News Archive 2013

October 15, 2013

Brown tide returns, threatening shellfish
By Patricia Kitchen
NewsDay Long Island

Brown tide algae has returned to Long Island's South Shore at a time of year that helps set next spring's hard-clam reproductive season, according to a report from the Marine Science Research Center at Stony Brook University.

The algae blooms -- toxic to marine life but not humans -- "has intensified this month to nearly 1,000,000 cells per milliliter in central Great South Bay," center officials reported. "Densities exceeding 200,000 cells per milliliter were also present in western Great South Bay, Moriches Bay, Quantuck Bay, and Shinnecock Bay."

Concentrations of more than 50,000 cells per milliliter can be harmful to shellfish, especially clams, according to the center.

"The occurrence of a fall brown tide is not uncommon, particularly after a summer with a dense and widespread brown tide," said Christopher Gobler, professor of marine biology at Stony Brook University's Southampton campus. "We knew that the summer brown tide would end when the bays heated up above 75 degrees. We also knew it could return once the bays cooled down in the fall."

Brown tides hit the same areas in May, June and July. Such algal blooms have been forming in South Shore bays for at least the past 25 years, Gobler said. The growths largely result from residential cesspools and septic tanks draining into groundwater, which eventually makes its way into the Great South Bay.

Algal concentrations are at safe levels in ocean inlets, including the breach cut through Fire Island by superstorm Sandy a year ago. The breach is flushing Bellport Bay with ocean water and has kept brown tide densities below 20,000 cells per milliliter, according to a news release issued by the center Tuesday.

Suffolk County Senior Public Health Sanitarian Michael Jensen said the last two "substantial" brown tides in the Great South Bay occurred in 2008 and 2011. The 2011 algal bloom started in the fall and ended in November. "Data collected at this point suggests that this year's fall bloom mimics that of the 2011 fall bloom," Jensen said in a statement.

When he checked two locations this week, Jensen said, he saw dense blooms about 2 feet deep. When he visited the same spots on Sept. 24, he saw no significant brown tide.The blooms diminish when water temperatures reach the mid-70s, Gobler said, with the possibility of a return in the fall when temperatures cool down.

"This is disappointing but not surprising," said Carl LoBue of The Nature Conservancy, which is working to restore the Great South Bay hard-clam population. Earlier experience shows "that back-to-back brown tide blooms not only impacted survival and growth of young clams, it also impacted spawning of adult clams the following season."

Read the article at NewsDay Long Island

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October 2, 2013

"Clams for Clams" Raises $55,000 for Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program
Sag Harbor Online

More than 50 friends of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) took part in the first annual “Clams for Clams” fundraiser on September 7 to support its Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP), launched with a $3 million gift in 2012 from the Laurie Landeau Foundation and the Simons Foundation.

Proceeds from the event will develop five new clam spawner sanctuaries in the Bay, which have been proven to increase water quality and control harmful algae while strengthening the clam population.

Event co-chairs Roz and Richard Edelman, and Maureen Sherry and Steve Klinsky, both of Southampton, hosted the event at Stony Brook’s new Marine Sciences Center at the University’s Southampton campus, raising more than $55,000 in tickets and sponsorships to fund five spawner sanctuaries.

“The water here is like nowhere else, whether you like to simply look at it, paint it, play in it, or make your living fishing it,” said Maureen Sherry Klinsky who with her husband Steve funded two clam spawner sanctuaries. “I don’t want to look out across Shinnecock Bay 20 years from now, the tipping point, and wish I’d done something.”

Research by Stony Brook’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences faculty shows that increasing the clam population in Shinnecock Bay can reinvigorate this fragile ecosystem. What makes the ShiRP project unique is its emphasis on collaboration among all stakeholders: area residents, Southampton Town Trustees, local fishermen and even other community non-profits. In fact, the Peconic Baykeeper also donated a clam spawner sanctuary at the fundraiser.

“The event was a great success and hopefully it is the first of several,” said Bradley Peterson, SoMAS Associate Professor and one of the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP) researchers.

“A number of people voiced their surprise about how clams can help with the Bay’s restoration, and left excited about how the clam sanctuaries will improve water quality in western Shinnecock Bay.”

Read the article online.

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September 25, 2013

Stony Brook University To Improve Shinnecock Bay With Clam Sanctuaries
Posted by Erica Jackson (Editor)
Southhampton Patch

$55,000 raised through a fundraiser is making the project possible.

A program through Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences aims to help improve the water quality in Shinnecock Bay through the placement of clam sanctuaries in the waterway.

The plan for the sanctuaries is being brought to fruition after a Sept. 7 fundraiser that raised $55,000 for the project, according to the school of marine and atmospheric sciences, which runs the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program that was launched in 2012 through a $3 million grant.

All of the proceeds raised from the “Clams for Clams” event, which was held at Stony Brook’s new Marine Sciences Center at the University’s Southampton campus, will be used to develop five new clam spawner sanctuaries in the bay.

According to the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program, increasing the clam population in the Shinnecock Bay can reinvigorate the fragile ecosystem.

In recent years, the Shinnecock Bay has been plagued by brown tides that detrimentally affect the clam population.

"The water here is like nowhere else, whether you like to simply look at it, paint it, play in it, or make your living fishing it," said Maureen Sherry Klinsky who with her husband Steve funded two clam spawner sanctuaries. "I don’t want to look out across Shinnecock Bay 20 years from now, the tipping point, and wish I’d done something."

Read the article on Southampton.Patch.com

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August 16, 2013

Celebrate Shinnecock Bay at an Event Hosted by the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program and the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons

Celebration will include a reception and an interactive educational experience led by scientists and students from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University.

Southampton, NY, August 16, 2013– On Sunday, August 25 at 11:30 am, the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP), an initiative of Stony Brook’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), will partner with the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons to offer a public educational event that will raise awareness of the Church’s concern for and stewardship of the environment, and of Shinnecock Bay and the efforts to restore it. The general public is invited and encouraged to attend.

The event will feature educational activities such as touch tanks and shellfish experiments, as well as a brief talk by one of the program’s lead scientists. Students and project staff will be on hand to interact with the public, showcase life in the bay, and explain their research efforts to understand and restore the bay.

Dr. Ellen Pikitch, a professor at SoMAS and executive director of its Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, who is co-principal investigator of the ShiRP program, will give an overview of the project.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with our community, and are pleased that the Greek Orthodox Church is interested in partnering and wants to recognize and support our work in Shinnecock Bay,” said Dr. Pikitch. “The church has an impressive tradition of sensitivity and concern for the natural environment and has enacted many successful international and inter-faith programs in environmental education and stewardship.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for our church to cooperate with the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program, raising awareness about some of the problems with Shinnecock Bay, and what we can do to help rectify the situation,” said Father Constantine Lazarakis. “As people of faith, it is our responsibility to care for the environment.”

The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program is an effort through Stony Brook University to balance, restore and protect Shinnecock Bay, which has been negatively affected by harmful algal blooms, chemical inputs, and reduced shellfish populations. ShiRP marine biologists assess the causes of impaired water quality, and work to understand the impacts to the ecosystem’s species and habitats. They have carefully crafted a plan to replenish native shellfish and eelgrass meadows in the bay, and will monitor improvements in water quality and fish populations as the restoration progresses.

Community members are welcome at this event, which will take place rain or shine. Refreshments will be served. For more information about this event, please visit http://shinnecockbay.org/news-events/events.html or contact Christine Santora, ShiRP Coordinator at Christine.Santora@stonybrook.edu.

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The Greek Orthodox Church’s annual day of observation toward the natural environment dates back to1992, when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, whose environmental conservation initiatives have earned him the title of The Green Patriarch, led the worldwide church in formally endorsing September 1st as a day of universal prayer and thanksgiving for the natural environment.

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August 14, 2013

Please join us on Sunday, August 25 from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. for an event ShiRP is co-sponsoring with the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, which will feature educational activities such as touch tanks and shellfish experiments, and the opportunity to learn about the current restoration efforts in Shinnecock Bay as well as the Church’s stewardship of the environment.

Click here for the flyer.

Click here for the press release.

 

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July 28, 2013

By CONNOR RYAN
connor.ryan@newsday.com
Newsday

The brown tide that has plagued Long Island's shores has retreated, thanks to the recent stretch of hot weather, a report from Stony Brook University has found.

Samples taken last week from Southampton to Bay Shore indicate an overall sharp decline in algae levels, officials reported.

"Brown tide has an upper temperature threshold; it can't withstand when the water goes above 80 degrees," said Chris Gobler, a professor at the university's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. "The extreme heat we've had this month has caused the brown tide to die off."

Density levels in the algae-causing brown tide have dropped from millions of cells per milliliter to tens of thousands, according to the report. Brown tide concentrations of 50,000 cells per milliliter or more can be harmful to marine life, the report indicated. It doesn't pose a threat to humans.

Shinnecock Bay and Moriches Bay had less than 10,000 brown tide cells per milliliter -- the lowest concentrations in the area. Parts of the Great South Bay, however, still recorded more than 100,000 cells per milliliter, the report found.

"Areas near ocean inlets had cleared up the fastest, and the areas that received the least amount of flushing still had high densities," Gobler said.

Gobler said brown tide also causes problems for commercial fishermen.

"Fish are visual predators and, essentially, when the brown tide moves in, fish will often move out," he said. "The other alternative is that the fish are there, but they can't see the bait."

But Kathy Heinlein, president of the Captree Fleet -- one of the largest fishing fleets on Long Island -- said the brown tide this year hasn't been a problem.

"Fishermen have not been able to fish through it in the past," she said, "but now they've been able to fish through it."

Brown tide appeared in Moriches Bay and Shinnecock Bay for the seventh consecutive year, the report from Stony Brook said. Spurred by heavy rainfall in mid-June, the algae spread in the Great South Bay -- the first time brown tide was spotted there in five years.

Gobler predicted algae levels will remain lower for the rest of the summer.

Article on Newsday.com: http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/hot-weather-stems-brown-tide-along-li-shores-1.5785327

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July 24, 2013

New Study Shows Inbreeding in Winter Flounder in Long Island's Bays

July 24, 2013

STONY BROOK, NY, July 24, 2013–Research conducted in six bays of Long Island, NY, and led by scientists from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University (SBU) showed that local populations of winter flounder are inbred, which is a situation that is not usually considered in marine fisheries management. The scientists also determined that the effective number of breeders in each bay was below 500 fish, suggesting that the spawning populations of this historically common fish are now relatively small in the area.

“Severe inbreeding and small effective number of breeders in a formerly abundant marine fish,” was published online in the journal PLOS ONE, and is one of the first studies indicating the occurrence of inbreeding in a marine fish. The scientists extracted genomic DNA from the fins of 267 young of the year winter flounder caught over a period of several months in 2010 and 2011, and used 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci (molecular markers) to test for genetic diversity.

“While documented to occur in freshwater fish, inbreeding in marine fish is generally not a serious concern because of their perceived ability to move through larger areas to find mates and, historically anyway, their much larger population sizes making it unlikely they would spawn with relatives,” said Shannon O’Leary, lead author and doctoral student at SBU. “Our research suggests that the possibility of inbreeding should be considered in the management of some commercially and recreationally exploited marine fish.”

Inbreeding has been linked to lower survival and reproductive rates as well as lower resistance to disease and environmental stress, which could directly contribute to the failure of fish populations to recover from exploitation. However, since inbreeding has not been considered likely in marine fish, current fisheries management practices have been developed without incorporating its associated risks.

“We are just beginning to realize that marine fish frequently exist as a series of smaller subpopulations as opposed to one large, well-mixed and widely distributed population,” said Dr. Demian Chapman, leader of the research team, who is an assistant professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and assistant director for science at the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at SBU. “The evidence of inbreeding we have found supports this new paradigm. The number of effective breeders in each bay is also alarmingly low and argues for strong fisheries management and habitat restoration initiatives to rebuild winter flounder populations in Long Island bays."

Genetic analyses for this research were supported by the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science with operational funds from The Pew Charitable Trusts. Microsatellite amplification was carried out in the Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution operated with support from the Pritzker Foundation. Shinnecock Bay fish were sampled during the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Project, which is funded by the Laurie Landeau Foundation and matched by a gift from the Simons Foundation. Further funding was granted by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program (NOAA) and a NY DOS grant for field work in Hempstead Bays.

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To read the article “Severe inbreeding and small effective number of breeders in a formerly abundant marine fish,” please go to: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0066126.

The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) is the State University of New York's center for marine and atmospheric research, education and public service. With more than 85 faculty and staff and more than 500 students engaged in interdisciplinary research and education, SoMAS is at the forefront of advancing knowledge and discovering and resolving environmental challenges affecting the oceans and atmosphere on both regional and global scales. http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/

The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University is dedicated to advancing ocean conservation through science. The Institute transforms real-world policy while pursuing serious science, both of which are essential for ocean health.

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July 23 2013

Brown Tide Breaking Up; Inlets Clear Up First and Fastest

Stony Brook, NY, July 23rd 2013 – The harmful brown tide that has plagued various sites across the south shore of Long Island since the spring is in its final throes. The 2013 brown tide began in the Shinnecock and Moriches Bay in May, and then erupted in late June in Great South Bay following unusually heavy rainfall in the beginning of that month. A survey through Long Island’s South Shore Estuary Reserve from Southampton to Bay Shore performed by The Gobler Laboratory of Stony Brook University has revealed that a during the week of July 15th, cell densities had declined from millions to tens of thousands of cells per milliliter compared to the start of the month. Sites located near the Shinnecock, Moriches, and New Inlet in Great South Bay had the lowest abundances (< 10,000 cells per millimeter) while some regions in central and western Great South Bay still had more than 100,000 cells per millimeter. Densities above 50,000 cells per milliliter can be harmful to marine life. The brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens, has been notorious on Long Island since it first appeared in 1985 having been responsible for the demise of the largest bay scallop fishery on the US east coast in the Peconic Estuary, the loss of eelgrass across Long Island, and the inhibition of hard clam recovery efforts in Great South Bay. This year marked the seventh consecutive year these destructive blooms have occurred in the Moriches and Shinnecock Bay but the first event in Great South Bay since 2008.

“The heatwave of the past two weeks has warmed the south shore bays to more than 80°F, a temperature the brown tide cannot tolerate”, said Christopher Gobler, Professor of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, “Importantly, regions in closest proximity to ocean inlets, including the new Great South Bay inlet, are getting down to levels of brown tide that are not harmful the fastest. The singular exception is the Fire Island Inlet which, due to its long channel, does not seem to flush the Bay as effectively as other ocean inlets.”

Gobler further commented that the brown tide should remain at low levels for the remainder of the summer, but could return in the fall when the bays cool down to ~70°F.

Relevant web site: Facebook.com/scerp

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July 9, 2013

SoMAS Faculty and Students Among Oyster Gardener Volunteers for SBU’s Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program

SOUTHAMPTON, NY – July 9, 2013 –Stony Brook University Professor Ellen Pikitch, a renowned expert in marine biology and conservation; Christopher Scott and Elyssa Hopkins, currently students in the Marine Conservation and Policy program in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook, were among the volunteer oyster gardeners gathered at the Tiana Beach Community Oyster Garden, where each received 1000 baby oysters (spat), which they will nurture to maturity. A number of the oyster gardener volunteers were recruited by the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP), which was founded by the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) and its Institute for Ocean Conservation Science.

“Restoring Shinnecock Bay requires dedication and a hands-on approach by scientists and residents in our communities,” said Dr. Pikitch, Executive Director of IOCS, ShiRP co-principal investigator (with SoMAS Prof. Christopher Gobler) and a Town of Southampton resident.

“Raising these oysters is an extremely important initiative to improve the bay’s health, and I look forward to working alongside other members of the community on this project. I think it will be a great learning experience and fun.”

At the end of the season the oyster gardener volunteers will produce their fully matured oysters to be planted by SBU students in special oyster beds, where they will filter water in Shinnecock Bay, improving water quality and helping to fight both brown and red tides. One adult oyster can filter and clean up to 50 gallons of water per day.

The ShiRP volunteer oyster gardeners will work under the program, Southold Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT), which is sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, the Southampton Town Trustees and Town of Southampton Parks and Recreation Department.

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About the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program

The goal of the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP) is to use science, outreach and partnerships to restore the water quality and fisheries of Shinnecock Bay. The bay is the eastern-most lagoon along New York’s South Shore Estuary system. Its aquatic environment – 9,000 acres of open water, salt marshes and intertidal flats – forms a regionally significant habitat for fish shellfish, and waterfowl. In August 2012, ShiRP received a generous philanthropic gift from the Laurie Landeau Foundation* matched by a gift from the Simons Foundation for a total impact of $3 million. These targeted funds are being used by Stony Brook’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) over five years to restock shellfish, expand existing eelgrass beds, harvest seaweeds to absorb nutrients and inhibit harmful algal blooms, monitor restoration efforts and share the project’s goals and results with stakeholders and the public.

* The Laurie Landeau Foundation is an arm of a larger 501(C)3 which was established from the estates of Ralph and Claire Landau, and is primarily dedicated to philanthropy for scientific institutions and science museums.

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June 11, 2013

Monday, June 17, 2013, from 7:00 pm-9:00 pm at the Southampton Town Community Center
(25 Ponquoque Avenue – Across from the HB Post Office)

The Hampton Bays Civic Association presents: The Bays of Hampton Bays Past, Present, Future?

All Hampton Bay residents can see that the degradation of our bays continues unchecked, this night’s panel of experts:

• John Botos, Executive Director of the Peconic Institute
• Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
• Kevin McAllister, Peconic Bay Keeper
• Dr. Ellen Pikitch, Stony Brook;
• Ed Warner, Southampton Town Trustee & Bayman

Be there when this array of experts discuss the history of our bays, put forth possible solutions now being tested in other east coast areas, in the process demonstrating their intimate knowledge of our bays and their extreme importance to the entire Hampton Bay Community.

Throughout this evening, as they set loose the evils of this volatile issue, they also offer projections of hope for a revitalized future of our bays.

Following their presentations, they will take your questions. If the bays of Hampton Bays are a part of your life you will want to be present with your neighbors at this dramatic and hopeful program.

Visit our website for additional information on this important forum: www.hbcivic.org or call 631.728.2289 for additional information.

Download Flyer

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June 10, 2013

Volunteers Wanted: Become an Oyster Gardener
Westhampton-Hampton Bays Patch
Posted by Erica Jackson (Editor), June 10, 2013

Help protect the Shinnecock Bay this summer.

The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program is looking for volunteers this summer to help raise oysters that will help filter the bay way, fighting both brown and red tides.

The restoration program, which was founded by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and its Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, is offering the opportunity to Southampton residents.

Oyster gardeners will be responsible for raising tiny seed oysters at the Tiana Bay community oyster garden until they are large enough to be transplanted into the Shinnecock Bay.

To get started, participants pay $200, which buys 1000 baby oysters and two floating cages to protect them while they grow. In addition, the fee covers 6 Tuesday morning workshops from July through October, where oyster gardeners can tend to their cages while learning about aquaculture and the oysters’ role in the restoration of Shinnecock Bay.

An orientation session is scheduled for Tuesday June 18 at 7 p.m.

Volunteers will work under the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training program, which is a program sponsored by Suffolk County Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Southampton Town Trustees and Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Chris Woods at shinnecockbay@gmail.com.

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June 8, 2013

Scientists: Brown tide threatens Long Island bays
Published: June 8, 2013 1:16 PM
By The Associated Press

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - (AP) -- Superstorm Sandy wrought terrible destruction, but it may have had at least one benefit: Healthier conditions for marine life in Long Island's Great South Bay.

Stony Brook University professor Christopher Gobler tells Newsday (http://bit.ly/15WCyGj ) that a new inlet punched through Fire Island is now helping to flush septic system pollutants out of the bay.

That has led to lower levels of an algae threatening eelgrass and scallops along other parts of the south shore.

In places that can't flush out as easily, the so-called brown tide is causing big problems.
Gobler says levels of the algae have reached densities of 800,000 cells per milliliter in western Shinnecock Bay.

Densities above 50,000 cells can be harmful to marine life.

Harmful blooms have also been reported in Moriches Bay and Quantuck Bay.

Read the article on Newsday’s Web site

The article also was carried by the following media outlets:

 

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June 7, 2013

Brown tide emerges in Moriches, Quantuck, and Shinnecock Bay, but not in Great South Bay
Presence of new ocean inlet in Great South Bay may help keep brown tide in check

Southampton, NY, June 7th 2013 – A brown tide has emerged within some, but not all, of Long Island’s south shore estuaries.  Monitoring by The Gobler Laboratory of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences has revealed that a brown tide has developed in eastern Moriches Bay, Quantuck Bay, and western Shinnecock Bay.  Abundances of the brown tide organism in this region progressively increased through the month of May and were recorded at maximal densities of more than 800,000 cells per milliliter in western Shinnecock Bay as of June 1st.  Densities above 50,000 cells per milliliter can be harmful to marine life.  The brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens, has been notorious on Long Island since it first appeared in 1985 having been responsible for the demise of the largest bay scallop fishery on the US east coast in the Peconic Estuary, the loss of eelgrass across Long Island, and the inhibition of hard clam recovery efforts in Great South Bay.  This marks the seventh consecutive year these destructive blooms have occurred in the Moriches-Quantuck-Shinnecock Bay system.  While brown tides have also occurred in Great South Bay as recently as 2008 and 2011, the presence of a new ocean inlet in eastern Great South Bay that formed during Hurricane Sandy may be assisting in keeping the blooms away in 2013.

Dr. Christopher Gobler, Professor within Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences whose laboratory generated the brown tide data, indicated that the distribution of this year’s brown tide comes as good news to some and bad news to others: “The absence of a brown tide in Great South Bay may be a ‘Gift from Sandy’.  Since the new inlet was created following the Hurricane Sandy, we’ve seen higher salinity, lower chlorophyll, lower nitrogen, and stronger flushing in eastern Great South Bay.  The inability of the brown tide organism to form a bloom in this region is consistent with these conditions and should help promote the growth of hard clams and eelgrass in this bay,” Gobler said.

The news for the eastern regions of the Long Island’s south shore was not as good. “The combination of poor flushing and intensive nitrogen loading into the eastern Moriches-western Shinnecock Bay region makes it highly vulnerable to algal blooms. We had hoped that the cooler spring and the efforts of the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program to restock filter feeding shellfish in the Bay might restrict this year’s bloom. We are still hopeful that these filter feeders may make this year’s bloom will be less intense in this region than is has been in recent years”, said Gobler noting that in 2011 and 2012, cell densities of the brown tide were more than twice as dense as the current bloom at two million cells per milliliter.

For further information contact: Christopher.gobler@stonybrook.edu
Relevant web sites:
Shinnecockbay.org
Facebook.com/scerp

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May 1, 2013

The Independent gives front-page coverage of the ShiRP eelgrass restoration event

Story - click to enlarge

Cover image - click to enlarge

Read the article at The Independent.

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April 20, 2013

Public Invited to Lend a Hand to Shinnecock Bay
Bring scissors to help prepare eelgrass for transplantation into Shinnecock Bay.
Posted by Brendan J. O'Reilly (Editor)
Southmpton Patch

The Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program is asking for volunteers to come to the Stony Brook Southampton School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences marine station on Saturday to get their hands dirty in a project aimed at helping the beleaguered bay.

Between 10 a.m and 2 p.m., volunteers will prepare eelgrass to be transplanted into the bay, where vital habitats has been declining. Eelgrass habitats enable clams to grow and also provide grounds for other species to feed. Part of the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program's goals is to restore the clam population, because clams filter the water, which can go a long way toward preventing devastating brown tides and red tides.

There will be public education exhibitions on display about the bay and SoMAS' research and restoration activities, according to a statement from the restoration program. This will include touch tanks, oyster filtration experiments, and opportunities to speak with scientists, students and staff.

For more information, visitshinnecockbay.org/help/volunteer.html. Volunteers must pre-register by emailing program coordinator Christine Santora at shinnecockbay@gmail.com with subject line “eelgrass.” No registration is required for the education activities during the event.

Read the article online.

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April 16, 2013

Professor Gobler Testifies in Support of Water Resources Development Act

Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Christopher Gobler, PhD, testified before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment in support of passage of a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) is the ranking minority member on the Subcommittee. The WRDA would authorize projects related to the Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works Program, the nation’s largest water resources program, which includes environmental restoration projects.

Dr. Gobler’s testimony, presented April 16 in Washington, D.C., addressed ecosystem and aquatic ecosystem restoration, shoreline protection, and water quality improvement. He shared information gained from his Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program and lessons learned in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Dr. Gobler described the importance of high, well-vegetated dunes on the ocean side of barrier islands to protect communities from storm surge. And, he noted that salt marshes on the bay side of the islands stabilized the islands and provided protection from flooding. In contrast, he described the devastation that communities without dune-marsh systems experienced when storm waves swept onto shore and destroyed boardwalks and other structures. He also emphasized the environmental benefits of restoring bivalve and seagrass populations in degraded estuaries.

Dr. Gobler urged the Subcommittee to invest in restoring coastline dunes and wetland systems to provide a natural protective barrier to coastal communities. He noted the critical importance of the coast not only for environmental benefit, but also for the economic benefit associated with coastal communities throughout the United States. His testimony will be considered as the Subcommittee seeks to reauthorize the WRDA in the coming months.

See the article at Stony Brook University's Government Relations site.

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April 15, 2013

Come See ShiRP at Earthstock/Stony Brook University

Staff and graduate students from the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program will explain what they're up to in Shinnecock Bay. Demonstrations will include a close-up look at marine micro-organisms, a dramatic example of the cleaning power of bivalves and information on upcoming citizen science opportunities.

Discover how this group is using native eelgrass and millions of shellfish to combat pollution and restore the health of this beautiful bay.

This is local, immediate and important science in service to the environment. Learn about the program The New York Times said, "means to fix the problem, not just study it."

Earthstock, April 16th, 2 to 4pm, Stony Brook University, Student Activities Center, Room 302.

More information here.

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March 1, 2013

Letter: Keep inlet open for Bay health
Long Island Newsday online

Regarding the new inlet in the Great South Bay ["Breach: To fill, or not to fill?" Letters, Feb. 15]: For two decades, I have investigated the coastal waters of Long Island with a focus on processes that promote harmful algal blooms and that affect coastal resources such as bivalves and eelgrass. During this time, the harmful algal blooms have intensified, and bivalves and eelgrass beds have become scarce.

Across Long Island, harmful algal blooms occur in regions that are poorly flushed and are subject to intense nitrogen loading. The new inlet in the Great South Bay, therefore, has created an opportunity to lessen the impact on this system.

The enhanced tidal exchange will be particularly important during summer months, when water quality is worst. I expect that, during summer, the inlet will introduce cool, clear, low-nitrogen and less-acidic water, and lessen the stress on bivalves and eelgrass.

It has long been said that dilution is the solution to pollution. The creation of the inlet offers a unique opportunity for nature to dilute nitrogen pollution in the Great South Bay and make it great once again.

Christopher J. Gobler, Stony Brook
See the article online at Long Island Newsday

beds and a decline in fish and shellfish populations.

In 2010, the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Project began, with the project now already moving into its second phase and third year.

"The pilot studies undertaken by SoMAS during the summers of 2010 and 2011 have provided valuable information to inform future restoration projects," Gobler said. "The goal is to eventually reach a 'tipping point' where the natural populations of shellfish will begin to recover and eelgrass beds will expand within the bay."

Friday's boat tour found Gobler and members of his team gathering data from measured and evaluated water temperatures, nutrient levels, water clarity, algal densities and more. In seeking to enhance the natural filtration capacity of the ecosystem with shellfish, the team restocked multiple species of shellfish with wild plantings, caged plantings that they monitor regularly.

The bay's nutrient levels are being measured with seaweed. The aquatic plants absorb large amounts of nutrients, and by removing nutrients, the plants can have an inhibitory effect on harmful algae, including red and brown tide.

Expanding the eelgrass beds is another important area of interest for the Stony Brook and Southampton teams.

Not only were shoots of eelgrass planted, they also focused on releasing seeds and genotyping eelgrass to ensure that specific strains of eelgrass are properly matched with the prevailing conditions of the bay. Abundant eelgrass beds also promote more sustainable habitats for fish.

Now that fall is here, it's time for assessment after the passed two year's efforts.

So far, according to Gobler and his team's findings, results show that both juvenile and adult stage oysters were more resistant to the effects of high temperature and brown tide than other shellfish. Also a water sample taken from eastern Shinnecock Bay was clear, while a water sample taken from the western Shinnecock Bay was yellow and murky, resulting from being plagued by a brown tide bloom. The samples were taken from both sides on the same day.

Since the restoration project received $3 million this year in two $1.5 million philanthropic gifts from the Laurie Landeau Foundation and the Simons Foundation, coming up with funding for the project has been less of a strain. Continuing on with the proposed five year plan for the project will no doubt be easier since funding is now firmly in place.

Read the story at The Independent.