The Black-Crowned Night Heron, historically the most abundant wading bird in New York Harbor and an important environmental indicator, is vanishing fast, according to new research led by NYC Bird Alliance and published today the scientific journal Conservation Science and Practice. The study confirms that local Black-Crowned Night Heron populations have declined by 55% in just 22 years. [Read more…] about NY Harbor’s Black-Crowned Night Herons Could Vanish
Hudson River Estuary
American Shad: Once A Hudson River Staple, Now Fished-Out
American shad (Alosa sapidissima) is a migratory fish species with rich history in the Hudson and Delaware rivers. Indigenous peoples and colonial Americans relied on shad for sustenance, often smoking the flesh and consuming shad roe (eggs) as a delicacy.
American shad supported important recreational and commercial fisheries throughout the 20th century, however the Hudson River stock declined in recent years and as a result, all recreational and commercial fisheries for American shad closed in 2010. [Read more…] about American Shad: Once A Hudson River Staple, Now Fished-Out
The Ecological Impacts of 200 Years of Hudson River Dredging
The navigable portion of Hudson River provides a unique ecosystem with highly diverse habitats, despite being dramatically impacted by 200 years of dredging, retaining walls, and industrial development.
More than 85% of the river’s islands have been eliminated and most of the river’s side channels have been filled in. About half of the river shoreline between Troy and the Mario Cuomo Bridge (formally Tappan Zee) has been engineered. [Read more…] about The Ecological Impacts of 200 Years of Hudson River Dredging
Nature Along the Tidal Hudson River in April
The tidal portion of the Hudson River (below Waterford) comes especially alive with fish, birds, river otters, and many other species of wildlife during April, as spring flowers appear along its banks. The blooming of yellow forsythia and the pinkish-white magnolia are good bioindicators that shad, herring, striped bass, and Atlantic sturgeon will soon arrive to spawn. [Read more…] about Nature Along the Tidal Hudson River in April
New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks
Europe’s first exposure to the New York Bay was during the voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528). An Italian from Florence sailing for Francois I, the king of France, he left European waters in January 1524 to find a route to China. [Read more…] about New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks
The Erie Basin Project Transformed Red Hook’s Docks
With the construction of the Atlantic Basin on Red Hook‘s western shore in the 1840s, Brooklyn became the region’s great bulk goods handling center. The material dredged from the basin provided fill for other areas of Red Hook.
Around 1856, work began on the largest waterfront project in 19th century Brooklyn – Erie Basin, developed by William Beard and two brothers, Jeremiah and George Robinson. [Read more…] about The Erie Basin Project Transformed Red Hook’s Docks
Seining for Striped Bass: Forty-five Years of a Hudson River Survey
Each summer as the migratory striped bass spawning run tapers off, juvenile bass hatch from eggs in the upper reaches of the Hudson River Estuary and begin a downriver journey of growth and survival.
These tiny fish quickly reach several inches in length over a few months, then spend time in the lower estuary and coastal ocean until they are large enough to join the coastal migratory stock. [Read more…] about Seining for Striped Bass: Forty-five Years of a Hudson River Survey
Massive 6-Foot Atlantic Sturgeon Caught in Hudson River
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) are an endangered, anadromous fish species that spend most of the year in the Atlantic Ocean, but the adults move up the Hudson River during this time of year to spawn. While in the ocean they migrate from Florida to Maine.
They are the Hudson River‘s biggest fish, and New York State’s largest sturgeon species (New York has three species — the Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon, and lake sturgeon). [Read more…] about Massive 6-Foot Atlantic Sturgeon Caught in Hudson River
Soundscapes of the Hudson River Estuary
Underwater acoustic recorders have been deployed below the surface of the Hudson River to detect the sounds of fish as they go about their lives. Because many fish make sounds when they hunt, defend their habitats, migrate, and spawn, ecological acoustics can be used to learn about the geographic locations and activities of certain animals. [Read more…] about Soundscapes of the Hudson River Estuary
Sediment Characteristics & Hypoxia in Estuaries
In many estuaries and coastal environments – such as the Hudson River Estuary – low levels of dissolved oxygen, also known as hypoxia in water, pose a threat to habitats and local ecosystems.
Hypoxia can lead to fish kills and algae overgrowth, causing extensive damage to the ecosystem, fisheries, and other businesses that rely on the coastal environment. [Read more…] about Sediment Characteristics & Hypoxia in Estuaries
How Many Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon are in the Hudson River?
Research scientists are collaborating on a large-scale project to provide an updated estimate for Hudson River’s shortnose sturgeon population, a federally endangered species, using acoustic telemetry and side-scan sonar. Acoustic telemetry uses stationary receivers to detect signals emitted from tagged marine species such as sturgeon. [Read more…] about How Many Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon are in the Hudson River?
Hudson and Mohawk River Biological Monitoring: A 50-Year Perspective
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Water conducted sampling in the Hudson and Mohawk rivers this past summer to study the macroinvertebrate community, evaluate current conditions in these large rivers, and compare the observations in 2023 to the community studied in the 1970s. [Read more…] about Hudson and Mohawk River Biological Monitoring: A 50-Year Perspective
Camphill Hudson Donates to American Shad Recovery
American shad is a migratory species that has a long history in the Hudson River. Indigenous people and colonial Americans fished for shad for sustenance, often smoking the flesh and consuming the roe (eggs) as a delicacy.
American shad continued to be an important recreational and commercial fishery throughout the 20th century, but stock depletion resulted in the closure of the fishery in 2010. [Read more…] about Camphill Hudson Donates to American Shad Recovery
Westchester Land Trust Protects Land in Historic Park Hill Neighborhood of Yonkers
Westchester Land Trust (WLT), a nationally accredited land conservation nonprofit headquartered in Bedford Hills, Westchester County, NY, has announced the permanent protection of land in the historic Park Hill neighborhood of Yonkers. [Read more…] about Westchester Land Trust Protects Land in Historic Park Hill Neighborhood of Yonkers
Blue Crabs in the Hudson River: Beautiful Savory Swimmers
Along the Hudson River Estuary, you can find blue crabs from Troy to the New York Harbor. These crustaceans have five pairs of legs, the first pair are modified as claws for eating and defense, while the last pair of legs are modified for use as swimming paddles. [Read more…] about Blue Crabs in the Hudson River: Beautiful Savory Swimmers
Schodack Island Channel Restoration Planned
Waterways at Schodack Island State Park, which sits off the eastern shore of the Hudson River just south of Albany, that were filled in a century ago will be restored under a project coordinated by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to re-create 2.8 acres of natural habitat and improve the health of the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Schodack Island Channel Restoration Planned
The Migrating Juvenile American Eel Monitoring Project
All along the Hudson River estuary, volunteers including teachers, students, and residents are donning waders and venturing into tributary streams to participate in ongoing research on migrating juvenile American eels (Anguilla rostrata). [Read more…] about The Migrating Juvenile American Eel Monitoring Project
Featured Natural Place: Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Vosburgh Swamp is a 290-acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Greene County, NY comprised of forested uplands, tidal forested wetlands, tidal marsh, and small areas of freshwater wetlands. The area also features accessible waterfowl viewing and hunting blinds, multiple trails, and public parking. It was acquired by the State of New York from Scenic Hudson in 2012 and 2015. [Read more…] about Featured Natural Place: Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Management Area
$1.4M For Hudson River Estuary Community Projects
New 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
Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced a two-year study to monitor the health and contaminant loads of Atlantic striped bass in New York’s marine waters.
The survey will collect samples of striped bass to measure levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and other contaminants to update commercial fishery restrictions and the State Department of Health’s consumption advisories for recreational anglers, as well as enhance the understanding of New York’s striped bass population. [Read more…] about Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York