Nature on the Edge of New York City

A New Blog About Nature Around NYC

2017-01-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who has enjoyed and/or learned something from this nature blog. I have moved on to create a new nature blog entitled, NY Harbor Nature.

Please join me there to discover more about the diversity of life that calls our little hectic and crowded piece of the world home.

Peace and love to all species,

Joe R.

Many Small Fish in New York Harbor

2015-09-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

Life is on the move in the dark, murky waters of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, along the southern shore of New York Harbor. Small fish, some bait fish or others young-of-year (YOY) born this spring or summer, are swimming fast and foraging for food before the rush of winter starts to arrive.

(Juvenile Lookdown - tropical fish)

For the past several years, the all-volunteer Bayshore Watershed Council has been conducting a seining survey of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay at the end of the summer season to find out what species swim in the shallow part of the estuary.

The catch this time included many bait fish including Atlantic Silversides or Spearing and young-of-the-year fish (species that were born or emerged from eggs this past spring or summer). Each young sea creature provides hope for the future.

(Juvenile Atlantic Needlefish)

On Sunday, September 13 from 10am to 3:30pm, the annual “Seine the Bay Day” event took place. As in past years, surveys were conducted at four locations along Rartian Bay and Sandy Hook Bay: Cliffwood Beach in Aberdeen Township, the fishing beach along Front Street in Union Beach, the beach in Port Monmouth near the mouth of Pews Creek, and the beach near the mouth of Many Mind Creek in Atlantic Highlands.

With help from many volunteers a 50-foot-long net with buoys on top and weights on the bottom was dragged through murky waters and pulled towards the shore. Caught in the net was anything swimming or walking along the shallow edge of the bay.

(Juvenile Windowpane Flatfish)

Common catches included hundreds of spearing or Atlantic silversides, Killifish, young herring, young flounder, young Drum fish, and young crabs. Great finds were a young Needlenose fish in Cliffwood Beach, a young soft-shell Lady Crab at Union Beach, and a young Tautog at Atlantic Highlands. A crowd pleaser was a young Lookdown fish, a tropical sea creature that got caught up in the Gulf Stream and found its way in New York Harbor.

An uncommon find were salinity readings. Salinity is a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in the water. It is usually expressed in parts per thousand (ppt). In the past during Seine the Bay Day events, salinity readings at sites were in the low 20s ppt. Now due to several drier months, the bay has become unusually saltier with readings on the low to mid 30s ppt, which is more typical of salinity readings in the ocean.

(Juvenile Bluefish or snapper)

There is no doubt the more watershed members conduct these public seining events, the better picture people get of the bay. Seining is a method of taking the pulse of a local ecosystem. It's a way to gain an insight into the health of the near shore environment where many people swim and enjoy water.

All fishes, crabs, and other aquatic creatures were identified, cataloged, and returned to the water. In addition to seining, water temperature, salinity, and turbidity information were documented by volunteers at each site.

(Juvenile Tautog)

The weather was partly sunny to start with cloudy conditions towards the end of the event with air temperature readings in the low 80s. Winds were light out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. The new moon was on Sunday, September 13, so we were experiencing spring tide cycles.

Thanks and special appreciation goes to Jen Zarcone from Allenhurst, Debbie Mans from Essex County, Tom Grabowski from Keyport, Frank Huza from Aberdeen, , Dan & Casey from Keansburg, Jess & Fran from Hazlet, Joe Martin and family from Oceanport, Cindy Zipf from Rumson, Tony Copper from Holmdel, and Joe & Robin Sheridan and family from Keyport. Thanks to everyone for all your wonderful help and time.

10am - Aberdeen Township/Cliffwood Beach

Outgoing tide. Water temperature 76 degrees F.

Visibility was clear at nearly 3 feet.

Salinity = 35 ppt

Over 1,000 Spearing or Atlantic Silversides

20+ Salps

10+ Baby Soft-shell clams

2 Comb Jellies

1 juvenile Atlantic Needlefish (13 inches long)

1 juvenile Menhaden

4 Mullet

(Juvenile Soft-shell clam)

11:30am - Union Beach/Conaskonck Point

Outgoing tide. Water temperature 78 degrees F.

Visibility was clear at around 3 feet.

Salinity = 31 ppt

200+ Atlantic Silversides or Spearing

3 Hermit Crabs

2 Lady Crabs (one male softshell)

3 juvenile Kingfish

2 Black Drums

1 juvenile Windowpane Flatfish

1 Killifish

1 Grass Shrimp

1 juvenile Lookdown (tropical fish)

Lady Crab

1:00pm: Middletown Township/Port Monmouth - Pews Creek

Outgoing tide. Water temperature 78 degrees F.

Visibility was partially turbid at 2 feet.

Salinity = 35 ppt

1,000+ Salps

50+ Atlantic Silversides or Spearing

10 juvenile Black-tipped Mud Crabs

2 Black Drums

1 Hermit Crab

1 juvenile Bluefish or Snapper

Juvenile Winter Flounder

2:30pm: Atlantic Highlands/Mouth of Many Mind Creek

Low tide. Water temperature 78 degrees F.

Visibility turbid at 1 foot.

Salinity = 32 ppt

300+ Atlantic Silversides or Spearing

10 Killifish

6 Lady Crabs

5 Black-tipped Mud Crabs

4 juvenile Bluefish or Snappers

2 Hermit Crabs

1 juvenile Tautog

1 juvenile Winter Flounder

1 juvenile Black Drum

1 juvenile Kingfish

Baby Sea Creatures Found in a Seine Net

2015-06-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

If you live near or visit the waters of Raritan Bay or Sandy Hook Bay, along the southern shore of New York Harbor, you might often wonder what lives in the murky, turbid tidal waters. What sort of sea creatures would want to dwell downstream from New York City?

(Soft-Shell juvenile Blue-Claw Crab)

For the past several years, the all-volunteer Bayshore Watershed Council has been conducting a seining survey of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay at the start of the summer season to find out what species survive in these rich tidal waters. The catch this time around included many juvenile and young-of-the-year fish (species that were born or emerged from eggs this past spring). Each young sea creature provides hope for the future.

On Sunday, June 14 from 10am to 3pm, the annual “Seine the Bay Day” event took place. As usual, surveys were conducted at four locations: Cliffwood Beach in Aberdeen Township, the fishing beach along Front Street in Union Beach, the beach in Port near the mouth of Pews Creek , and the beach near the mouth of Many Mind Creek in Atlantic Highlands.

(Juvenile River Herring, either Blueback Herring or Alewife)

With help from local kids and adults, a 50-foot-long net with buoys on top and weights on the bottom was hauled by watershed volunteers through murky waters and pulled towards the shore. Caught in the net was anything hanging out at the time along the shallow edge of the bay.

Common catches included young spearing or Atlantic silversides, young herring, young pipefish, and young blue-claw crabs. Great finds were a young flounder at Union Beach and a young drum fish at Cliffwood Beach. A crowd pleaser was an adult American eel found along the shores of Atlantic Highlands.

(YOY- Young-of-the-year Atlantic Silver-side)

Turbidity was poor at all sites, the color of tea. In fact, bay water was so cloudy that people knee-high in the water couldn't even see their feet. Perhaps it was caused by a combination of too much runoff from recent rainstorms and an increase in plankton populations.

(Isopod or aquatic insect)

Below are the details of the event. Species found and data collected are listed beneath each seine location. The weather was mostly sunny with air temperatures in the mid 80s. Winds were light out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph.

Thanks and special appreciation goes to Shannon, Tom, Frank H, Dan & Casey, Matthew and his brother, Fran, Ron, Beth and family & friends, and Joe & Kari Martin and family for all their wonderful help and time.

10am - Aberdeen Township/Cliffwood Beach

Outgoing tide. Water temperature 78 degrees F.

Visibility was cloudy at a foot or less.

Salinity = 22 ppt

150+ Spearing or Atlantic Silversides, including over 100 YOY or young-of-the-year fish at less than 1 inch in length.

10 to 15 juvenile Blueback or Alewife river herring

50+/- mud snails

10 +/- isopods or aquatic insects

9 juvenile pipefish

2 adult male Horseshoe Crabs

2 juvenile Blue Claw Crabs (3 inches & 1 inch)

1 juvenile Black Drum fish

(Juvenile Black Drum fish)

11:30am - Union Beach/Conaskonck Point

Outgoing tide. Water temperature 80 degrees F.

Visibility was cloudy at a foot or less.

Salinity = 22 ppt

200+ Mud Snails

100+ juvenile Spearing or Atlantic Silversides

50+ Shore Shrimp

20+ Hermit Crabs

10+ Isopods or aquatic insects

4 Black-tipped Mud Crabs

4 juvenile Blue-claw Crabs

1 Soft-shell Blue Crab (4 inches wide)

1 juvenile Winter Flounder

1 Pipefish

1 juvenile Hard Clam or Quahog

1 adult male Horseshoe Crab found on beach

1 adult pair Horseshoe Crabs mating on beach

1:00pm: Middletown Township/Port Monmouth - Pews Creek

Incoming Tide. Water temperature 80 degrees F.

Visibility was less than 6 inches.

Salinity = 25 ppt

50+ Mud Snails

Masses of Mud Snail eggs attached to debris

10+ Hermit Crabs

10+ juvenile spearing or Atlantic Silversides

10+ isopods or aquatic insects

10+ shore shrimp

2 Pipefish

1 Salp

2:30pm: Atlantic Highlands/Mouth of Many Mind Creek

Incoming tide. Water temperature 83 degrees F.

Visibility less than 6 inches.

Salinity = 25 ppt

500+ juvenile spearing or Atlantic Silversides

50+ Hermit Crabs

50+ Shore Shrimp

50+ Mud Snails & eggs

10+ isopods or aquatic insects

10+ adult Spearing or Atlantic Silversides

1 American eel (at least 15 inches long)

1 juvenile Lady Crab

1 adult Pipefish