Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary Public Input Sought

Deepwater Coral

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries recently announced that the agency will seek public input, the first step in the process to potentially designate a new national marine sanctuary off the coast of New York and New Jersey.

Stakeholders include recreational and commercial fishermen, researchers, and others.

The public can comment on the proposed Hudson Canyon sanctuary designation until August 8, 2022, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, www.regulations.gov. The docket number is NOAA-NOS-2022-0053.

In addition, NOAA will host public meetings during which members of the public can offer oral comments.

A detailed description of the proposed sanctuary, additional information about opportunities to provide comment, and information about the public meetings can be found at https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/hudson-canyon/.

Hudson Canyon is the largest submarine canyon along the U.S. Atlantic coast and is one of the largest in the world.

Beginning approximately 100 miles southeast of New York City, Hudson Canyon extends about 350 miles seaward, reaches depths of 2 to 2.5 miles, and is up to 7.5 miles wide.

Hudson Canyon's diverse structure includes steep slopes, firm outcrops, diverse sediments, flux of nutrients, and areas of upwelling.

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Hudson Canyon is an ecological hotspot for a variety of marine wildlife. The deepwater canyon is home to numerous fish species including sharks, tuna, billfish, swordfish, blackbelly rosefish, tilefish, flounder, hakes, pollock, monkfish, and black sea bass. Invertebrates include red crabs, lobsters, and squids.

Some species live only in shallower depths on the shelf while others live deep in the canyon, which starts about 100 miles southeast of New York City on the continental shelf and runs some 300 miles into very deep water.

Several NGOs have endorsed the designation. The Wildlife Conservation Society submitted a nomination for a Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary in November 2016, noting that the area provides a wide range of benefits to New York and New Jersey residents such as clean air, fresh water, recreation, and food.

In June, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation released a statement commending the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for initiating the designation process of Hudson Canyon, off the coast of New York City, to become a new national marine sanctuary.

Related Information

Hudson Canyon Marine Life

South Fork Offshore Wind Project

U.S. offshore wind turbines - credit: BOEM

In February 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony celebrated progress of the South Fork wind energy project. South Fork is the second commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project approved for federal waters in the United States.

The South Fork project will be located offshore Rhode Island and New York and have a capacity of 130 megawatts of wind energy.

In November 2021, the Department of the Interior announced the approval of the construction and operation of the South Fork wind project.

The South Fork project is expected to directly support approximately 165 jobs over the two-year construction period and approximately 10 long-term jobs during the operations and maintenance period. The project will also support jobs in the supply chain and service industries.

South Fork Wind Project Highlights:

On January 4, 2021, BOEM released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project was published on August 16, 2021.

On January 18, 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the Construction and Operations Plan for the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project.

South Fork's offshore wind turbines will be located offshore Rhode Island and New York and have a capacity of 130 megawatts of wind energy.

Offshore Wind Power Facts

In 2022, the U.S. Federal government set a national offshore wind energy goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

BOEM expects to complete the review of at least 16 plans to construct and operate commercial offshore wind energy facilities by 2025.

BOEM expects to hold lease sales in the New York Bight and offshore the Carolinas and California in 2022.

The U.S. Federal government is actively working with states, Tribes, ocean users, and key stakeholders to explore wind potential in the Gulf of Maine and in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore Oregon and Hawaii.

In 2020, the U.S. offshore wind energy project development and operational pipeline grew to a potential generating capacity of 35,324 megawatts (MW). Capacity increased by 24% 2020, up from 28,521 MW in 2019

As of 2022, two U.S. offshore wind energy projects are in operation: the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project (12 MW).

In the New England Region, Vineyard Wind 1 is fully approved, has received all permits, an offtake contract to sell the power, and an interconnection agreement to deliver it to the grid.

The U.S. offshore wind industry has the potential to generate more than $100 billion in revenue to businesses in the supply chain over the next decade.

The United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) provides the locations of land-based and offshore wind turbines in the United States, corresponding wind project information, and turbine technical specifications. 

Offshore wind power turbine platforms provide habitat for fish and marine life.

Rotating wind turbines are known to pose a hazard to birds. Proposals have included locating marine wind power components along important bird migration routes.

Offshore wind power infrastructure can conflict with existing marine activity. Commercial fishermen and other mariners complain that wind power facilities can block or restrict access to prime fishing areas.

NFWF Atlantic River Restoration Grants 2018

In December 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), along with with numerous federal, state, and local agencies, companies, and organizations announced funding for a variety of upcoming projects to protect and restore rivers, fisheries, and important habitat in the USA.

Funding for the projects originated from the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF), and Bring Back the Natives program.

This summary includes projects that will impact rivers of Long Island Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, and Atlantic Coast. For the full list of NFWF funded projects, visit www.nfwf.org.


Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) Grants:

A Fishway for Pages Millpond Dam (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound will construct a fishway opening 5.35 river miles and 4.25 lake acres of fish habitat for alewife, blueback herring, and American eel in North Branford, Connecticut. The project will complete the restoration of this riverine migratory corridor to Long Island Sound for the first time in 300 years.

A Fishway for the Railroad Pond Dam (CT)

The Town of Berlin will install a fishway at the Railroad Pond Dam in Berlin, Connecticut. The fishway will remove an impediment to passage and open a 12-acre pond and river for fish to pass to Long Island Sound including alewife, blueback herring, sea lamprey and American eel.

Planning for Two Fish Passage Projects in Southeastern Connecticut (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound will develop engineered designs for fishways at Whitford Pond Dam in Stonington and at Alewife Cove Dam in Waterford, Connecticut. The project will set the stage to provide 4.2 miles of access to spawning, rearing and refuge habitat along two riverine migratory corridors valuable to Long Island Sound diadromous and freshwater fish such as alewife, blueback herring, brook trout, American eel and American shad.

Shewville Dam Fishway Design Project (CT)

The Eastern Connecticut Conservation District will prepare an engineered plan for a fishway on the Shewville Dam and Shewville Brook in Ledyard, Connecticut. The project will set the stage for the installation of a fishway that will reconnect 4.3 river miles and 152 acres of lake for alewife migration to all historic upstream habitat along a river corridor of Long Island Sound.


Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will support projects aimed at restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), a partnership between NFWF and the EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program (INSR Program) and Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG Program). Additional support is provided by other government agencies and the private sector.

Increase Collective Impact on the Elizabeth River through Strengthened Partnership (VA)

The Elizabeth River Project will recieve funding to further coordinated stormwater management and ecosystem restoration in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The project will establish a leadership roundtable and summit to formally adopt a new watershed action plan, explore regional financing options, and improve coordination of green infrastructure projects at a variety of scales.

Formalizing and Growing the Middle and Upper James Riparian Consortium (VA)

The James River Association (JRA) will formalize an existing multi-party partnership structure designed to improve coordination and delivery of riparian conservation programs and practices in the middle and upper James River watershed. This project will utilize a consortium model to build individual organizational capacity of partners, coordinate project prioritization, and implement 200 acres of riparian buffers.

Envision the Choptank: Expanding and Scaling-Up Regional Partnership (MD, DE)

Shorerivers will strengthen and expand the Envision the Choptank partnership by identifying specific locations for best management practices on agricultural lands, providing training and education on high impact restoration techniques, and expanding landowner partnerships and technical assistance offerings. Project will continue to build the partnership of 17 regional and state organizations while implementing 250 acres of best management practices in the Choptank watershed.

Stormwater Pollutant Mitigation and Green Infrastructure at the Science Museum of Virginia

The Science Museum of Virginia Foundation will help mitigate sewer overflow events by removing 3 acres of impervious surface, installing an advanced bioretention system, enhancing existing green stormwater infrastructure education and outreach, and developing a predictive model of future green site and stormwater management projects. Project will reduce nutrient and sediment loads discharging into the James River and will demonstrate effective stormwater management practices.

Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River (VA)

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will help establish 2.5 acres of new oyster reef, construct and plant 200 reef balls, and place 5.5 million young oysters in the Lynnhaven River. The project will be conducted in partnership with Lynnhaven River Now oyster reef construction, enhancing the population of native eastern oysters, and engaging approximately 500 volunteers in a wide array of hands-on oyster restoration activities.

Supporting Community-Based Municipality Stormwater Retrofit Plans in Prince George’s County (MD)

The Low Impact Development Center will create partnerships and provide capacity to the 12 municipalities within the Anacostia Watershed to assist in meeting National Pollutant Dischare Elimination System permit requirements. Project will engage elected officials, community leaders, citizens, staff and businesses resulting in the planning, selection, and design of stormwater retrofit best management practices.

Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River Western Branch (VA)

Lynnhaven River Now, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will construct a 3-acre oyster reef using crushed concrete substrate in the Lynnhaven River. Project supports an overall goal of 60 acres reef habitat in the Lynnhaven River.

Oyster, Shoreline and Stream Retoration in the Rappahannock Tidal Tributaries (VA)

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) will undertake projects in Carter’s Creek and Urbanna Creek implementing oyster restoration on the river bottom, living shorelines and grasses to reduce shoreline erosion, and green infrastructure to address polluted stormwater runoff. Project will engage schools and community volunteers in restoration work.

Engaging Local Landowners in Living Shorelines and Shoreline Management (VA)

The Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission will target landowners with contiguous repetitive loss properties to create a 500 to 700-foot stretch of living shoreline and develop rural coastal flooding resiliency plans utilizing sand from other dredging projects. The project will improve coastal resiliency and mitigation efforts, while simultaneously improving water quality and managing shoreline erosion and marsh loss.

Sustainable Streamside Buffer Establishment in the Upper Susquehanna (NY)

The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District of New York will provide support to the Upper Susquehanna Coalition Buffer Program to plant additional riparian buffer acreage and facilitate management on riparian buffer practice acres. The project will enable riparian buffer stewards to evaluate and assess buffers throughout the watershed to determine plant survival and management needs and to facilitate management activities.

Stormwater Management in Shenandoah Towns (VA)

The Town of Woodstock will construct two biofiltration projects, incorporate permeable pavers into a retrofit of court square area, and foster broader adoption and better maintenance of stormwater facilities by the localities in the Shenandoah River Friendly Towns collaboration through a series of related outreach and training efforts. Project will demonstrate benefits of green infrastructure in Shenandoah localities.

Stream and Habitat Restoration in Kings Branch Flat Creek Greenway Natural Area (MD)
Grantee: South River Federation

Oyster Reef Restoration in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary (MD)

The St. Mary’s River Watershed Association will construct and install 5 acres of three-dimensional reef structures and traditional oyster restoration structures in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary. The project will engage 200 volunteers on site and an additional 600 STEM and public school students.

Trees for Public Health in the Harris Creek Watershed (MD)

Baltimore Tree Trust (BTT) will expand the urban tree canopy and remove impervious surfaces, focusing on planting trees along streets in neighborhoods identified as concrete-laden, with critically low tree coverage. The project will result in 275 newly planted street trees and the removal of 8,800 square feet of impervious surface.

Mircro-Bioretention at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church (MD)

The St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Congregation will install three micro-bioretention facilities in St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church’s parking lot. The project will capture and treat stormwater and pollutants that run off from the parking lot into Jones Falls River and Baltimore Harbor.

Living Shoreline and Oyster Reef Ball Restoration in the Turnbull Community (MD)

A South River Federation (SRF) project on the the South River will stabilize 748 feet of shoreline through rock sills and oyster reef balls; reef balls will be placed along the bottom of rock sills and set with oyster spat to study oyster population success.

Leveraging Partnership and Data in the Nanticoke for Stormwater Best Management Practices (DE)

The University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center will use existing collaborative structures in the watershed to collect and analyze data about demographics and landownership to identify needed changes and gaps. The project will assist Nanticoke Watershed Alliance (NWA) in developing recommendations for stormwater management to increase participation in programs and implementation, meet total maximum daily load goals across regulated and unregulated parts of the region, and fit the communities’ financing capacity.

From Design to Construction: Scaling-Up to Meet Demand for Living Shorelines on the Lower Bay (VA)

Environmental Concern will increase the capacity of the Elizabeth River Project for in-house design and construction of living shorelines, rain gardens, wetlands, and other green infrastructure. The project will address a lack of available and affordable construction firms to meet an increasing demand for this work on the lower bay.

Reconnecting Floodplains and Stream Restoration in the Upper Sassafras (MD)

Shorerivers will produce a fully permitted stream and wetland restoration design that addresses an eroding 4,800 linear foot stretch of forested perennial stream in the headwaters of the Sassafras River. The project will result in designs for a stream that receives runoff from surrounding highways and a weigh station, as well as 370 acres of surrounding agricultural land.

Developing a Privately-Managed Upland Restoration Plan for Gwynns Falls (MD)

CityScape Engineering will perform green infrastructure audits and individual restoration site plans, providing a capital improvement planning tool for individual property owners, including anticipated costs for design, construction and maintenance of best management practices with recommended funding mechanisms.


Bring Back the Natives Program Grants

Restoring Stream Connectivity for Eastern Brook Trout in the Upper Rappahannock Watershed (VA)

This Piedmont Environmental Council project seeks to improve native eastern brook trout habitat in Virginia’s Upper Rappahannock watershed. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) the project will reconnect 2 miles of intact brook trout habitat and restore 200 linear feet of riparian habitat by replacing culvert structures with an open-span bridge.

Basking Sharks Aggregations - North America Northeast Coast

Groups of basking sharks, ranging from as few as 30 to nearly 1,400 animals, have been observed aggregating in waters from Long Island to Nova Scotia.

Individual basking shark sightings are fairly common, but large groups are not, according to NOAA Fisheries.

In a recent study reported in the Journal of Fish Biology, researchers analyzed aggregations of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) recorded off the northeastern United States coast to learn more about the phenomenon.

During decades of aerial surveys for right whales, large basking shark aggregation events were recorded and photographed on several occasions.

Comparing this information with that collected in a number of satellite and oceanographic databases and by the NEFSC’s ecosystem monitoring (EcoMon) cruises in the same region, researchers obtained more insight into this behavior.

The researchers found the aggregations occurred in summer and fall when sea surface temperatures ranged between 55 and 75 degrees F (13 to 24 degrees C). In the largest event, data were available to indicate there was a high concentration of zooplankton prey present.

Ten large aggregations of basking sharks were identified between June 1980 and November 2013, ranging from 36 to at least 1,398 animals within an 11.5-mile (18.5-kilometer) radius of the central point in the aggregation.

Data on breaching, circular swimming movements, and/or apparent feeding behavior were recorded in seven of the ten largest aggregations.

The largest aggregation ever recorded on the aerial survey was at least 1,398 animals photographed on November 5, 2013 in southern New England waters.

Given the apparent presence of juveniles and an abundance of zooplankton on the continental shelf at the time of the event, the study authors say it is likely foraging played a role in the formation of that aggregation.

The study also suggests that the animals may be aggregating to draft off each other for more efficient feeding given the immense drag from having their mouths open.

Basking Shark Facts

Basking sharks are highly migratory, slow-moving fish. They are often sighted close to the surface with their large mouths open to filter zooplankton from seawater.

Reaching 32 feet or more in length and weighing more than five tons, the basking shark is the world's second largest fish. The whale shark, a close relative, is larger.

Basking sharks, whale sharks, and megamouth sharks are the only shark species that feed on plankton.

For more information, visit:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/basking-sharks-gather-large-groups-northeast-us-coast

source: NOAA Fish News

NOAA Ribbed Mussel Urban Water Quality Study

ribbed mussels

Ribbed mussels can remove nitrogen and other excess nutrients from an urban estuary and could help improve water quality in other urban and coastal locations, according to a study in New York City’s Bronx River.

The findings, published in Environmental Science and Technology, are part of long-term efforts to improve water quality in the Bronx River Estuary.

Researchers at NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory in Milford, Connecticut began the two-year pilot project in June 2011.

They used a 20 x 20-foot raft with mussel growing lines hanging below as their field location in an industrial area near Hunt’s Point in the South Bronx, not far from a sewage treatment plant.

The waters were closed to shellfish harvesting because of bacterial contamination. Scientists monitored the condition of the ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) and the water quality over time to see how each responded.

“Ribbed mussels live in estuarine habitats and can filter bacteria, microalgae, nutrients and contaminants from the water,” said Julie Rose, a research ecologist at the Milford Laboratory, part of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and co-author of the study. “They are native to the East Coast so there are no concerns about invasive species disturbing the ecosystem, and they are efficient at filtering a variety of particles from the water. Ribbed mussels are not sold commercially, so whatever they eat will not be eaten by humans.”

Farming and harvesting shellfish to remove nitrogen and other excess nutrients from rivers, estuaries and coastal waters is known as nutrient bioextraction, or bioharvesting.

Mussels and other shellfish are filter feeders, and as the organisms grow, they take up or assimilate nutrients in algae and other microorganisms filtered from the surrounding waters.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients occur naturally in the environment and are needed by plants and animals to grow, but too much of any of them is harmful.

Excess amounts from human activities often end up in rivers, streams and coastal environments, causing algal blooms, loss of sea grass and low oxygen levels in the water, which can kill large numbers of fish and other organisms.

Researchers found that the Bronx River mussels were generally healthy, and their tissues had high amounts of a local nitrogen isotope, indicating that they removed nitrogen from local waters.

They also had lower amounts of trace metals and organic contaminants than blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the seafloor nearby.

An estimated 138 pounds of nitrogen was removed from the river when the animals were harvested.

The researchers estimate that a fully populated 20 x 20 foot mussel raft similar to the one used in this study would clean an average of three million gallons of water and remove about 350 pounds of particulate matter, like dust and soot, daily.

The Bronx study is the first to examine the use of ribbed mussels for nutrient bioextraction in a highly urbanized estuarine environment.

source: Northeast Fisheries Science Center