Contributed by Dr. Judith S. Weis, a Marine Biologist
Photo Banner by Tyler Tierney: Mill Creek Marsh Trail Meadowlands
We are delighted that our estuary, the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary, has been designated as the newest “Hope Spot” by Mission Blue (Sylvia Earle’s organization). While most previous Hope Spots are pristine regions with special animals, ours is an urban estuary that was terribly degraded but is making a remarkable recovery – clearly a reason for hope! During much of the 20th century, it was severely degraded by industry, unregulated discharge of garbage, sewage, and other pollutants into the water and filling of marshes for development. Heavy industry and garbage dumps lined the waterfront. There was little public access; in any case few people would have been interested in access to polluted, smelly waters.
As documented in the nomination by Dr. Judith Weis of Rutgers University (with HEP as the second nominator), the trajectory of change is amazing and inspiring. The Clean Water Act required building sewage treatment plants, which ended (most of) the raw sewage going into the water, resulting in improvements. While rainstorms can overwhelm them and untreated sewage can be released, this is being reduced by constructing rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, etc. to absorb rainwater. “By all rights, this region could have been considered an ecological write-off, instead, because of community concern, the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary is an incredible environmental comeback story that epitomizes a ‘Hope Spot” said Greg Remaud, NY/NJ Baykeeper. Dissolved oxygen, critical for fish, is increasing. Contaminants in sediments are being reduced as cleaner sediments cover highly contaminated ones from decades ago. The most contaminated areas are “Superfund sites,” which will be dredged to remove the worst contamination. “Mission Blue’s designation of the NY/NJ Harbor & Estuary as a Hope Spot is an important and shining affirmation of positive improvements made in the harbor complex,” said EPA Region 2 Water Director Javier Laureano, PhD. “It also gives us further resolve to affect more critical improvements to the estuary and water quality, which benefits people and the ecosystem.”
There has been a great increase in the diversity of life. Fish, once dominated by small, pollution-tolerant killifish, now are increasing in diversity, including sturgeon, American eels, striped bass, herring and benthic animals. Horseshoe crabs crawl up on beaches to mate and lay eggs. Birds have increased greatly in numbers and diversity. “When I founded Hackensack Riverkeeper back in 1997, I used to think that maybe, someday, we’d see an Osprey or even a Bald Eagle over the river,” recalls Captain Bill Sheehan. “Well, twenty-five years later – and just in the greater Meadowlands area alone – we counted twenty-five Osprey pairs and five pairs of nesting eagles. And all of that was due to cleaner water and the return of Menhaden and many other forage fish.” Uninhabited Islands are nesting grounds for egrets, herons, and ibis. Other birds, including terns, skimmers, plovers, and oystercatchers, breed on beaches. Charismatic whales and dolphins have also returned; whale watching trips leave from New York City, which would have seemed ridiculous a few decades ago. “The images we’ve seen lately, of whales and dolphins against the backdrop of New York City, truly have the power to inspire. Here in our densely populated region, home to millions, members of the public are eager for signs of hope that the life in our waters can rebound. And we’ve seen that they are willing to step up as activists for the protection of these waters” said Tracy Brown, President of Riverkeeper.
After centuries of filling marshes, in the late 20th century people realized their importance and benefits they provide to marine life and people. Filling marshes is now restricted but wetland loss continues, largely due to development and sea level rise. Restoration is a major activity by The National Park Service, New York City Parks, NY Restoration Project, The Army Corps of Engineers, and NJ Sports Exposition Authority, partially compensating for the losses. Oysters filter and purify water and grow together forming a reef. The 3-dimensional habitat supports many marine animals. They were very abundant until around 1900, when overharvest and sewage pollution caused populations to crash and dwindle to a few animals in the harbor. Now organizations are restoring them. The Billion Oyster Project in NYC and the NY/NJ Baykeeper in NJ are actively restoring oysters to our waters.
Garbagedumps in the NJ Meadowlands, Staten Island and Brooklyn have been closed and some turned into parks. For example, the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island was the largest in the world before closing in 2001. The land was engineered with layers of soil and infrastructure, and the area has become a park, with coastal meadows, wetlands, and woodlands that attract birds and other wildlife and provide numerous recreational activities for people. Public access has improved greatly as the environment has cleaned up. Of NYC’s 520 miles of shoreline, hundreds of miles are publicly accessible, including beaches, boardwalks, piers, esplanades, trails, lawns, and ballfields, offering activities such as biking, fishing, and walking along the shoreline, swimming and paddling a boat, community events, educational programs, and enjoying views. Parks and walkways have been built along NJ waterfronts as well. “It wasn’t too long ago that no one wanted to go to the edge of the Hackensack and Passaic rivers, Newark and Raritan bays, or any of the waterways of New York City,” recalls Hugh Carola of Hackensack Riverkeeper. “Nowadays people can’t seem to get enough – and they come back and again.” But many people who live here are unaware of it. “The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Hope Spot is a beacon of hope for the millions of people that live, work, travel and recreate in the region. Many of these people don’t even realize the biological wealth that exists in their own backyard” said Terry Doss of NJSEA.
Garbagedumps in the NJ Meadowlands, Staten Island and Brooklyn have been closed and some turned into parks. For example, the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island was the largest in the world before closing in 2001. The land was engineered with layers of soil and infrastructure, and the area has become a park, with coastal meadows, wetlands, and woodlands that attract birds and other wildlife and provide numerous recreational activities for people. Public access has improved greatly as the environment has cleaned up. Of NYC’s 520 miles of shoreline, hundreds of miles are publicly accessible, including beaches, boardwalks, piers, esplanades, trails, lawns, and ballfields, offering activities such as biking, fishing, and walking along the shoreline, swimming and paddling a boat, community events, educational programs, and enjoying views. Parks and walkways have been built along NJ waterfronts as well. “It wasn’t too long ago that no one wanted to go to the edge of the Hackensack and Passaic rivers, Newark and Raritan bays, or any of the waterways of New York City,” recalls Hugh Carola of Hackensack Riverkeeper. “Nowadays people can’t seem to get enough – and they come back and again.” But many people who live here are unaware of it. “The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Hope Spot is a beacon of hope for the millions of people that live, work, travel and recreate in the region. Many of these people don’t even realize the biological wealth that exists in their own backyard” said Terry Doss of NJSEA.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media