Oceans & Estuaries
Southern part of New York State sits on the shore of Northern Atlantic Ocean. The current coming up the shoreline and the freshwater rivers and streams draining into the ocean mix around the New York City and Long Island area creating several distinct estuaries that flourish with marine life.
Peconic Estuary, Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve, New York/New Jersey Harbor and Hudson River Estuary are the four estuaries in this area, each with its unique geographical layout. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, along with EPA, other state agencies, and local municipalities devised management plans for each of these areas to address their different aspects of problems and protection strategies.
More about Oceans & Estuaries:
- Coastal Erosion Management - Shore protection projects; harbor drift removal; beach nourishment; and addressing issues related to coastal storms, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding.
- Estuary Management Programs - Estuaries are transitional areas between freshwater habitats and the ocean. New York has several important estuaries: Peconic Bay, Long Island Sound, New York/New Jersey Harbor and the Hudson River.
- Marine Habitat Protection - New York States's marine habitats provide homes and refuge to a variety of marine organisms and opportunities for birdwatching, hiking, and fishing for us.
- Hudson River Estuary - The Hudson River is not just a river, it is a tidal estuary, an arm of the sea where salty seawater meets fresh water running off the land
- Hudson River Estuary Program - The Hudson River Estuary Program protects and conserves natural resources and ecosystem health, cleans up pollution and other impairments and promotes public use and enjoyment of the river
- Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve - As part of a nationwide system of over 27 estuarine research reserves in 17 coastal states and Puerto Rico, areas of New York's tidal wetlands have been set aside as field laboratories for estuarine research and education
