New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Fisheries

$1.4M For Hudson River Estuary Community Projects

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Students catch fish with seine nets at 'Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor' event in AlbanyNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced grants totaling more than $1.4 million for 23 projects to help communities along the Hudson River Estuary improve water quality and enhance environmental education and stewardship.

The announcement coincides with the 20th Annual ‘Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor,’ where 5,000 student scientists are gathering along the Hudson River and New York Harbor to collect data on the Hudson’s fish and invertebrates, track the river’s tides and currents, and examine water chemistry and quality. [Read more…] about $1.4M For Hudson River Estuary Community Projects

Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River Projects Funded

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DEC LogoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Syracuse-based Great Lakes Research Consortium (GLRC) have announced nearly $90,000 in grant awards for three research projects that will address priority issues identified by New York’s Great Lakes Action Agenda and support science needs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Cooperative Science Monitoring Initiative on Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River Projects Funded

Uncommon Fish Found in Haverstraw Bay and the Tappan Zee

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Blackcheek Toungefish by ElizaBeth StreifenderOver the past few weeks of sampling young-of-year striped bass during the annual beach seine, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Fisheries crews have pulled in some uncommon fish from Haverstraw Bay and the Tappan Zee. [Read more…] about Uncommon Fish Found in Haverstraw Bay and the Tappan Zee

Sturgeon Events Planned For October

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6 foot Lake Sturgeon from Oneida Lake provided by DECThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) have announced a series of fall events celebrating the continuing recovery of the state’s three sturgeon species.

Sturgeon populations are rebounding in New York after decades of being on the threatened or endangered species lists as DEC continues to work to bring the primitive and distinctive fish back to the freshwaters of the state through strategic fish management and water quality improvements. [Read more…] about Sturgeon Events Planned For October

Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes

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Cattail-marshland-at-Tifft-Nature-Preserve-Buffalo-courtesy-Wikimedia-user-Buffaboy Sunlight glinted off the water as we paddled our canoe along a winding channel which led through a marsh of tall grasses and wild rice. Two white, long-legged birds – great egrets – stalked the shallow water, poised to spear fish with their pointed bills. A bald eagle landed in a tree, squawking as it joined its mate. After four miles of canoeing down the Missisquoi River in northwestern Vermont we had reached the point where the river enters Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes

New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

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spawning salmon courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceEach fall, tributaries to the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain are home to salmon returning to spawn. This can make for some exciting fish watching as salmon move upstream and jump or otherwise navigate various obstructions on their way to their desired spawning sites. [Read more…] about New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves

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tea plant courtesy Wikimedia user James SteakleyFrom palm-reading to watching Fox News, humans throughout the ages have sought knowledge through some decidedly irrational means. But every now and then, superstition pays off.

For example, studying the pattern of coffee grounds in the bottom of one’s cup, a practice known as tasseomancy, will nearly always reveal that someone forgot to put a filter in the coffeemaker basket. And haruspicy, the study of the fresh entrails of a gutted animal, is consistently right in concluding the animal is dead. [Read more…] about Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves

Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

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DEC LogoThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of two aquatic habitat improvement projects in Jefferson County.

These habitat enhancements, on the Black River below the town of Dexter and in Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County, were implemented in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and create new spawning habitat for native fish species that are critical for local economies and ecological diversity in the region. [Read more…] about Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

11th Annual Great Hudson River Fish Count Set for Saturday

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Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count courtesty DECNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the 11th annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count will take place at multiple sites along the banks and piers of the Hudson River on Saturday, August 6th. [Read more…] about 11th Annual Great Hudson River Fish Count Set for Saturday

Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Comments Sought

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Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary courtesy NOAAThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking public comment on potentially designating a new national marine sanctuary in Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey.

A sanctuary designation would help conserve the area’s rich marine wildlife and habitats, promote sustainable economic activities, and create new opportunities for scientific research, ocean education, and recreation. [Read more…] about Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Comments Sought