAUSED BY OF HEPATITIS CONSUMPTION OF SHELLFISH IN .EW 9ORK
AND .EW *ERSEY FROM THE EARLY S
UNTIL )N MANY CASES THE SOURCE OF THE SHELLFISH WAS UNKNOWN BUT
WAS OFTEN SUSPECTED TO BE FROM .EW
9ORK .EW *ERSEY OR #ONNECTICUT
4HE LAST KNOWN TYPHOID CASE WAS IN
S S S S S S S S S S
AND THE CASES OF HEPATITIS THE
&IGURE >cX^YZcXZd[ine]d^YVcY]ZeVi^i^higVXZYidi]ZXdchjbei^dc$]VcYa^c\d[ FIRST KNOWN APPEARANCE OF WHICH XdciVb^cViZYh]Zaa[^h]a^`Zan[gdbCZlNdg`!CZl?ZghZndg8dccZXi^Xji!&.%%h*&..%h WAS IN HAVE BEEN FEW
=dgc&..%!Lda['%%& #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
.UMBER OF OUTBREAKS
&IGURE >cX^YZcXZd[h]Zaa[^h]"
gZaViZY^aacZhh^cCZlNdg`HiViZ!
&.-%*&... =daXdbW'%%% #
&IGURE SUMMARIZES ANOTHER DATA SET COMPILED BY THE .EW 9ORK 3TATE
$EPARTMENT OF (EALTH ON SHELLFISH ASSOCIATED ILLNESS MOST COMMONLY GASTRO ENTERITIS RECORDED IN .EW 9ORK 3TATE FROM TO 4HE SOURCES OF THE SHELLFISH THAT INDUCED THESE OUTBREAKS IS FREQUENTLY UNKNOWN AND MAY NOT BE LOCAL IN MANY CASES -OST OF THE OUTBREAKS RESULTED FROM CONSUMP TION OF ,ONG )SLAND CLAMS AND THE SOURCE OF THE ILLNESSES IN WAS MOST FREQUENTLY TRACED TO 2HODE )SLAND SHELLFISH 4HE OUTBREAK WAS TRACED TO SHELLFISH FROM /YSTER "AY ,ONG )SLAND 4HE INCIDENCE OF REPORTED ILLNESS HAS DROPPED MARKEDLY SINCE ITS PEAK IN $ECREASES IN SHELLFISH ASSOCIATED DISEASE COULD BE DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING BETTER SEWAGE TREATMENT LEADING TO REDUCTIONS IN CONCENTRATIONS OF DISEASE CAUSING MICROORGANISMS MORE RESTRICTIONS ON HARVEST OF SHELLFISH FROM CONTAMINATED AREAS AND MORE AWARENESS AMONG THE PUBLIC AS TO THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMING RAW SHELLFISH
/NE IMPORTANT CAVEAT ABOUT THE DATA PRESENTED HERE 3HELLFISH RELATED ILLNESS IS PROBABLY UNDER REPORTED AND IS LIKELY TO BE MISDIAGNOSED WHEN IT IS REPORTED BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE NON SPECIFIC 7HILE THE INCIDENCE OF SHELLFISH ASSOCIATED DISEASE IS MUCH LOWER IN RECENT YEARS AS COMPARED TO THE S AND PREVIOUS YEARS IT MAY BE THAT THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS OF CASES IN EACH YEAR ARE HIGHER THAN REPORTED
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ABOUT 3HELLFISH AND $ISEASE
!LTHOUGH SHELLFISH BEDS ARE MONITORED CAREFULLY FOR (EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK BY *OHN 7ALDMAN PATHOGENIC CONTAMINATION THE LEVELS OF CHEMICAL CON ,YONS 0RESS
TAMINANTS IN SHELLFISH ARE NOT AS WELL STUDIED WWWCFSANFDAGOV^MOWCHAPHTML WWWCDCGOV WWW SEAFOODUCDAVISEDU
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
'OOD
&AIR
$ATA !VAILABILITY
, %6%,3 /& #/,)&/2- "!#4%2)!
"ACTERIA ARE ALL AROUND US IN THE AIR IN THE WATER AND EVEN IN THE FOOD WE EAT -OST BACTERIA ENCOUNTERED ON A DAILY BASIS ARE HARMLESS OR EVEN BENEFICIAL AND NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN LIFE (OWEVER THE PRES ENCE OF SOME BACTERIA NAMELY FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN ESTUARY WATERS IS AN INDICATOR OF FECAL WASTE AND THEREFORE SUGGESTS THAT OTHER MORE DANGEROUS PATHOGENS MAY BE PRESENT 4HESE PATHOGENS CAN BE A THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH 0OOR IF WE EAT SHELLFISH THAT HAVE BEEN INGESTING THEM SEE THE DISCUSSION OF SHELLFISH BED CLOSURES BEGINNING ON PAGE OR SOMETIMES IF WE SWIM IN SEWAGE CON TAMINATED WATERS 4HE MOST COMMON RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO THESE PATHOGENS IS 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL GASTROENTERITIS BUT MORE SERIOUS CONDITIONS CAN ALSO RESULT FROM EXPOSURE TO SEWAGE SEE THE DISCUSSION OF SHELLFISH RELATED ILLNESS ON BEGINNING PAGE
"EFORE THERE WERE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS RAW SEWAGE WAS DISPOSED OF DIRECTLY INTO OUR WATERWAYS AND FECAL COLIFORM AND OTHER PATHOGEN LEVELS WERE VERY HIGH .OW THAT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED AND UPGRADED THE MAIN SOURCE OF COLIFORM BACTERIA TO THE ESTUARY IS COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS #3/S ROUTE A MIXTURE OF RAW SEWAGE AND STREET RUNOFF DIRECTLY INTO THE ESTUARY DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER RAIN EVENTS WHEN THE PROCESSING CAPACITY OF THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS IS EXCEEDED /THER SOURCES INCLUDE ILLEGAL SEWAGE CONNECTIONS SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT BYPASSES WHICH SOME TIMES ARE DUE TO PLANT MALFUNCTIONS OR CONSTRUCTION AT PLANTS SOME INPUTS FROM THE PLANTS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY STORM WATER OUTFALLS NON POINT SOURCES SUCH AS STORM RUNOFF AND LEAKING SEPTIC TANKS AND IN SOME AREAS EXCESSIVE WILDLIFE WASTE
&IGURE SHOWS THE MEAN CONCENTRATION OF FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN THE HARBOR AS MEASURED DURING FOUR YEARS BY THE .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF
%NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION .9#$%0 4HE PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT IN COLI FORM LEVELS IS CLEAR FROM THESE FOUR TIME PERIODS WHICH REPRESENT FOUR PHASES IN SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN .EW 9ORK #ITY )N
MANY SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS IN THE .EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY AREA WERE NOT YET UPGRADED TO SECONDARY TREATMENT MEANING THAT RAW SEWAGE CONTIN UED TO BE DISCHARGED IN SOME LOCATIONS AND DISINFECTION WAS SPORADIC !T THIS TIME MOST AREAS EXCEEDED BACTERIAL STANDARDS FOR EITHER FISHING OR BATHING
)N SOME UPGRADES HAD BEEN MADE TO EXISTING PLANTS BUT TWO OF THE
- ITYS PLANTS WERE NOT YET BUILT .ORTH 2IVER AND 2ED (OOK )N THE LARGE IMPROVEMENTS DUE TO THE OPERATION OF THOSE TWO PLANTS WHICH ENDED THE DIS CHARGE OF APPROXIMATELY MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OF UNTREATED SEWAGE FROM
-ANHATTAN AND "ROOKLYN CAN BE SEEN &URTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PLANTS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS OF ILLEGAL DISCHARGES AND INCREASED MAINTENANCE OF THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM CAUSED MEAN COLIFORM LEVELS TO DROP EVEN FURTHER AS SHOWN IN THE PANEL
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
7%34#(%34%2 7%34#(%34%2
- /5.49 #/5.49 0RE 70#0 5PGRADES 0OST 70#0 5PGRADE BUT
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5NIT &ECAL #OLIFORM #ELLSM, n n .OT MEASURED
&IGURE HjbbZg\ZdbZig^XbZVchd[[ZXVaXda^"
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hZaZXiZYnZVgh CN89:E&..- #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
&IGURE SHOWS A MORE DETAILED RECORD OF FECAL COLIFORM DENSITIES FOR n
FOR THREE COASTAL SITES IN .EW 9ORK AND THREE IN .EW *ERSEY OUTSIDE OF THE HARBOR CORE AREA #ONCENTRATIONS OF COLIFORM AT THESE COASTAL SITES WERE UNIFORMLY LOWER THAN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE HARBOR SEE &IGURE AND VARIED ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR &ECAL COLIFORM CONCENTRATIONS ALONG THE COAST ARE INFLUENCED BY SEVERAL FACTORS CONCENTRATIONS IN WATERS FLOWING OUT OF THE HARBOR LOCAL STORM WATER DISCHARGES RUNOFF FROM THE LAND CONTRIBUTIONS OF BIRD AND OTHER ANIMAL WASTES OCCASIONAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT MALFUNC TIONS AND DISCHARGES RELATED TO RAINFALL WHEN FECAL COLIFORM GETS WASHED INTO LOCAL WATERS ,EVELS OF COLIFORM AT THESE SITES GENERALLY DECREASED BETWEEN
AND THE MID S THEN INCREASED AGAIN IN SOME AREAS MOST NOTABLY 2OCKAWAY 0OINT .9 AND -ANASQUAN )NLET .* )N NO YEAR AT ANY OF THE SITES DID THE DENSITY OF COLIFORM APPROACH THE 3TATES GUIDELINE USED IN MAKING BEACH CLOSURE DETERMINATIONS OF FECAL COLIFORM CELLS PER ML OF WATER
7HILE FECAL COLIFORM IS THE MOST COMMONLY MONITORED INDICATOR OF FECAL CONTAMINATION IT HAS CERTAIN LIMITATIONS &OR EXAMPLE IT CANNOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONTAMINATION SOURCES BUT IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT HUMAN FECAL CONTAMINATION POSES A MUCH GREATER HUMAN HEALTH RISK TO BATHERS AND SHELLFISH EATERS THAN ANIMAL WASTE 4HE PRESENCE OF FECAL COLIFORM ALSO DOES NOT CORRELATE WELL WITH THE LEVELS OF HUMAN FECAL VIRUSES WHICH MAY BE MORE OF A CONCERN WITH RESPECT TO DISEASE THAN BACTERIA &OR THESE REASONS
.*$%0 HAS CONDUCTED RESEARCH INTO THE UTILITY OF MONITORING AN ALTERNATE INDI CATOR COLIPHAGES WHICH ARE VIRUSES THAT INFECT ONE SPECIES OF COLIFORM BAC TERIA 4HE RESULTS OF THIS WORK ARE PROMISING BUT MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE THIS METHOD BECOMES
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc WIDELY USED 2ECENT FEDERAL LEGISLATION THE "EACHES
%NVIRONMENTAL !SSESSMENT AND #OASTAL (EALTH "%!#(
ABOUT #OLIFORM "ACTERIA !CT WILL REQUIRE COASTAL STATES TO MONITOR ENTEROCOCCUS
.9#$%0 ANNUAL (ARBOR 3URVEY REPORT AVAILABLE FROM BACTERIA A MORE RELIABLE AND SENSITIVE INDICATOR AS THE
$%0 AT OR WWWCINYCNYUSHTMLDEP PRIMARY INDICATOR FOR SWIMMING WATERS WITHIN THREE HOMEHTML YEARS .EW *ERSEY IS ALREADY EXAMINING THIS INDICATOR WWWEPAGOVREGIONDESANYBIGHT BUT IT IS NOT YET USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER BEACHES SHOULD BE CLOSED
IWdZo>eea"D@ HeYaWmWoFe_dj"Do
.UMBER OF CELLS ML WATER
7iXkhoFWha"D@ Bed]8[WY^"DO CWdWigkWd?db[j"D@ @ed[i8[WY^"DO
&IGURE 6kZgV\Z[ZXVaXda^[dgbXdcXZcigVi^dchVi
h^iZhdcAdc\>haVcY!CNVcYi]ZCZl?ZghZn8dVhi!
SEASONAL AVERAGE
&.-.*&... JH:E6GZ\^dc'&.-.*&... #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
" %!#( #,/352%3
)F YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE hGOING TO THE BEACHv IN THE .EW 9ORK
.EW *ERSEY REGION MOST LIKELY YOU MEAN YOU ARE HEADING TO THE
- ERSEY 3HORE TO ONE OF THE WELL KNOWN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUTH 3HORE BEACHES SUCH AS *ONES "EACH OR PERHAPS TO ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND %XCEPT FOR #ONEY )SLAND .EW 9ORK #ITY AND THE HARBOR GENERALLY ARE NOT CONSIDERED PRIME BATHING DESTINA
'OOD
$ATA !VAILABILITY TIONS (OWEVER THERE ARE SEVERAL BEACHES IN AND NEAR THE ESTUARY THAT WITH
&AIR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE BECOMING MORE ATTRACTIVE AS CONVENIENTLY ACCESSIBLE SWIMMING HOLES !FTER HAVING BEEN CLOSED FOR DECADES BECAUSE OF WATER QUALITY CONCERNS SOME .EW 9ORK #ITY BEACHES 0OOR NOTABLY 3EAGATE "EACH ON #ONEY )SLAND AND 3OUTH AND -IDLAND "EACHES ON 3TATEN )SLAND 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL HAVE OPENED AGAIN FOR SWIMMING IN RECENT YEARS
3OME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SWIMMING OFF 0IER IN THE (UDSON 2IVER IN RECENT YEARS AND THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING SWIM MING BEACHES OR FLOATING POOLS AT OTHER POINTS ALONG THE (UDSON IN -ANHATTAN
2ESPONSIBILITY FOR MONITORING THE WATER QUALITY OF BATHING BEACHES IN THE ESTUARY LIES WITH A NUMBER OF AGENCIES ALL OF WHOM USE DIFFERENT TESTS CRITERIA AND ADVISORIES IN THEIR MONITORING PROGRAMS .EW *ERSEY HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BEACH MONITORING PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY ALL MILES OF OCEAN AND BAY BEACHES ARE MONITORED FOR FECAL COLIFORM ONCE PER WEEK DURING THE SUMMER )T IS THE ONLY STATE TO HAVE A STATEWIDE MANDATORY BEACH PROTECTION PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES A BACTERIAL STANDARD TESTING PROTOCOL AND MANDATORY CLOSURE REQUIRE MENTS .EW *ERSEYS BEACH MONITORING PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN THE SAME SINCE
.EW 9ORK DOES NOT HAVE A MANDATORY BEACH MONITORING PROGRAM BUT THE $EPARTMENTS OF (EALTH OF ALL COASTAL COUNTIES IN .EW 9ORK INCLUDING .EW 9ORK #ITY DO CONDUCT ROUTINE BACTERIAL TESTING AT ALL PUBLIC BEACHES )N MANY AREAS AUTOMATIC PREEMPTIVE CLOSINGS ARE ALSO ISSUED AFTER HEAVY RAINFALL
7HAT MAKES IT UNSAFE TO SWIM AT A CLOSED BEACH -OST BEACH CLOSURES ARE DUE TO PATHOGEN CONTAMINATED STORM WATER RUNOFF OR COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS WHICH RELEASE UNTREATED SEWAGE INTO OUR WATERWAYS WHEN IT RAINS 0ATHOGENS INCLUDING VIRUSES FROM RAW SEWAGE OR RUNOFF CAN CAUSE GASTROENTERITIS WHICH IS ACTUALLY AN UMBRELLA NAME FOR A VARIETY OF ILLNESSES THAT CAUSE VOMITING STOMACH ACHE OR RELATED SYMPTOMS OR OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES SUCH AS HEPA TITIS AND SALMONELLOSIS ! FEW BEACH CLOSURES HAVE OCCURRED FOR OTHER ISOLATED REASONS SUCH AS SEWER LINE BREAKS AND OIL SPILLS !LTHOUGH SOME OCEAN BEACH ES IN .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY WERE CLOSED AFTER WASH UPS OF MEDICAL WASTE IN THE LATE S THESE INCIDENTS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND THE RISK TO SWIMMERS OF ANY KIND OF INFECTION FROM THEM IS EXTREMELY SMALL SEE THE &LOATABLES INDICATOR DISCUSSION PAGE
&IGURE SHOWS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BEACH CLOSURES AT OCEAN AND BAY BEACHES OF -ONMOUTH #OUNTY .EW *ERSEY FROM TO &IGURE SHOWS BEACH
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR CLOSURES AND ADVISORIES FOR SOME .EW 9ORK #ITY BOROUGHS AND 7ESTCHESTER AND .ASSAU #OUNTIES .EW 9ORK .OTE THAT .EW
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc 9ORK #ITY HAS A STANDING RAINFALL ADVISORY FOR ALL "RONX 1UEENS AND 3TATEN )SLAND BEACHES WHICH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOTALS ABOUT "EACH #LOSURES ON THE GRAPH 4HERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A CLEAR TREND IN THE WWWEPAGOV/34BEACHESTECHNICALHTML NUMBER OF BEACH CLOSURES FOR EITHER STATE OVER THE TIME PERIOD WWWNRDCORGWATEROCEANSTTWTITINXASP SHOWN HERE MOST LIKELY BECAUSE SO MANY FACTORS COMBINE TO WWWNJGOVDEPBEACHES INFLUENCE BACTERIAL CONCENTRATIONS AND BECAUSE ADVISORY STAN WWWHARBORESTUARYORGPDFHEP?BEACHES?PDF DARDS CHANGE OVER THE YEARS n THE NUMBER OF BEACHES MONI TORED OR THE REQUIRED DURATION OF AN ADVISORY CAN CHANGE FOR EXAMPLE ALTHOUGH AS NOTED ABOVE .EW *ERSEYS MONITORING PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN THE SAME SINCE
4HE "%!#( !CT DESCRIBED ON PAGE
WILL REQUIRE ALL COASTAL STATES TO EY[Wd8[WY^[i IMPLEMENT CONSISTENT AND RIGOR 8Wo8[WY^[i OUS BEACH MONITORING CLOSURE AND
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION PROGRAMS BASED ON MONITORING LEVELS OF ENTEROCOC CUS BACTERIA %NTEROCOCCI HAVE
.UMBER OF CLOSURES BEEN MORE CLOSELY CORRELATED WITH GASTROENTERITIS IN SWIMMERS THAN FECAL COLIFORM AND THUS WILL BE A
BETTER INDICATOR OF HEALTH RISK .OT ONLY WILL BEACH MONITORING PROTO COLS BECOME MORE CONSISTENT AND
STRINGENT BUT THE "%!#( !CT ALSO REQUIRES %0! TO MAINTAIN A NATIONAL DATABASE OF BEACH WATER QUALITY
INFORMATION SO TRACKING THIS INDI CATOR SHOULD BECOME EASIER IN THE COMING YEARS
&IGURE CjbWZghd[dXZVcVcYWVn
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&.-.*&... CG98&..&*&... #
.UMBER OF CLOSURES
&IGURE CjbWZgd[WZVX]XadhjgZh^cCZlNdg`8^in
VcYLZhiX]ZhiZgVcYCVhhVj8djci^Zh!CN!&.-.*&..-#
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&..&*&... #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
&LOATABLE $EBRIS
& ,/!4!",% $%"2)3
!LTHOUGH DEBRIS IN OUR WATERWAYS AND ON BEACHES OFTEN CALLED hFLOATABLESv RARELY POSES AN IMMEDIATE PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT TRASH IN THE ENVIRONMENT IS UNSIGHTLY OFFEN SIVE AND AFFECTS OUR QUALITY OF LIFE 4HE PER CEIVED HEALTH THREAT POSED BY SOME FLOAT ABLES SUCH AS THE MEDICAL WASTE FOUND ON AREA BEACHES IN AND CAN HAVE TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC IMPACT THE ECONOMIC LOSSES DUE TO THE .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY BEACH CLOSURES IN AND ARE ESTIMAT ED TO HAVE BEEN BETWEEN MILLION AND
BILLION IN .EW *ERSEY AND MILLION AND
BILLION IN .EW 9ORK )N ADDITION FLOATABLES CAN POSE HAZARDS TO NAVIGATION IF BOATS HIT LARGE OBJECTS OR SUCK SMALLER ONES INTO
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR ENGINES AND PROPELLERS AND TO WILDLIFE WHICH CAN BECOME ENTANGLED IN FISHING GEAR OR CAN DIE FROM INGESTING SOME KINDS OF DEBRIS
$ATA !VAILABILITY
'OOD 7HERE DOES THIS DEBRIS COME FROM 4HE MAIN SOURCES OF ESTUARY FLOATABLES ARE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS AND STORM WATER BOTH OF WHICH FLUSH DEBRIS INTO LOCAL WATERWAYS WHEN IT RAINS 0REVAILING CURRENTS CAN CARRY THIS DEBRIS TO THE
&AIR
- ERSEY SHORE BEACHES AND LESS FREQUENTLY TO .EW 9ORK BEACHES /THER SOURCES INCLUDE BEACH LITTERERS AND DISCHARGES FROM BOATS
0OOR 4ABLE SHOWS THE TOP TEN CONSTITUENTS OF TRASH REMOVED FROM .EW 9ORK 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL BEACHES BY THE !MERICAN ,ITTORAL 3OCIETY SPONSORED VOLUNTEER #OASTAL
- LEANUP IN n CONDUCTED ON A SINGLE DAY IN 3EPTEMBER EVERY YEAR AND THE OCCURRENCE OF MEDICAL WASTE SYRINGES ONLY FOR COMPARISON .OTE THAT SYRINGES COMPRISE ONLY A TINY PORTION OF WHAT IS FOUND IN THESE BEACH CLEANUPS
-OST #OMMON $EBRIS )TEMS &OUND ON
.EW 9ORK #ITY "EACHES n &IGURE SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF DEBRIS REMOVED FROM .EW 9ORK
.EW 9ORK #ITY ,ONG )SLAND AND UPSTATE AND .EW *ERSEY SHORES
$EBRIS ITEM 0ERCENT PER MILE CLEANED IN n 4HE .EW 9ORK BEACHES WERE OF 4OTAL CLEANED BY !MERICAN ,ITTORAL 3OCIETY VOLUNTEER CREWS IN THE
)TEMS
- OASTAL #LEANUP 4HE YEARLY VARIABILITY IN THE .EW 9ORK DATA
- IGARETTE BUTTS COULD BE DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS INCLUDING HOW MANY VOL UNTEERS PARTICIPATED IN A GIVEN YEAR THE METEOROLOGICAL CONDI 0LASTIC FOOD BAGSWRAPPERS TIONS THAT YEAR AND EVEN THE WEATHER ON THE DAY OF THE BEACH CLEANUP .ASTY WEATHER CAN DETER EVEN THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC 0LASTIC CAPSLIDS VOLUNTEERS .EW *ERSEY SHORELINES WERE CLEANED BY THE .EW
- ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTIONS #LEAN 3HORES 0LASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLES
PROGRAM NOTE THAT THE AMOUNT REMOVED PER MILE OF SHORELINE
&OAMED PLASTIC PIECES HAS DECREASED OVER THE YEARS FOR WHICH WE HAVE DATA 4HE %0!
USES HELICOPTER SURVEYS TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF hSLICKSv OR 0LASTIC STRAWS AGGREGATIONS OF FLOATABLES IN THE HARBOR THOSE DATA ARE SHOWN IN &IGURE FOR n /BSERVATIONS OF SLICKS HAVE BEEN
'LASS PIECES DECREASING SINCE THEY INCREASED FROM THAT YEAR OVER PRE VIOUS YEARS BECAUSE OF AN EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAM AREA
'LASS BEVERAGE BOTTLES
0LASTIC PIECES 0RIOR TO THE (%0 THE .EW 9ORK "IGHT 2ESTORATION 0ROGRAM INITI ATED A &LOATABLES !CTION 0LAN IN THE HARBOR IN THE LATE S TO 0LASTIC CUPSUTENSILS PREVENT DEBRIS FROM GETTING INTO THE WATERWAYS AND TO REMOVE IT FROM WATERWAYS WHEN IT GETS THERE 4HIS PROGRAM INCLUDES
-EDICAL WASTE THE OPERATION OF hSKIMMER VESSELSv BY THE 53 !RMY #ORPS OF
SYRINGES ONLY
%NGINEERS AND THE .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION THAT CRUISE THE HARBOR REMOVING FLOATING DEBRIS
4!",% 9ZWg^hdcCN8WZVX]Zh
6bZg^XVcA^iidgVaHdX^Zin&... # &IGURE SHOWS THE TONS OF DEBRIS REMOVED BY THOSE EFFORTS THE
.9#$%0 PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN FROM n THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A DIRECTIONAL TREND IN THIS DATA (OWEVER %0! CONSIDERS THE &LOATABLES
!CTION 0LAN TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AS IT HAS ELIMINATED BEACH CLOSURES DUE TO FLOATABLES IN .EW *ERSEY AND ,ONG )SLAND AND HAS INSTITUTED A BETTER MECHA NISM FOR NOTIFYING BEACH OPERATORS OF POTENTIAL WASH UPS OF FLOATING DEBRIS
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
D[mOeha D[m@[hi[o
0OUNDS DEBRISMILES SHORELINE
&IGURE 6bdjcid[YZWg^h
gZbdkZY[gdbCNVcYC?h]dgZ" a^cZh!&.-.*&...#CNWZVX]Zh
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&...!C?9:E'%%% #
.UMBER OF SLICKS OBSERVED
&IGURE DWhZgkVi^dchd[[adViVWaZhha^X`h
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nZVg JH:E6&... #
KI79E;L[ii[bi DO9:;FL[ii[bi
&IGURE 6bdjcid[[adViVWaZYZWg^h
gZbdkZY[gdbi]Z=VgWdgWnCN89:EVcY
4ONS OF DEBRIS JH68D:h`^bbZgkZhhZah!&.--*&..,#
CN89:E1/4hh`^bbZgkZhhZaXdaaZXi^dcegd\gVb
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ABOUT &LOATABLE $EBRIS
WWWALSNYCORG WWWOCEANCONSERVANCYORGDYNAMICISSUESTHREATS
DEBRISDEBRISHTM WWWEPAGOVOWOWOCEANSDEBRIS WWWNYCGOVHTMLDEPHTMLFLOATHTML IdkdajciZZg[dgWZVX]XaZVc"jeh/
>cCN/# ONTACT THE !MERICAN ,ITTORAL 3OCIETY AT
OR OR VISIT THEIR WEB SITE AT WWWALSNYCORG
>cC?/ #ONTACT #LEAN /CEAN !CTION AT OR VISTIT THEIR WEB SITE AT WWWCLEANOCEANACTIONORG
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
.UTRIENTS AND /RGANIC
%NRICHMENT
. 542)%.4 ,%6%,3 !.$ ,/!$).'3
.UTRIENTS SUCH AS NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE GROWTH OF ALL ORGANISMS )N THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT THESE NUTRIENTS CAN COME FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES INCLUDING RECYCLING OF NUTRIENTS FROM DEAD ORGANISMS RUNOFF FROM THE LAND AND GASEOUS NITROGEN IN THE AIR (OWEVER AS HUMAN POPULATIONS AROUND WATERWAYS INCREASED A NUMBER OF NEW ANTHROPOGENIC
HUMAN CAUSED SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS BEGAN LOADING INTO WATERWAYS OFTEN RESULTING IN hTOO MUCH OF A GOOD THINGv FOR THOSE WATERS
)F TOO MUCH NITROGEN OR PHOSPHORUS IS ADDED TO WATERWAYS THEY CAN BECOME EUTROPHIC
OVER ENRICHED IN NUTRIENTS )N EUTROPHIC SYSTEMS ALGAE THAT USE THOSE NUTRIENTS GROW
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR IN RAMPANT BLOOMS AND THEN DEPLETE THEIR RESOURCES AND DIE !S THEY DECAY Cjig^ZciAZkZah OXYGEN IS USED BY THE BACTERIA THAT BREAK THEM DOWN AND WATERS CAN BECOME
$ATA !VAILABILITY LOW IN OR EVEN DEVOID OF OXYGEN SEE THE SECTION OF THIS REPORT ON DISSOLVED OXYGEN ON PAGE AFFECTING THE OTHER OXYGEN BREATHING ORGANISMS THAT LIVE
'OOD THERE %UTROPHICATION CAN CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS AS WELL INCLUDING DIMINISHED QUALITY OF SEAGRASS BED HABITAT CHANGED FOOD WEBS RESULTING IN DECREASED FISH
&AIR PRODUCTION NOXIOUS ODORS AND INCREASED NUISANCE ALGAL BLOOMS
0OOR )N THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY ANTHROPOGENIC INPUTS OF NUTRIENTS PARTICULARLY NITROGEN ARE QUITE HIGH BECAUSE OF THE HIGH VOLUME OF WASTEWATER THAT ENTERS THE ESTUARY FROM MUNICIPAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGES AND INPUTS FROM 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL TRIBUTARY RIVERS !PPROXIMATELY BILLION GALLONS OF MOSTLY TREATED WASTE WATER ENTERS THE ESTUARY EVERY DAY FROM MUNICIPAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
7HEN IT RAINS MORE NUTRIENTS ENTER THE SYSTEM IN THE FORM OF UNTREATED SEWAGE Cjig^ZciAdVY^c\h CONTRIBUTED BY COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS 5PSTREAM SOURCES SUCH AS FOSSIL
$ATA !VAILABILITY FUEL COMBUSTION AND AGRICULTURAL FERTILIZER ARE ALSO LARGE .UTRIENT LOADINGS TO THE ESTUARY ARE PROBABLY HIGHER THAN IN ANY OTHER MAJOR ESTUARY IN .ORTH
'OOD !MERICA
&AIR $ESPITE THE HIGH NUTRIENT LOADINGS TO THE (ARBOR %STUARY THE DEGREE TO WHICH EUTROPHICATION OR HYPOXIA OCCURS IN THE HARBOR VARIES AND IS LESS SEVERE THAN 0OOR MIGHT BE EXPECTED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS /NE IS THAT ALGAL PRODUCTION IS STRONGLY REGULATED BY THE WATER RESIDENCE TIME THE TIME THAT WATER REMAINS IN THE ESTUARY BEFORE BEING FLUSHED OUT -UCH OF THE TIME THE ESTUARY IS WELL 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL FLUSHED SO THOSE NUTRIENTS GET hWASHED OUTv INTO THE OCEAN BEFORE THE PROB LEMATIC ALGAL BLOOMS CAN OCCUR )N ADDITION BECAUSE IT IS SO TURBID MUCH OF THE ESTUARY IS OFTEN hLIGHT LIMITED v MEANING THAT NOT ENOUGH LIGHT PENETRATES THE WATER COLUMN TO PROVIDE FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND BLOOMS TO OCCUR (OWEVER WHEN THE RESIDENCE TIME INCREASES AS DURING YEARS WITH LESS RAIN AND SNOW OR EVEN DURING CERTAIN TYPES OF TIDAL CYCLES THE HARBOR ESTUARY CAN BECOME EUTROPHIC #LIMATE CHANGE MODELS PREDICT THAT IN THE
n n FUTURE ON AVERAGE THERE WILL LIKELY BE SMALLER FRESH
WATER INPUTS TO THE ESTUARY IN THE SUMMER AND THE ESTUARY WILL PROBABLY BECOME MORE EUTROPHIC
,OADING METRIC TONSYEAR
&IGURE SHOWS THE TOTAL NUTRIENT LOADINGS INCLUD
ING TOTAL NITROGEN TOTAL PHOSPHORUS AND TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON TO THE (ARBOR %STUARY IN n
AND n AS MEASURED AND ESTIMATED FOR
SOME OF THE SMALLER LOADS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT AND CALIBRATION OF .EW 9ORK #ITYS 3YSTEM 7IDE
%UTROPHICATION -ODEL 37%- 4OTAL NITROGEN AND ORGANIC CARBON LOADINGS WERE LOWER IN n
WHILE TOTAL PHOSPHORUS LOADINGS STAYED ABOUT THE 4OTAL 4OTAL 4OTAL SAME !LTHOUGH THESE DIFFERENCES COULD BE DUE TO
.ITROGEN 0HOSPHORUS /RGANIC #ARBON INTERANNUAL DIFFERENCES IN OTHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS FRESHWATER FLOW IT IS INTERESTING TO EXAMINE HOW THE
&IGURE AdVY^c\hd[i]gZZcjig^Zcihidi]Z:hijVgn^cildnZVgh#
HdbZd[i]ZhbVaaZgadVYhlZgZZhi^bViZYgVi]Zgi]VcbZVhjgZY SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS ARE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE TWO
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LOADINGS OF NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS AND ORGANIC CARBON ARE SHOWN FOR THE SAME TWO YEARS FROM SPECIFIC SOURCES SEWAGE
TREATMENT PLANTS COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS STORM WATER TRIBUTARIES AND ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION &OR NITROGEN AND ,OADINGS PHOSPHORUS INPUTS FROM ALL SOURCES HAVE DECREASED EXCEPT
METRIC TONSYEAR FOR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS WHICH EXHIBIT INCREASED LOAD
INGS &OR ORGANIC CARBON THE ONLY SOURCE THAT IS LARGER IN
n IS STORM WATER .UTRIENT LOADS FROM SEWAGE TREAT MENT PLANTS WERE HIGHER IN n AS COMPARED TO n
BECAUSE OF THE INITIATION OF SLUDGE DE WATERING REMOVING THE WATER FROM SEWAGE SLUDGE AT THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
3INCE THE EARLY S THE SOLID MATERIAL THAT IS FILTERED OUT OF
SEWAGE HAS BEEN DE WATERED AT SOME OF THE (ARBOR %STUARYS 340 #3/ 37 42)" !4-SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS RATHER THAN DUMPED IN THE OCEAN AS 3OURCE IT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY 4HAT DE WATERING PROCESS MAY NOW 340 3EWAGE 4REATMENT 0LANTS 42)" 4RIBUTARIES BE CONTRIBUTING MORE NUTRIENTS TO THE HARBOR ITSELF )T WILL BE
- 3/ #OMBINED 3EWER /VERFLOWS !4- !TMOSPHERIC $EPOSITION IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PLANTS TO DETERMINE IF 37 3TORM WATER AN INCREASING TREND IN LOADINGS FROM THE PLANTS IS ACTUALLY OCCURRING AND IF SO WHAT IMPACT IT IS HAVING
,OOKING AT NUTRIENT LOADINGS OVER A MUCH LONGER TIME SCALE SUGGESTS THAT DESPITE THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES IN THE S THAT RESULTED IN DECLINES IN NUTRIENT LOADINGS TO THE ESTUARY THESE LOADINGS ARE EXTREMELY HIGH TODAY COM PARED TO PRE COLONIAL TIMES &IGURE SHOWS ESTIMATES OF NUTRIENT LOADINGS IN PRE COLONIAL TIMES THE S AND S AS WELL AS A PROJECTION FOR APPROXI MATE LOADINGS SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE IF CERTAIN NUTRIENT CONTROL MEASURES ARE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
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- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ESTIMATE AN APPROXIMATION OF THE hBACKGROUNDv ABOUT .UTRIENTS LOADINGS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT HUMAN INFLUENCE 4HESE SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT THE hPOTENTIAL FUTUREv LOAD 4HE (UDSON !N )LLUSTRATED 'UIDE TO THE ,IVING 2IVER BY ING ON THE GRAPH CAN BE ACHIEVED IF A COMPLETE 3TEPHEN 0 3TANNE ET AL 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
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!NOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THE STATUS OF NUTRIENTS IN THE ESTUARY IS BY EXAMINING AMBIENT LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS IN THE WATER RATHER THAN INPUTS IE EXAMINING HOW MUCH OF A SUBSTANCE IS ALREADY IN THE WATER AS OPPOSED TO HOW MUCH IS BEING ADDED AT A GIVEN TIME &IGURE SHOWS THE SUMMER MEAN AMBIENT CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA AND NITRATE NITRITE TWO TYPES OF NUTRIENTS AS MEASURED BY .9#$%0S (ARBOR 3URVEY FOR FOUR BASINS OF THE HARBOR FOR THE YEARS n /VER THIS TIME PERIOD THESE AMBIENT NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS HAVE REMAINED FAIRLY STABLE FLUCTUATING SOMEWHAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR WITH A HINT OF A DECLINE IN AMMONIA IN THE 5PPER "AY #ONCENTRATIONS OF THESE NUTRIENTS IS SIMILAR AMONG BASINS WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER AND MORE VARIABLE LEVELS OF AMMONIA FOUND IN *AMAICA "AY #HANGES IN THESE PARTICULAR NUTRIENTS WHICH ARE DISSOLVED IN THE WATER CAN BE DUE TO A VARIETY OF FACTORS INCLUDING CHANGES IN UPTAKE OF THEM BY MICROSCOPIC PLANTS PHYTOPLANKTON
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&OR MOST MARINE ANIMALS PRESENCE OF OXYGEN IN THEIR ENVI $ATA !VAILABILITY RONMENT IS AS CRITICAL AS IT IS FOR HUMANS BECAUSE THEY RESPIRE BY USING DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN THE WATER AROUND THEM 7HEN WATERS BECOME 'OOD HYPOXIC LOW IN OXYGEN OR ANOXIC LACKING OXYGEN ORGANISMS UNABLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE AFFECTED AREA EXPERIENCE A SPECTRUM OF PROBLEMS RANGING FROM &AIR LOW GROWTH TO MASS MORTALITY (YPOXIA OCCURS WHEN DECOMPOSITION OF EXCESS ORGANIC MATTER IN THE WATER USES UP OXYGEN THAT ORGANIC MATTER CAN BE RAW 0OOR SEWAGE OR DEAD ALGAE THAT HAVE BLOOMED IN RESPONSE TO AN OVERABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS AND THEN DIED OFF QUICKLY LIVING ALGAE ALSO CONSUME OXYGEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT IN THE PRESENCE OF LIGHT (IGHER TEMPERATURES IN THE SUMMER 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR MONTHS CAN EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM WHICH IS ALSO USUALLY WORSE IN THE BOT TOM LAYERS OF WATER BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT AS WELL MIXED AND OXYGENATED AS SURFACE WATERS
"ECAUSE DISSOLVED OXYGEN IS SO CRITICAL TO SUSTAIN MARINE LIFE AND IS A DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF WATER QUALITY IT HAS BEEN USED TO GAUGE THE HEALTH OF THE HARBOR FOR ALMOST A CENTURY &IGURE SHOWS DISSOLVED OXYGEN DATA COLLECTED BY .9#$%0 BETWEEN AND .9#$%0 TAKES WATER SAMPLES AT A SERIES OF STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE HARBOR ABOUT EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR THIS ANALYSIS THE DATA FROM ALL STATIONS WERE AVERAGED TO SHOW TRENDS OVER THE WHOLE HARBOR FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS $URING THE YEARS SHOWN THERE HAS BEEN AN UPWARD TREND IN THE LEVELS OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN SURFACE AND BOTTOM WATERS OF THE HAR BOR #ONDITIONS IMPROVED SWIFTLY AND DRAMATICALLY STARTING IN THE EARLY S BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION AND UPGRADING OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS AS REQUIRED BY THE #LEAN 7ATER !CT 0REVIOUSLY DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS IN BOTTOM WATERS OF THE HARBOR WERE ROUTINELY BELOW MG, IN THE Ikh\WY[:_iiebl[ZEno][d SUMMER MONTHS ALTHOUGH THE AVERAGES WERE ALWAYS 8ejjec:_iiebl[ZEno][d HIGHER AS REFLECTED IN THE FIGURE AND THEREFORE LETHAL
TO MOST ORGANISMS 4HESE CONDITIONS WOULD OFTEN PER SIST FOR MANY WEEKS AT A TIME &OR THIS ENTIRE DURATION AVERAGE OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS HAVE BEEN ABOVE THE
%0!S GUIDELINE OF MG, THE MINIMUM CONCENTRA
$ISSOLVED /XYGEN MGL TION TO WHICH MARINE ORGANISMS CAN BE EXPOSED FOR MORE THAN HOURS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING INCREASED MORTALITY OF JUVENILES AND ADULTS SEE THE DISCUSSION OF
THIS BENCHMARK BELOW 4HESE DATA PROBABLY OVERESTI MATE DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS TO SOME EXTENT BECAUSE ALGAE CONSUME OXYGEN IN THE DARK GENERALLY LEADING
TO LOWER OXYGEN LEVELS JUST BEFORE DAWN
3OME SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE FLUCTUATIONS
SEEN HERE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO VARIATIONS IN PHYTO
PLANKTON PRODUCTIVITY RESULTING FROM CHANGES IN THE
AMOUNT OF FRESH WATER ENTERING THE ESTUARY 7HEN
&IGURE BZVc]VgWdg"l^YZY^hhdakZYdmn\ZcXdcXZcigVi^dch FRESH WATER DISCHARGES ARE DECREASED DROUGHT YEARS
hjg[VXZVcYWdiidb !&.)+*'%%& GVc]Z^b'%%'!NVd'%%' # THE RESIDENCE TIME INCREASES LEADING TO MORE ALGAL PRODUCTION AND ULTIMATELY LOWER DISSOLVED OXYGEN
&IGURE SHOWS MORE DETAILED TRENDS IN DISSOLVED
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc OXYGEN LEVELS OVER BOTH TIME AND SPACE BETWEEN
AND FOR BOTTOM WATERS WHERE MORE SEVERE ABOUT $ISSOLVED /XYGEN HYPOXIA IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR 4HE COLOR OF THE
.9# $%0 ANNUAL (ARBOR 3URVEY REPORT AVAILABLE FROM DOTS INDICATES THE LOWEST LEVEL OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 4HE NUMBER OF STATIONS THAT EXHIBIT A MINIMUM $/ BELOW THE JUVENILE AND ADULT SURVIVAL LIMIT OF MG, HAS DECREASED OVER TIME )N AND
$/ BELOW THE MG, GUIDELINE WAS OBSERVED IN MANY PARTS OF THE ESTUARY MOST NOTABLY IN THE %AST 2IVER AND THE +ILLS !FTER SEWAGE TREATMENT IMPROVEMENTS INCREASES IN BOTTOM $/ WERE OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE ESTUARY
)N AND MINIMUM $/ AT MOST STATIONS WAS OBSERVED TO BE IN THE
n MG, RANGE
/XYGEN LEVELS CAN EXHIBIT A HIGH DEGREE OF VARIABILITY WHICH AFFECTS THIS TYPE OF TREND ANALYSIS &OR EXAMPLE METEOROLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AMONG YEARS CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY IN OBSERVED $/ )N ADDITION THE MAPS SHOWN HERE CAN BE AFFECTED GREATLY BY SINGLE SHORT TERM EVENTS THAT MAY NOT HAVE ANY ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES A VERY BRIEF HYPOXIC EPISODE THAT HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH A SAMPLING DATE MAY CAUSE A STATION TO APPEAR TROUBLESOME
)T IS LIKELY THAT THESE TYPES OF VARIABILITY MAKE APPEAR TO BE WORSE WITH RESPECT TO BOTTOM $/ THAN 4HERE ARE MORE STATIONS WITH $/ LESS THAN
MG, IN THAN BUT THE DATA FOR NOT SHOWN HERE ACTUALLY SHOW FEWER MG, STATIONS THAN /VERALL DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS HAVE IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY IN THE HARBOR DURING THE COURSE OF THIS SURVEY
(OWEVER IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EPISODIC HYPOXIA AND ANOXIA STILL OCCUR IN SOME PARTS OF THE HARBOR IN THE SUMMERTIME .9#$%0 REPORTS THAT HYPOXIC CONDITIONS PERSIST AND IN SOME PLACES HAVE BECOME MORE SEVERE IN RECENT YEARS IN PARTS OF WESTERN ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND AND TO A LESSER EXTENT *AMAICA "AY 4HE #OMPREHENSIVE #ONSERVATION AND -ANAGEMENT 0LANS OF BOTH THE .9
.* (%0 AND THE ,ONG )SLAND 3OUND 3TUDY OUTLINE STEPS TO IMPROVE DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONDITIONS BY ADDRESSING NUTRIENT LOADINGS TO THESE ESTUARIES SEE THE DISCUSSION OF NUTRIENT LEVELS AND LOADINGS ON PAGE
$ATA !VAILABILITY
- (,/2/0(9,, A
- HLOROPHYLL THE hGREENv PART OF GREEN PLANTS IS THE SUBSTANCE INSIDE PLANT CELLS THAT PERFORMS PHOTOSYNTHESIS TURNING SUN LIGHT CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER INTO ENERGY 4HE CONCENTRATION OF ONE KIND OF CHLOROPHYLL CHLOROPHYLL A CAN BE SURVEYED IN THE WATERS OF THE ESTUARY AS A MORE EASILY MEASURED SURROGATE FOR THE MASS OF PHYTOPLANKTON n MICROSCOPIC ALGAE n IN THE WATER 7HILE CONCENTRATIONS OF PHYTOPLANKTON VARY DRAMATICALLY OVER TIME AND SPACE IN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
'OOD LARGE AMOUNTS OF PHYTOPLANKTON CAN BE AN INDICATOR OF EUTROPHICATION OR AN OVERABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS 7HEN PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOM QUICKLY AND PROLIFI
&AIR CALLY IN RESPONSE TO A HIGH LOAD OF NUTRIENTS OR SOME OTHER NECESSARY FACTOR FOR GROWTH TO A SYSTEM THEY OFTEN USE UP THOSE NUTRIENTS AND OTHER RESOURCES 0OOR QUICKLY AND THEN DIE OFF 4HEIR SUBSEQUENT DECOMPOSITION USES UP OXYGEN PARTICULARLY IN BOTTOM WATERS LEADING TO HYPOXIC LOW OXYGEN OR ANOXIC NO OXYGEN CONDITIONS WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT OTHER ORGANISMS IN THE ESTUARY 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL SEE THE DISCUSSION OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN ON PAGE
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 0HYTOPLANKTON DO BLOOM NATURALLY IN THE SPRING AND FALL IN THE WATERS OF THE ESTUARY AND FORM THE BASIS FOR MANY ESTUARINE FOOD WEBS %UTROPHICATION CAN RESULT FROM LARGE INPUTS OF NUTRIENTS FROM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGES COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS NON POINT SOURCE RUNOFF FROM THE LAND AND OTHER SOURCES SEE THE DISCUSSION OF NUTRIENT LOADS AND LEVELS ON PAGE
.9#$%0 HAS BEEN MEASURING CONCENTRATIONS OF CHLOROPHYLL A AT STATIONS IN THE HARBOR SINCE !VERAGE CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN EUTROPHICATION IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN FOUR DIFFERENT BASINS OF THE HARBOR ARE SHOWN OVER TIME IN &IGURE 4HERE IS A GAP IN THE DATA BETWEEN AND BECAUSE THE DATA FOR THOSE YEARS ARE NOT RELIABLE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE LABORATORY 4HE REMAINING YEARS OF &IGURE 6kZgV\ZhjbbZgX]adgde]naa
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!LTHOUGH INCREASED AND IMPROVED SEWAGE TREATMENT HAS LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN MANY WATER QUALITY INDICATORS IN THE ESTUARY OVER THE PAST YEARS SEE THE DISCUSSIONS OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN NUTRIENT LOADS AND LEVELS AND FECAL COLI FORM LEVELS IN THIS REPORT CHLOROPHYLL A LEVELS ARE STABLE IN MUCH OF THE ESTUARY 2ESEARCHERS FROM #ORNELL 5NIVERSITY HAVE COMPARED OTHER CHLOROPHYLL A DATA SETS AND BELIEVE THAT CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRA TIONS WERE ACTUALLY HIGHER IN THE LOWER ESTUARY IN THE S THAN IN THE S SEE (OWARTH ET AL 4HERE ARE A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS TREND )T IS MOST LIKELY THAT WHILE NUTRIENT INPUTS TO THE ESTUARY HAVE FLUCTUATED OVERALL NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION IS QUITE HIGH MEANING THAT NUTRIENTS ARE NOT hLIMITINGv IN THIS ESTUARY /THER FACTORS LIGHT AVAILABILITY FOR EXAMPLE PLACE A CAP ON PHYTOPLANKTON PRODUCTIVITY REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS ADDED TO THE SYSTEM 4HEREFORE NO MATTER HOW MUCH EXTRA NUTRIENT LOAD IS ADDED TO THE ESTUARY NO ADDITIONAL PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOMS CAN TAKE PLACE )N ADDITION PHYSICAL FACTORS IN THE ESTUARY PREVENT ALGAL BLOOMS &OR EXAMPLE THE hRETEN TION RATEv OF THE ESTUARY IS GENERALLY FAIRLY LOW NUTRIENTS GET WASHED OUT OF THE SYSTEM BEFORE THEY CAN CAUSE ALGAL BLOOMS !LSO THE VERTICAL MIXING IN THE ESTUARY IS FAIRLY HIGH THE WATER IS MOVED RAPIDLY BETWEEN THE SURFACE AND THE BOTTOM 4HEREFORE PHYTOPLANKTON hSPEND MORE TIMEv DEEPER IN THE ESTUARY WHERE LIGHT FAILS TO PENETRATE PREVENTING THEM FROM GROWING VERY FAST
)N *AMAICA "AY HOWEVER THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASING TREND IN CHLOROPHYLL A OVER THE YEARS EXAMINED 7HILE THE REASONS FOR THIS INCREASE ARE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR IT CAN BE SPECULATED THAT *AMAICA "AY hWORKSv DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE ESTUARY &OR EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT IS SEMI ENCLOSED PERHAPS THE RETENTION RATE IN THE "AY IS HIGHER THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ESTUARY *AMAICA "AY IS ALSO QUITE SHALLOW A GREATER PROPORTION OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON THERE ARE GROWING UNDER GOOD LIGHT CONDITIONS LEADING TO MORE GROWTH ! RECENT
.9#$%0 ANNUAL REPORT NOTED THAT h*AMAICA "AY WATERS CONSISTENTLY EXHIBIT THE GREATEST AVERAGE CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATIONS AND HIGHEST LEVELS OF VARIABILITY
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR 4 2!.30!2%.#9
!S DISCUSSED IN THE SECTION OF THIS REPORT ON SUSPENDED SEDIMENT LOADS
PAGE THE WATERS OF THE (ARBOR %STUARY ARE NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE CLEAR LIKE THOSE OF THE #ARIBBEAN BECAUSE THE (ARBOR %STUARY NATURALLY CONTAINS A LARGE AMOUNT OF SUSPENDED MATERIALS n SEDIMENT PLANKTON ORGANIC MATERIALS AND MORE (OWEVER CHANGES IN WATER CLARITY CAN BE INDICATIVE OF HUMAN IMPACT ON A WATER BODY &OR EXAMPLE A SUDDEN INCREASE IN WATER CLARITY TRANSPARENCY
'OOD
&AIR 0OOR
$ATA !VAILABILITY IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ACIDIFICATION OF LAKES DUE TO ACID RAIN 7HILE THIS PROCESS DOES NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE HARBOR ITSELF OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS CAN INFLUENCE TRANS PARENCY IN THE ESTUARY &OR EXAMPLE HUMAN ACTIVITIES CAN DECREASE TRANSPARENCY 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL BY ADDING AN OVERABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS TO THE SYSTEM THAT CAN RESULT IN PHYTO PLANKTON BLOOMS AND DEVELOPMENT CAN CAUSE INCREASING RUNOFF AND SUBSEQUENT EROSION OF SOIL FROM THE LAND INTO THE ESTUARY
.OT ALL CHANGES IN TRANSPARENCY ARE DUE TO HUMAN IMPACTS TRANS PARENCY NATURALLY FLUCTUATES IN THE ESTUARY OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR
$URING THE SPRING FRESHET THE INCREASE IN FRESHWATER INPUT TO THE ESTUARY FROM SNOWMELT UPSTREAM CARRIES WITH IT MUCH HIGHER CON CENTRATIONS OF SEDIMENT RESULTING IN DECREASED TRANSPARENCY %VEN HZXX]^Y^h`
A HEAVY RAINSTORM CAN INFLUENCE TRANSPARENCY OVER SHORT PERIODS OF TIME
/NE OF THE SIMPLEST MOST hLOW TECHv WAYS TO MEASURE ;dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc TRANSPARENCY IS BY USING A 3ECCHI DISK A DISK DIVIDED INTO QUADRANTS THAT ARE COLORED BLACK AND WHITE AND ABOUT 4RANSPARENCY
SUSPENDED FROM A ROPE ALONG WHICH ARE MARKED DEPTH .9# $%0 ANNUAL (ARBOR 3URVEY REPORT AVAILABLE FROM INTERVALS SEE ILLUSTRATION 4HE INVESTIGATOR DROPS THE $%0 AT OR WWWCINYCNYUSHTMLDEP
DISK INTO THE WATER AND LOWERS IT THROUGH THE WATER HOMEHTML COLUMN RECORDING THE DEPTH AT WHICH THE DISK CAN NO DIPINKENTEDU LONGER BE SEEN 4HIS DEPTH IS REFERRED TO AS THE 3ECCHI DEPTH OF THE WATER
@WcW_YWXWo 3ECCHI DEPTH HAS BEEN MONITORED AT STATIONS THROUGH ?dd[h>WhXeh OUT THE HARBOR BY THE .9#$%0 SINCE !VERAGE Kff[h;WijH_l[h WdZM[ij[hdBed]
SUMMER 3ECCHI DEPTH FOR BASINS OF THE HARBOR FROM ?ibWdZIekdZ
TO IS SHOWN IN &IGURE &OR ALL BASINS Bem[hD[mOeha>WhXeh
WdZHWh_jWd8Wo 3ECCHI DEPTH DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE CHANGED MARK EDLY OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME SHOWN 4HERE IS A HINT OF 3ECCHI $EPTH FT A DECLINING TREND IN *AMAICA "AY SEEMINGLY RELATED TO
THE INCREASING CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATIONS OBSERVED THERE SEE THE SECTION ON #HLOROPHYLL A PAGE !
STATISTICAL COMPARISON OF SECCHI DEPTH AND CHLOROPHYLL
A CONCENTRATIONS IN *AMAICA "AY REVEALS THAT THE TWO PARAMETERS ARE CLOSELY RELATED
&IGURE 6kZgV\ZhjbbZgHZXX]^Y^h`bZVhjgZbZcih^c
[djg]VgWdgWVh^ch!&.-+*'%%& GVc]Z^b'%%' #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
( !2-&5, !,'!, ",//-3
-ICROSCOPIC ALGAE OR PHYTOPLANKTON ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF MOST MARINE FOOD CHAINS AND ARE THEREFORE CRITICAL TO SUSTAIN ING LIFE ON THE ENTIRE PLANET 4YPICALLY IN EARLY SPRING AS MID !TLANTIC WATERS BEGIN TO WARM AND NUTRIENTS BECOME AVAILABLE LOCAL WATERS EXPERIENCE A PHY TOPLANKTON BLOOM 4HERE IS ALSO A SMALLER BLOOM IN THE FALL 5NDER A VARIETY
$ATA !VAILABILITY OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD A SMALL NUMBER OF ALGAL SPECIES CAN UNDERGO BLOOMS OF VERY HIGH DENSITY AT OTHER TIMES OF THE
'OOD YEAR WITH A VARIETY OF UNDESIRABLE RESULTS 4HESE BLOOMS OF A SINGLE SPECIES WITH SOME HARMFUL ATTRIBUTE LASTING FROM DAYS TO MONTHS ARE REFERRED TO AS
&AIR (ARMFUL !LGAL "LOOMS (!"S $EPENDING ON THE SPECIES AND SEVERITY OF THE BLOOM (!"S CAN CAUSE FISH AND SHELLFISH KILLS AND CAN CONCENTRATE IN THE FLESH 0OOR OF EDIBLE SPECIES CAUSING ILLNESS AND EVEN DEATH IF FISH OR SHELLFISH FROM BLOOM AREAS ARE CONSUMED 3OME SPECIES ARE SKIN IRRITANTS CAUSING DISCOMFORT TO BATHERS !LTHOUGH MOST OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCUR IN COASTAL WATERS IN SIX 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL FISHERMEN ON 'EORGES "ANK MILES EAST OF #APE #OD -ASSACHUSETTS ALMOST DIED FROM CONSUMING MUSSELS CAUGHT IN THEIR NETS THAT HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO A TOXIC BLOOM 4HESE MORE SEVERE AND DANGEROUS IMPACTS OF BLOOMS HAVE NOT BEEN OBSERVED IN THIS REGION TO DATE THE WORST IMPACT OF (!"S OBSERVED IN .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY OTHER THAN IMPACTS ON SHELLFISH OF BROWN TIDE REFERRED TO BELOW HAS BEEN RASHES EXPERIENCED BY BATHERS IN THE VICINITY OF SOME BLOOMS
4HE CAUSES OF (!"S ARE NOT KNOWN WITH MUCH CERTAINTY ALTHOUGH THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A CORRELATION BETWEEN POOR WATER QUALITY DECREASED DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND AN OVERABUNDANCE OF NUTRIENTS FOR EXAMPLE AND THE OCCURRENCE OF BLOOMS
,ONG )SLAND )N OUR ESTUARY SEVERAL AGEN
n BLOOMS (ARLEM 3OUND 2IVER CIES RECORD THE OCCURRENCE
n
-ANHATTAN AND EXTENT OF THESE BLOOMS INCLUDING .9#$%0 .*$%0
%AST THE )NTERSTATE %NVIRONMENTAL 2IVER #OMMISSION AND THE .ATIONAL
- AMAICA 0ARK 3ERVICE &IGURE SHOWS 5PPER "AY
+ILL 6AN +ULL "AY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BLOOMS
DEFINED IN THIS CASE AS A CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATION TWICE THE LONG TERM MEAN 2ARITAN FOR THAT AREA RECORDED BY ALL "AY 3ANDY (OOK MONITORING PROGRAMS BETWEEN
AND 4HE MAP INDICATES THAT THE ,OWER "AY
&IGURE IdiVacjbWZgd[]Vgb[jaVa\VaWaddbh! AND LOWER *AMAICA "AY ARE THE
&.,**&..*#7addbhYZ[^cZYVhX]adgde]naaVaZkZah
il^XZi]ZbZVcaZkZa 8dheZgVcY8ZgVb^&..+ #
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR AREAS MOST PRONE TO BLOOMS BUT THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT TELL US ANYTHING "LOOM 3EVERITY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THOSE BLOOMS ON THE ECOSYSTEM OR HUMAN HEALTH $ISCOLORS WATER #AUSES (ARMFUL TO )TCHING &OOD POISONING 9EAR AND REDUCES HYPOXIA SHELLFISHFISH RESPIRATORY ILLS IN HUMANS CLARITY IN HUMANS 4ABLE SUMMARIZES THE SEVERITY OF DOCUMENTED BLOOMS BETWEEN n
AND IN COASTAL WATERS AND INNER n
BAYS OF THE (ARBOR %STUARY AND .EW
n
9ORK "IGHT 4HE NUMBERS IN EACH COL
n
UMN REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF BLOOMS OF A PARTICULAR SEVERITY IN A PARTICULAR n
TIME PERIOD 4HESE NUMBERS ARE NOT n
BASED ON MEASUREMENTS OF CHLORO n
PHYLL A AS IN &IGURE BUT INSTEAD ARE n
BASED ON DOCUMENTED OBSERVATIONS OF BLOOMS IN WHICH QUALIFIED PERSONNEL 4!",%
DETERMINED THE SPECIES OF THE BLOOM AS CjbWZgd[YdXjbZciZYWaddbhd[XdggZhedcY^c\hZkZg^inaZkZah#AZ[i"]VcY l]^iZ Xdajbch
WELL AS ITS OTHER CHARACTERISTICS .ONE 2WaddbhdWhZgkZY^cXdVhiValViZgh0nZaadl2WaddbhdWhZgkZY^c^ccZgWVnh#CjbWZgh
^cY^XViZcjbWZghd[Waddbhd[i]VihZkZg^in^ci]Vii^bZeZg^dY#DWhZgkVi^dchbdhia^`Zan
OF THE BLOOMS WERE SEVERE ENOUGH ^cXgZVhZY^cVaaVgZVh[daadl^c\i]Z&.,+Waddbd[i]ZY^cd[aV\ZaaViZ8ZgVi^jbig^edh^c
TO CAUSE FOOD POISONING IN HUMANS CZl?ZghZnXdVhiValViZgh 8dheZgVcY8ZgVb^&..+ #
AND MOST OF THE BLOOMS ONLY DISCOL ORED THE WATER AND REDUCED WATER CLARITY !FTER A RELATIVELY SEVERE EXTENSIVE DINOFLAGELLATE BLOOM IN .EW *ERSEY COASTAL WATERS IN BLOOM MONITORING INCREASED PROBABLY ACCOUNTING FOR THE HIGHER NUMBERS OF BLOOMS RECORDED IN LATER YEARS
/NE TYPE OF BLOOM THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THESE DATA SETS IS hBROWN TIDE v WHICH HAS HAD A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE SCALLOP FISHERIES IN ,ONG )SLAND AND HAS STARTED TO APPEAR IN .EW *ERSEY COASTAL WATERS AS WELL 4HIS SPECIES HAS NOT BEEN OBSERVED TO BLOOM IN THE HARBOR BUT IT HAS APPEARED IN 'REAT 3OUTH "AY
,ONG )SLAND 7E ALSO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED BLOOMS OF 0FIESTERIA PISCICIDA IN THIS AREA 4HIS MYSTERIOUS DINOFLAGELLATE HAS CAUSED FISH KILLS AND EVEN NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE IN PEOPLE FROM .ORTH #AROLINA TO $ELAWARE 4HERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT A NON TOXIC FORM OF 0FIESTERIA EXISTS IN SOME .EW 9ORK WATERS BUT IT HAS YET TO BLOOM AND VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT WHAT CAUSES IT TO BLOOM
- dgBdgZ>c[dgbVi^dc ABOUT (ARMFUL !LGAL "LOOMS
WWWWHOIEDUREDTIDE
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(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR
- ONCLUSIONS 4AKEN AS A WHOLE WHAT DO THE TRENDS IN THE INDICATORS DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT MEAN )S THE ESTUARY GETTING CLEANER (EALTHIER -ORE PRODUCTIVE "ETTER (AVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PRO TECTING AND RESTORING THE ESTUARY 7HAT CHALLENGES REMAIN
4HESE QUESTIONS ARE OF COURSE VERY DIFFICULT TO ANSWER THE REASONS FOR OBSERVED TRENDS ARE OFTEN UNCLEAR (OWEVER SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS CAN BE MADE ABOUT THE DATA PRESENTED 4ABLE SUMMARIZES THE TRENDS IN THE INDICATORS PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT CHARACTERIZING THE TRENDS AS hIMPROVING v hDETERIORATING v MIXED TREND v AND hNO TRENDv 4HERE IS A FAIRLY EVEN DISTRIBU TION OF TRENDS AMONG THESE CATEGORIES WITH SLIGHTLY MORE INDICATORS SHOWING IMPROVEMENT THAN STAYING THE SAME OR DETERIORATING 7HILE SOME MEASURES OF ESTUARINE HEALTH HAVE EXHIBITED IMPROVEMENT OVER THE TIME SCALES DISPLAYED HERE SUCH AS DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS AND LOADINGS OF CONTAMINANTS OTHER TRENDS ARE NOT AS POSITIVE &OR EXAMPLE POPULATION SIZES OF SOME SPECIES OF FISH ARE DECLINING
)T APPEARS THAT THE STORY OF THE HEALTH OF THE ESTUARY IS AS COMPLICATED AS THE ECOSYSTEM !LTHOUGH MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THE TIME SCALE OF A CENTURY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE NOT CONTINUED AT THE SAME RATE ON MORE RECENT AND SMALLER TIME SCALES 4HE #LEAN 7ATER !CT AND OTHER LEGISLATION HAVE HAD A TREMENDOUS POSITIVE IMPACT ON CLEANING UP OUR WATERWAYS AND PROTECTING HABITAT AN IMPACT REFLECTED IN THE IMPROVEMENTS IN DISSOLVED OXYGEN LARGE TIME SCALE CONTAMINANT LOADING AND THE DECREASE IN LOSS OF WETLANDS COM PARED TO EARLIER DECADES "UT POTENTIAL ONGOING SOURCES OF CHEMICAL CONTAMI NANTS AND THE LEGACY OF POLLUTION IN THE ESTUARY HAVE MEANT THAT SEDIMENT TOXICITY IS STILL A CONCERN WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR BIOACCUMULATION OF CONTAMI NANTS AS WELL 4HE DECLINE IN INDICES OF POPULATION SIZE OF SOME FISH SPECIES IS ALSO WORRISOME AND COULD REFLECT CHANGES IN HABITAT QUALITY IN THE ESTUARY
$IVERSITY OF THE FISH COMMUNITY IN (AVERSTRAW "AY HAS ALSO BEEN DECLINING OVER THE PAST YEARS PERHAPS ANOTHER TROUBLING REMINDER THAT WE HAVE MUCH WORK LEFT TO DO IN THIS REGION
&INALLY INADEQUATE AVAILABILITY OF DATA IS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO PROPERLY INTERPRETING THE ESTUARYS HEALTH -ANY OF THE INDICATORS ORIGINALLY SELECTED FOR MONITORING CHANGES IN THE (ARBOR %STUARY SEE )NTRODUCTION PAGE ARE NOT CURRENTLY MONITORED AND ADDITIONAL DATA GAPS ARE DUE TO GEOGRAPHIC OR SPATIAL INCONSISTENCIES OF SOME EXISTING MONITORING PROGRAMS 4ABLE SUMMARIZES THE DATA AVAILABILITY GRAPHS PRESENTED IN EACH CHAPTER )T IS CLEAR FROM THIS
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR TABLE THAT ALTHOUGH MANY INDICATORS ARE BEING MEASURED EXISTING 4!",%
MONITORING PROGRAMS ARE INADEQUATE TO FULLY DESCRIBE TEMPORAL HjbbVgnd[igZcYY^gZXi^dc[dgZVX]^cY^XVidg^cXajYZY^c
AND SPATIAL TRENDS FOR MANY (%0 INDICATORS )N SOME CASES DATA i]^hgZedgi#6ggdlh^cY^XViZ^begdkZbZci!YZiZg^dgVi^dc!cd
igZcY!dgb^mZYigZcY#
AVAILABILITY MIGHT BE INCONSISTENT BETWEEN .EW 9ORK AND .EW
- ERSEY FOR EXAMPLE .EW *ERSEYS BEACH MONITORING PROGRAM IS COORDINATED AT THE STATE LEVEL WHILE .EW 9ORKS IS NOT AND WHILE (ABITAT AND +EY 3PECIES 4REND
.9#$%0S (ARBOR 3URVEY HAS MONITORED THE WATERS OF .EW 9ORK #HANGES IN (ABITAT !CREAGE OVERALL (ARBOR ON THE .EW 9ORK SIDE FOR ALMOST YEARS THERE IS NO 7ETLAND !CREAGE SUCH COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM IN .EW *ERSEYS WATERS )N ADDITION
7ETLANDS IN *AMAICA "AY
)N ORDER FOR A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ESTUARYS HEALTH TO BE DEVELOPED NEW OR BETTER MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR THE FOLLOWING (ABITAT IN THE (ACKESACK -EADOWLANDS INDICATORS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED !BUNDANCE OF 7ADING "IRDS s )NCIDENCE OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS !BUNDANCE OF &ISH AND #RUSTACEANS OVERALL s 3EDIMENT TOXICITY 3TRIPED BASS s $ISEASE CAUSED BY CONSUMING CONTAMINATED SHELLFISH !MERICAN SHAD s ,EVELS OF CONTAMINANTS IN FISH AND SHELLFISH TISSUE OTHER 7INTER FLOUNDER THAN 0#"S IN STRIPED BASS 3UMMER FLOUNDER s #OLIFORM BACTERIA OUTSIDE OF .EW 9ORK #ITY WATERS 7HITE PERCH s "EACH CLOSURES IN .EW 9ORK s (ABITAT ACREAGES SOME IS DONE FOR WETLANDS BUT A MORE !MERICAN EEL COMPLETE REGULAR INVENTORY OF THE ESTUARYS HABITATS NEEDS &ORAGE FISH TO BE IMPLEMENTED INCLUDING SHALLOW HABITATS SUCH AS MUD "LUE CRAB FLATS DEEP HABITATS AND ACREAGES OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC "ENTHIC #OMMUNITY (EALTH VEGETATION 3EDIMENT LOADING s (ABITAT FUNCTION 4OXIC #ONTAMINATION s &ISH POPULATION INDICES FOCUSING ON THE LOWER ESTUARY IN BOTH STATES #ONTAMINANT ,EVELS s "IRD REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS #ONTAMINANT ,OADINGS s 3USPENDED SEDIMENT LOADINGS AND AN OVERALL SEDIMENT 3EDIMENT 4OXICITY BUDGET FOR THE HARBOR BY REPEATING A VERSION OF THE #!20 #ONTAMINANTS IN &ISH 4ISSUE PROGRAM PERIODICALLY 0ATHOGENS s #ONTAMINANT LOADINGS AND LEVELS BY REPEATING A VERSION OF
!CRES OF 3HELLFISH "EDS /PEN THE #!20 PROGRAM PERIODICALLY s &ISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION FOCUSED ON THE LOWER ESTUARY IN $ISEASE ,INKED TO #ONTAMINATED 3HELLFISH BOTH STATES ,EVELS OF #OLIFORM "ACTERIA s 3EDIMENT FLUXES OF NUTRIENTS "EACH #LOSURES s ,EVELS OF COLIPHAGES &LOATABLE $EBRIS s )NCIDENCE OF ILLNESS RELATED TO BATHING AT LOCAL BEACHES &LOATABLE $EBRIS
.UTRIENTS AND /RGANIC %NRICHMENT
%NVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF A SHARED RESOURCE SUCH AS THE
.9.* (ARBOR %STUARY SHOULD ALSO BE COORDINATED MORE CLOSELY .UTRIENT ,EVELS AND ,OADINGS BETWEEN THE STATES OF .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY ,ESSONS LEARNED $ISSOLVED /XYGEN ABOUT BI STATE COOPERATIVE MONITORING BY THE (%0S #ONTAMINANT #HLOROPHYLL A
!SSESSMENT AND 2EDUCTION 0ROJECT #!20 SHOULD BE APPLIED 4RANSPARENCY TO OTHER TYPES OF MONITORING SO THAT BETTER SPATIAL COVERAGE IS (ARMFUL !LGAL "LOOMS ACHIEVED &OR SOME MONITORING PROGRAMS RESOURCES COULD BE SHARED BETWEEN THE TWO STATES TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE IMPROVING TREND DETERIORATING TREND INDIVIDUAL STATES &OR OTHER INDICATORS PERHAPS GREATER FEDERAL NO TREND MIXED TREND
(EALTH OF THE (ARBOR PARTICIPATION IN MONITORING WOULD BE HELPFUL ! FOLLOW UP TO THE WORK SHOP SHOULD BE HELD TO REVIEW THE MONITORING PLAN UPDATE IT IF NECESSARY AND FURTHER DISCUSS HOW TO IMPROVE EXISTING MONITORING AND IMPLEMENT NEW MONI TORING PROGRAMS AS NECESSARY
$ATA AVAILABILITY
)NDICATOR 3PATIAL 4EMPORAL (ABITAT AREA "IRD ABUNDANCE
&ISHCRUSTACEAN ABUNDANCE "ENTHIC COMMUNITY HEALTH 3EDIMENT LOADING
- ONTAMINANT LEVELSLOADINGS 3EDIMENT TOXICITY 4!",% 0#"S IN STRIPED BASS HjbbVgnd[YViVVkV^aVW^a^in
[dgZVX]^cY^XVidg^cXajYZY^c #ONTAMINANTS IN FISH TISSUE i]^hgZedgi# !CRES OF OPEN SHELLFISH BEDS
$ISEASECONTAMINATED SHELLFISH
- OLIFORM CONCENTRATIONS "EACH CLOSURES
&LOATABLE DEBRIS
.UTRIENTS LEVELS
.UTRIENT LOADINGS
$ISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS
- HLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATIONS 4RANSPARENCY (ARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS POOR FAIR GOOD
&UTURE (%0 )NDICATOR 7ORK
)T WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE (%0 TO CONTINUE TO EXAMINE TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS ON A REGULAR BASIS IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE HEALTH OF THE ESTUARY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MANAGEMENT ACTIONS 4HIS PROCESS WILL SOON BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER BECAUSE THE (%0 IS NOW ESTABLISHING SOME FIRM TARGETS AND GOALS STATEMENTS OF HOW MUCH IMPROVEMENT THE PROGRAM WILL SEEK TO ACHIEVE BY SPECIFIC DATES )T WILL BE CRITICAL TO MONITOR THE PROGRAMS PROGRESS AS WELL AS THE ESTUARYS BY EVALUAT ING TRENDS ANNUALLY IN A SUITE OF INDICATORS SIMILAR TO THE ONES ASSESSED IN THIS REPORT
2EFERENCES
!BLE + 7 AND - 0 &AHAY 4HE &IRST 9EAR IN THE ,IFE OF "URGER *OANNA ED "EFORE !FTER AN /IL 3PILL 4HE !RTHUR
%STUARINE &ISHES IN THE -IDDLE !TLANTIC "IGHT .EW "RUNSWICK .* +ILL .EW "RUNSWICK .* 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
"URGER * + 6ISCIDO AND - 'OCHFELD %GGSHELL THICK
!BLE +7 2 % -ATHESON 7 7 -ORSE - 0 &AHAY AND ' NESS IN MARINE BIRDS IN THE .EW 9ORK "IGHT n S TO S
3HEPHERD 0ATTERNS OF SUMMER FLOUNDER 0ARALICHTHYS !RCH %NVIRON #ONTAM 4OXICOL n
DENTATUS EARLY LIFE HISTORY IN THE -ID !TLANTIC "IGHT AND .EW
- ERSEY ESTUARIES &ISH "ULL "URGER * - (OROSZEWSKI ,AVERY AND - 'OCHFELD
4EMPORAL CHANGES IN LEAD LEVELS IN COMMON TERN FEATHERS IN
!BOOD +ARIM ,-3 %NGINEERS 0ERSONAL COMMUNICATION .EW 9ORK AND RELATIONSHIP OF FIELD LEVELS TO ADVERSE EFFECTS IN
THE LABORATORY %NVIRON 4OXICOL #HEM n
!DAMS $ARVENE 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY #HAMBERS *2 #OASTAL DEGRADATION AND FISH POPULATION 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION LOSSES 0P n )N 2( 3TROUD ED 3TEMMING THE 4IDE OF
- OASTAL &ISH (ABITAT ,OSS 0ROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM ON
!DAMS $ARVENE 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY
CONSERVATION OF COASTAL FISH HABITAT "ALTIMORE -$ -ARCH n
0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
.ATIONAL #OALITION FOR -ARINE #ONSERVATION 3AVANNAH '!
!DAMS $ ! * 3 /#ONNOR AND 3 " 7EISBERG 53
- HYTALO +AREN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF
%NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY 3EDIMENT 1UALITY
%NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
OF THE .9.* (ARBOR 3YSTEM !N )NVESTIGATION 5NDER THE 2EGIONAL %NVIRONMENTAL -ONITORING AND !SSESSMENT 0ROGRAM #OSPER %- AND *# #ERAMI !SSESSMENT OF HISTORICAL
2 %-!0 .EW 9ORK .9 53 %0! PHYTOPLANKTON CHARACTERISTICS AND BLOOM PHENOMENA IN THE
.EW 9ORK (ARBOR ESTUARINE AND .EW 9ORK "IGHT ECOSYSTEMS
!MERICAN ,ITTORAL 3OCIETY .EW 9ORK 3TATE "EACH
&INAL 2EPORT TO THE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION
- LEANUP !NNUAL 2EPORT
DE #ERRExO ! , # - 0ANERO AND 3 "OEHME 0OLLUTION
!UERMULLER 2OBERT $IVISION OF 7ATERSHED -ANAGEMENT 0REVENTION AND -ANAGEMENT 3TRATEGIES FOR -ERCURY IN THE .EW
.EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0ERSONAL 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR .EW 9ORK !CADEMY OF 3CIENCES .EW
- OMMUNICATION
9ORK .EW 9ORK
!YRES 2 AND 3 2 2OD 0ATTERNS OF 0OLLUTION IN THE
%ISELE "ILL .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL (UDSON 2ARITAN "ASIN %NVIRONMENT n
0ROTECTION "UREAU OF -ARINE 7ATER -ONITORING .EW *ERSEY "ARNES $EBORAH .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF 3TATE 3HELLFISH #LASSIFICATIONS 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
%NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION $IVISION OF &ISH 7ILDLIFE AND n
.ATURAL 2ESOURCES 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
'REBE (ELEN 53 %0! 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
"OPP 2ICHARD 2ENSSELAER 0OLYTECHNIC )NSTITUTE 0ERSONAL (ARTMAN *EAN -ARIE 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0ERSONAL
- OMMUNICATION
- OMMUNICATION
"OYLE 2 ( 4HE (UDSON 2IVER ! .ATURAL AND 5NNATURAL (ASSE * AND 2 ,ATHROP -EASURING 5RBAN 'ROWTH IN (ISTORY .EW 9ORK .9 7 7 .ORTON #OMPANY
.EW *ERSEY ! 2EPORT ON 2ECENT ,AND $EVELOPMENT 0ATTERNS "ROSNAN 4 - AND - /3HEA ,ONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS 5TILIZING THE n .* $%0 ,AND 5SE,AND #OVER $ATA IN WATER QUALITY DUE TO SEWAGE ABATEMENT IN THE LOWER (UDSON 3ET #ENTER FOR 2EMOTE 3ENSING AND 3PATIAL !NALYSIS 2UTGERS 2IVER %STUARIES n 5NIVERSITY HTTPCRSSARUTGERSEDUPROJECTSLCURBANGROWTH
INDEXHTML
"UCKEL * ! $ / #ONOVER . $ 3TEINBERG AND + !
-C+OWN )MPACT OF AGE BLUEFISH 0OMATOMUS SALTA (OLCOMB -ARA .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH TRIX PREDATION ON AGE FISHES IN THE (UDSON 2IVER ESTUARY "UREAU OF #OMMUNITY 3ANITATION AND &OOD 0ROTECTION
EVIDENCE FOR DENSITY DEPENDENT LOSS OF JUVENILE STRIPED BASS 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
-ORONE SAXATILIS #AN * &ISH !QUAT 3CI n
2EFERENCES (ORN % ' 3EAFOOD 3AFETY ! 2EGULATORY 0ERSPECTIVE ,O"UE #ARL .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
)N .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM #LEANING 5P /UR #ONSERVATION 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION
- OASTAL 7ATERS !N 5NFINISHED !GENDA 0ROCEEDINGS OF A
,OFTIN 6IRGINIA $IVISION OF 7ATERSHED -ANAGEMENT .EW 2EGIONAL #ONFERENCE -ARCH n .EW 9ORK .9 53
- ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0ERSONAL
%0!
- OMMUNICATION
(OWARTH 2 7 2 -ARINO $ 0 3WANEY AND % 7 "OYER )N
,ONG )SLAND 3OUND 3TUDY #OMPREHENSIVE #ONSERVATION PRESS 7ASTEWATER AND 7ATERSHED )NFLUENCES ON 0RIMARY AND -ANAGEMENT 0LAN
0RODUCTIVITY AND /XYGEN $YNAMICS IN THE ,OWER (UDSON 2IVER
%STUARY )N * ,EVINTON ED BOOK ON THE (UDSON 2IVER -ACCARONE ! $ AND * . "RZORAD 7ADING BIRD FORAG ING 2ESPONSE AND RECOVERY FROM AN OIL SPILL 7ATERBIRDS
(OWARTH 2 7 $ 3WANEY 4 * "UTLER AND 2 -ARINO
- LIMATIC CONTROL ON EUTROPHICATION OF THE (UDSON 2IVER ESTUARY
%COSYSTEMS n -ACCARONE ! $ AND * . "RZORAD 4HE USE OF FORAGING HABITATS BY WADING BIRDS SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE OF (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION 3UMMARY 2EPORT .EW 9ORK MAJOR OIL SPILLS #OLONIAL 7ATERBIRDS
(ARBOR%STUARY 3EDIMENT "UDGET 7ORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP HELD AT THE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION ON -AC+ENZIE # , *R 4HE &ISHERIES OF 2ARITAN "AY
$ECEMBER .EW "RUNSWICK .* 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS (URST 4HOMAS 0 .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE -ATTES + # 4HE %COLOGY OF THE !MERICAN %EL !NGUILLA 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION ROSTRATA IN THE (UDSON 2IVER &INAL 2EPORT TO THE (UDSON 2IVER
&OUNDATION
(URST 4 0 AND $ / #ONOVER .EARSHORE &ISH
- OMMUNITIES OF THE MID (UDSON 2IVER %STUARY n -C(UGH *, ,IMITING &ACTORS !FFECTING #OMMERCIAL 3TONY "ROOK .9 -ARINE 3CIENCES 2ESEARCH #ENTER 35.9 &ISHERIES IN THE -IDDLE !TLANTIC %STUARINE !REA )N %STUARINE 3TONY "ROOK 0OLLUTION AND #ONTROL !SSESSMENT 0ROCEEDINGS OF A #ONFERENCE
n 7ASHINGTON $# 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION (URST 4 0 AND $ / #ONOVER 7INTER MORTALITY OF YOUNG
!GENCY
OF THE YEAR (UDSON 2IVER STRIPED BASS -ORONE SAXATILIS SIZE DEPENDENT PATTERNS AND EFFECTS ON RECRUITMENT #AN * &ISH -C(UGH *, AND *AY *# 'INTER &ISHERIES -%3! .EW
!QUAT 3CI n 9ORK "IGHT !TLAS -ONOGRAPH !LBANY .9 .EW 9ORK 3EA
'RANT )NSTITUTE
(URST 4 0 + -C+OWN AND $ / #ONOVER )N REVIEW
)NTERANNUAL AND ,ONG TERM 6ARIATION IN THE .EARSHORE &ISH -C+OWN +IM .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF
- OMMUNITY OF THE -ESOHALINE (UDSON 2IVER %STUARY %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION 0ERSONAL COMMUNICATION
- AMAICA "AY "LUE 2IBBON 0ANEL ON -ARSH ,OSS AND #OASTAL 3EA ,EVEL 2ISE ! &UTURE !GENDA FOR -ITIGATION AND .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION .ATIONAL 0ILOT )NVESTIGATIONS &INAL 2EPORT "ROOKLYN .9 53 $EPARTMENT /CEAN 3ERVICE .ATIONAL 3TATUS AND 4RENDS 0ROGRAM OF THE )NTERIOR .ATIONAL 0ARK 3ERVICE FOR -ARINE %NVIRONMENTAL 1UALITY -AGNITUDE AND %XTENT OF 3EDIMENT 4OXICITY IN THE (UDSON 2ARITAN %STUARY ./!!
+ANE 2 AND 0 +ERLINGER 2ARITAN "AY (ABITAT AND 4ECHNICAL -EMORANDUM ./3 /2#!
7ILDLIFE )NVENTORY n &RANKLIN ,AKES .* .EW *ERSEY
!UDUBON 3OCIETY .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION
.AVIGATIONAL #HART OF .EWARK "AY
+ERLINGER 0 .EW 9ORK #ITY !UDUBON 3OCIETYS (ARBOR (ERONS 0ROJECT .ESTING 3URVEY n .EW 9ORK .9 .EW .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION
9ORK #ITY !UDUBON 3OCIETY .AVIGATIONAL #HART OF .EWARK "AY
+LAUDA 2* *" -C,AREN 2% 3CHMIDT AND 70 $EY .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION .ATIONAL
,IFE HISTORY OF WHITE PERCH IN THE (UDSON 2IVER ESTUARY #LIMATIC $ATA #ENTER WWWNCDCNOAAGOV
!MERICAN &ISHERIES 3OCIETY -ONOGRAPH 3CIENCE ,AW AND (UDSON 2IVER 0OWER 0LANTS ! #ASE 3TUDY IN %NVIRONMENTAL )MPACT .ATURAL 2ESOURCES $EFENSE #OUNCIL
!SSESSMENT PP n 4ESTING THE 7ATERS
,EWIS $ANIEL .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
%NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION $IVISION OF &ISH 7ILDLIFE WWWSTATENJUSDEPDSRNJMAINFISHHTM AND .ATURAL 2ESOURCES "UREAU OF -ARINE 2ESOURCES .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
3HELLFISHERIES 0ERSONAL #OMMUNICATION WWWNJSTATEUSDEP
2EFERENCES
.EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION $IVISION 3KINNER , # .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF OF 7ATERSHED -ANAGEMENT .EW *ERSEY #LEAN 3HORES %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION /RGANIC #HEMICALS AND -ERCURY 0ROGRAM 2EPORT WWWSTATENJUSDEPDSRWATERSHED IN 3ELECTED &ISH 3PECIES 4AKEN FROM .EW 9ORK (ARBOR
AREA APPENDIX CHTM
3KINNER , # ! * .EWELL * 7ALDMAN AND * 3HASTAY
.EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION *R A .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
.EW 9ORK #ITY 2EGIONAL (ARBOR 3URVEY #ONSERVATION #HEMICAL 2ESIDUES IN &ISH 3HELLFISH AND
- RUSTACEANS FROM THE .EW 9ORK .EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY
.EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0!(S IN 7INTER &LOUNDER AND 3OFTSHELL #LAM
.EW 9ORK (ARBOR 7ATER 1UALITY 3URVEY .EW 9ORK .EW 9ORK .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 3KINNER , # 2 0RINCE * 7ALDMAN !* .EWELL AND
- 3HASTAY *R B .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF
.EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION #HEMICAL 2ESIDUES IN &ISH
4HE 3TATE OF THE #ITYS 7ATERS )THACA .9 #ORNELL "IVALVES #RUSTACEANS AND A #EPHALOPOD FROM THE .EW 9ORK 5NIVERSITY .EW 9ORK 3TATE 7ATER 2ESOURCES )NSTITUTE .EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY $IOXINS AND &URANS
.EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM A (ARBOR 3KINNER , # 3 * *ACKLING ' +IMBER * 7ALDMAN (EALTH(UMAN (EALTH !N !NALYSIS OF %NVIRONMENTAL )NDICATORS * 3HASTAY *R AND ! * .EWELL .EW 9ORK 3TATE FOR THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION53 $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION #HEMICAL
%0! 2ESIDUES IN &ISH 3HELLFISH AND #RUSTACEANS FROM THE .EW 9ORK
.EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM B 4HE .EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0#" /RGANOCHLORINE 0ESTICIDES 3TATUS OF 3HELLFISH "EDS IN THE .9 .* (ARBOR %STUARY 53 %0! AND -ERCURY
.9.*(%0 3LOAN 2 "RIEFING ON 3TRIPED "ASS 0#" 2ESULTS
.EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM C .EW &EBRUARY "RIEFING MEMO TO *AMES #OLQUHOUN
9ORK.EW *ERSEY "EACH #LOSURES AND -ONITORING )NFORMATION .93$%#
53 %0!.9.*(%0 3LOAN 2 " 9OUNG AND + (ATTALA .93 $%# 4ECHNICAL
.EW 9ORK .EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM A 2EPORT 0#" 0ARADIGMS FOR 3TRIPED "ASS IN .EW 9ORK
!NALYSIS OF 0ATHOGEN 3OURCES 0REPARED BY (YDRO1UAL )NC 3TATE
.EW 9ORK .EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM B 3LOAN 2 AND + ! (ATTALA .93 $%# 4ECHNICAL 2EPORT
- OMPREHENSIVE #ONSERVATION AND -ANAGEMENT 0LAN 53 %0! 4EMPORAL AND 3PATIAL !SPECTS OF 0#" #ONTAMINATION IN (UDSON 2IVER 3TRIPED "ASS
.EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION
WWWDECSTATENYUSWEBSITEDFWMRMARINETWLOSSHTML 3OBSEY - $ %VALUATION AND 6ERIFICATION OF 0ATHOGENIC
)NDICATOR 0OPULATIONS IN THE .9.* (ARBOR 3YSTEM &INAL
.EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH 2EPORT TO THE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION 'RANT .UMBER
WWWHEALTHSTATENYUSNYSDOHENVIRONFISHHTM 2
2IPPEY 32 3HELLFISH BORNE $ISEASE /UTBREAKS 3HELLFISH 3QUIRES $ & 1UANTIFYING ANTHROPOGENIC SHORELINE MODIFI 3ANITATION 0ROGRAM 4ECHNICAL 2EPORT &OOD AND $RUG CATION OF THE (UDSON 2IVER AND %STUARY FROM %UROPEAN CONTACT
!DMINISTRATION .ORTHEAST 4ECHNICAL 3ERVICES ,ABORATORY TO MODERN TIME #OASTAL -ANAGEMENT n
$AVISVILLE 2) )N .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION AND .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM 0ATHOGENS 3QUIRES $ & ! (ISTORICAL 2EVIEW OF #HANGES IN .EAR 7ORK 'ROUP REPORT #HARACTERIZATION OF 0ATHOGEN 3HORE (ABITATS IN THE 3OUND (ARBOR "IGHT 3YSTEM )N #LEANING
- ONTAMINATION IN THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY 5P /UR #OASTAL 7ATERS !N 5NFINISHED !GENDA 0ROCEEDINGS OF A REGIONAL CONFERENCE -ARCH n .EW 9ORK .9
3AxUDO 7ILHELMY 3 ! AND ' ! 'ILL )MPACT OF THE 53 %0!
- LEAN 7ATER !CT ON THE LEVELS OF TOXIC METALS IN URBAN ESTU ARIES 4HE (UDSON 2IVER %STUARY REVISITED %NVIRON 3CI 3TANNE 3 0 2 ' 0ANETTA AND " % &ORIST 4HE (UDSON
4ECHNOL n !N )LLUSTRATED 'UIDE TO THE ,IVING 2IVER .EW "RUNSWICK .*
2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0RESS
3ECOR $ ( AND 7 % -ORRISON 0ROGRESS 2EPORT 9EAR
%COLOGY AND #ONTAMINATION OF THE (UDSON 2IVER !MERICAN %EL 3T *OHN *OHN (YDRO1UAL )NC 0ERSONAL COMMUNICATION
2EPORT TO THE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION
3INDERMANN # * 1UANTITATIVE %FFECTS OF 0OLLUTION ON 3ULLIVAN 2 4HE -EADOWLANDS 7ILDERNESS !DVENTURES AT THE
-ARINE AND !NADROMOUS &ISH 0OPULATIONS ./!! 4ECHNICAL %DGE OF A #ITY .EW 9ORK .9 3CRIBNER
-EMORANDUM .-&3 &.%# .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND
!TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION .ORTHEAST &ISHERIES 3CIENCE
- ENTER 7OODS (OLE -!
2EFERENCES 3USZKOWSKI $ * 3EDIMENTOLOGY OF .EWARK "AY .EW 53 &ISH AND 7ILDLIFE 3ERVICE 3IGNIFICANT (ABITATS AND
- ERSEY !N 5RBAN %STUARINE "AY 0H$ $ISSERTATION 5NIVERSITY (ABITAT #OMPLEXES OF THE .EW 9ORK "IGHT
OF $ELAWARE .EWARK $ELAWARE
6AUGHN $ 3 3ECTION %NTRAINMENT AND )MPINGEMENT 3USZKOWSKI $ * #ONDITIONS IN THE .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY )MPACTS )NTRODUCTION !&3 -ONOGRAPH 3CIENCE ,AW AND
)N #LEANING 5P /UR #OASTAL 7ATERS !N 5NFINISHED !GENDA (UDSON 2IVER 0OWER 0LANTSn
- ONFERENCE 0ROCEEDINGS OF REGIONAL CONFERENCE -ARCH n
7ALDMAN * (EARTBEATS IN THE -UCK 4HE (ISTORY 3EA ,IFE
.EW 9ORK .9 53 %0!
AND %NVIRONMENT OF .EW 9ORK (ARBOR .EW 9ORK .9 ,YONS 0RESS
3WANEY $0 $ 3HERMAN AND 2 7 (OWARTH -ODELING 7ELLS ! 7 * ! -ATOUSEK AND * " (UTCHISON
WATER SEDIMENT AND ORGANIC CARBON DISCHARGES IN THE (UDSON
!BUNDANCE 4RENDS IN (UDSON 2IVER 7HITE 0ERCH )N 3MITH #
-OHAWK BASIN #OUPLING TO TERRESTRIAL SOURCES %STUARIES
,AVETT ED %STUARINE 2ESEARCH IN THE S !LBANY .9 3TATE
n
5NIVERSITY OF .EW 9ORK 0RESS
3WANSON 2 , AND 2 , :IMMER -ETEOROLOGICAL CON 7OLF 'ARY .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH AND 3ENIOR DITIONS LEADING TO THE AND WASHUPS OF FLOATABLE 3ERVICES #ONSUMER AND %NVIRONMENTAL (EALTH 3ERVICES WASTES ON .EW 9ORK AND .EW *ERSEY BEACHES AND COMPARI
&OOD$RUG AND -ILK 0ROGRAM 3HELLFISH #ONTROL 0ERSONAL SONS OF THESE CONDITIONS WITH THE HISTORICAL RECORD %STUARINE
- OMMUNICATION
- OASTAL AND 3HELF 3CIENCE n
7OLFE $ ! % 2 ,ONG AND ' " 4HURSBY 3EDIMENT 4HATCHER - , AND # -ENDOZA &INAL 2EPORT .EW 9ORK
TOXICITY IN THE (UDSON 2ARITAN %STUARY DISTRIBUTION AND CORRELA
.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM -ODULE (YDROLOGIC TIONS WITH CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION %STUARIES n
-ODIFICATIONS .EW 9ORK .9 .9.* (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM
7OODS (OLE /CEANOGRAPHIC )NSTITUTE
53 #ONGRESS 0UBLIC ,AW n TH #ONGRESS
WWWREDTIDEWHOIEDUHAB "EACHES %NVIRONMENTAL !SSESSMENT AND #OASTAL (EALTH !CT OF 9AN % h-ARSHLAND -YSTERYv .EW 9ORK .EWSDAY 3UNDAY
!PRIL PP !
53 %0! !MBIENT !QUATIC ,IFE 7ATER 1UALITY #RITERIA FOR
$ISSOLVED /XYGEN 3ALTWATER #APE #OD TO #APE (ATTERAS 9UHAS # .* #LAMS -EET (IGHEST 3TANDARDS FROM (ARVEST TO -ARKET 4HE *ERSEY 3HORELINE n
53 %0! 'UIDANCE FOR !SSESSING #HEMICAL #ONTAMINANT
$ATA FOR 5SE IN &ISH !DVISORIES 6OLUME &ISH 3AMPLING AND :ISKOWSKI * * , $ESPRES 0ATANJO 2 ! -URCHELANO ! "
!NALYSIS 4HIRD %DITION (OWE $ 2ALPH AND 3 !TRAN $ISEASE IN COMMERCIALLY VALUABLE FISH STOCKS IN THE .ORTHWEST !TLANTIC -ARINE 0OLLUTION 53 %0! (ELICOPTER -ONITORING 2EPORT ! 2EPORT OF THE "ULLETIN n
.EW 9ORK "IGHT 7ATER 1UALITY 3UMMERS OF AND
53 %0! 2EGION &LOATABLES !CTION 0LAN !SSESSMENT 2EPORT
!CKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4HE AUTHORS WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDU ALS WHO PROVIDED US WITH DATA AND IMPORTANT INSIGHTS AND ADVICE 4HIS REPORT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE
+ARIM !BOOD ,-3 %NGINEERS 4HERESA +ENNEDY .9 .* #/!34
$ARVENE !DAMS 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY 'REG +ENNEY .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 4OM !THERHOLT .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION #ONSERVATION
-ICHAEL !UCOTT .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION ,INDA ,ANGSCHIED 2UTGERS #ENTER FOR %NVIRONMENTAL )NDICATORS 2OBERT !UERMULLER .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 2ICHARD ,ATHROP 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 0ROTECTION $ANIEL ,EWIS .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
$EBORAH "ARNES .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION #ONSERVATION 2ICHARD "OPP 2ENSSELAER 0OLYTECHNIC )NSTITUTE #ARL ,O"UE 4HE .ATURE #ONSERVANCY
- OHN "OREMAN .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE *AMES ,ODGE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION
- ULIA "RISCHLER .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 6IRGINIA ,OFTIN .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
- ONSERVATION +IM -C+OWN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
'ARY "UCHANAN .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION #ONSERVATION
+AREN #HYTALO .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 2OBIN ,ANDECK -ILLER (YDRO1UAL )NC
- ONSERVATION ,ARRY -IGLIOZZI .EW 9ORK 3TATE /FFICE OF 0ARKS 2ECREATION AND "ARBARA #OHEN !MERICAN ,ITTORAL 3OCIETY (ISTORIC 0RESERVATION
%LIZABETH #OSPER #OSPER %NVIRONMENTAL 3ERVICES &RED -USHACKE .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
- ENNIFER #OX 2EGIONAL 0LAN !SSOCIATION #ONSERVATION
- ENNIFER $I,ORENZO .EW *ERSEY -ARITIME 2ESOURCES 2OBERT 0IKANOWSKI .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE
-ARY $OWNES 'ASTRICH .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL .ICK 0ROTOPSALTIS )NTERSTATE %NVIRONMENTAL #OMMISSION 0ROTECTION "EAU 2ANHEIM .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
+IM $URHAM 2IVERHEAD &OUNDATION FOR -ARINE 2ESEARCH 0ROTECTION 7ILLIAM %ISELE .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 2OBERT 2EID .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION
$AVID &ALLON .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL $AVID 2OSENBLATT .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
- ONSERVATION ,ISA 2OSMAN .ATIONAL /CEANIC AND !TMOSPHERIC !DMINISTRATION (ELEN 'REBE 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY ,ARRY 3KINNER .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 4OM 'ULBRANSEN "ATTELLE #ONSERVATION
- EAN -ARIE (ARTMAN 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY 2ON 3LOAN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION 7ILLIAM (ASTBACK .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL *OHN 3T *OHN (YDRO1UAL )NC
- ONSERVATION !LAN 3TUBIN .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
+ATHY (ATTALA .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL $ENNIS 3WANEY #ORNELL 5NIVERSITY
- ONSERVATION +ATHY 5RFFER (ACKENSACK 2IVER +EEPER
-ARA (OLCOMB .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH 'ARY 7OLF .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH AND 3ENIOR 3ERVICES
%DWARD (ORN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH #RAIG 7OOLCOTT -EADOWLANDS %NVIRONMENTAL 2ESEARCH )NSTITUTE 2OBERT (OWARTH #ORNELL 5NIVERSITY .AJI 9AO .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 4OM (URST .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE #ATHY 9UHAS .EW 9ORK.EW *ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAM
!CKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4HE AUTHORS WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE TECHNICAL PEER REVIEWERS FOR THIS REPORT AND THE PREVIOUS REPORT ON INDICATORS IN THE (ARBOR (ARBOR (EALTH(UMAN (EALTH 7E ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION
+EN !BLE 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY *OHN +RAEUTER 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY
+ARIM !BOOD ,-3 %NGINEERS *AMES ,ODGE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION
$ARVENE !DAMS 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY 6IRGINIA ,OFTIN .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION
- OEL "AKER 5NIVERSITY OF -ARYLAND -IKE ,UDWIG .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE 3USAN "OEHME .EW 9ORK !CADEMY OF 3CIENCES !LAN -ACCARONE &RIENDS 5NIVERSITY 2ICHARD "OPP 2ENSSELAER 0OLYTECHNIC )NSTITUTE !NNE -C%LROY 3TONY "ROOK 5NIVERSITY 2ANDY "RAUN 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY +IM -C+OWN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL "RUCE "ROWNAWELL 3TONY "ROOK 5NIVERSITY #ONSERVATION 2OBERT #ERRATO 3TONY "ROOK 5NIVERSITY &RED -USHACKE .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
%LIZABETH #OSPER #OSPER %NVIRONMENTAL 3ERVICES #ONSERVATION
-ARK $ORFMAN .ATURAL 2ESOURCES $EFENSE #OUNCIL *OEL /#ONNOR 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY RET
3COTT $OUGLAS .EW *ERSEY -ARITIME 2ESOURCES -ARIE /3HEA 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY 7ILLIAM %ISELE .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0ATRICK 0HILLIPS 53 'EOLOGICAL 3URVEY
+EVIN &ARLEY -ANHATTAN #OLLEGE "EAU 2ANHEIM .EW 9ORK #ITY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL
%RIC &EERST .EW *ERSEY $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION 0ROTECTION 3TUART &INDLAY )NSTITUTE OF %COSYSTEM 3TUDIES 9AIR 2OSENTHAL 2UTGERS 5NIVERSITY
$AVID &RANZ "ROOKLYN #OLLEGE 0ETER 3ATTLER )NTERSTATE %NVIRONMENTAL #OMMISSION
,ARRY 'AUGLER 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY 2ON 3LOAN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL #ONSERVATION 7ILLIAM (ASTBACK .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL *OHN 3T *OHN (YDRO1UAL )NC
- ONSERVATION -ARK 4EDESCO 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY ,ONG )SLAND
-ARA (OLCOMB .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH 3OUND 3TUDY
%DWARD (ORN .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF (EALTH $ENNIS 3WANEY #ORNELL 5NIVERSITY 2OBERT (OWARTH #ORNELL 5NIVERSITY ,ARRY 3WANSON 3TONY "ROOK 5NIVERSITY 4OM (URST .ATIONAL -ARINE &ISHERIES 3ERVICE .ANCY 7ELSH .EW 9ORK 3TATE $EPARTMENT OF 3TATE 0AUL +ERLINGER .9# !UDUBON 3OCIETY 4HIS REPORT HAS BEEN FUNDED IN PART BY THE 53 %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION !GENCY %0! UNDER ASSISTANCE AGREEMENTS
- % AND #% WITH THE (UDSON 2IVER &OUNDATION 4HE AGENCIES REPRESENTED ON THE .EW 9ORK.EW
- ERSEY (ARBOR %STUARY 0ROGRAMS -ANAGEMENT #OMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND EXPRESS THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE INPUT FROM AND PARTICIPATION OF THE PEOPLE LISTED ABOVE
4HIS REPORT IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED POST CONSUMER PAPER
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