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Seahorses and More at Seine the Bay Day!

6/6/2016

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​What’s swimming in Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay? It turns out quite a bit.
 
On a beautiful Saturday, June 4, from 10am to 3:30pm, members of the all-volunteer Bayshore Regional Watershed Council conducted the sixth annual late spring “Seine the Bay Day.”  The goal was to discover what fish, crabs and other aquatic creatures live along the edge of Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay, the southern shore of New York Harbor.
 
Surveys were conducted at four locations: Cliffwood Beach in Aberdeen Township, Conaskonck Point in Union Beach, near the mouth of Pews Creek in Port Monmouth, and near the mouth of Many Mind Creek in Atlantic Highlands.
 
As in years past, a 50-foot-long seine net, a horizontal nylon net with buoys on top and weights on the bottom, was dragged through shallow waters and pulled towards the shore. All aquatic creatures were identified, cataloged, and returned to the estuary.
​By seining the shore, watershed members were able to show how local waters are an important nursery. Many of the critters found included young-of-year (YOY) fish - juvenile fish that have hatched out of eggs this past spring. Schools of young herring were found in abundance at Cliffwood Beach, Port Monmouth, and Atlantic Highlands. The herring hatched out of eggs in freshwater portions of the estuary several weeks ago, and are now swimming towards saltier waters with the start of warm weather.
 
Over 20 juvenile winter flounder, a flatfish, were also found at Atlantic Highlands. They averaged in size between two to three inches long. Their high density near the mouth of Many Mind Creek suggests the sandy shoreline is a nursery. As populations of winter flounder continue to decline in the Northeast, it’s important to detect these areas. 
​Other signs of new life included pregnant silversides or spearing, and clusters of snail eggs at all four sites. Exposed Horseshoe crabs were also found in wet sand at Cliffwood Beach.
 
The most unique discovery of the day, however, was hauling in an adult seahorse at Port Monmouth. Yes, they really do exist in Sandy Hook Bay. The Northern lined seahorse is our native species. They often can be found clinging to sea grasses, pilings, or other floating objects in shallow waters foraging for tiny shellfish. Sadly, due to the loss of many sea grass beds, seahorse populations are lower around Sandy Hook Bay than in decades past.
 
In addition to seining, volunteers surveyed the water for salinity, turbidity, and water temperature. Salinity readings were about 23 parts per thousand and water temperature averaged in the low to mid 70s F. Turbidity tests showed the water to be quite murky, especially at Atlantic Highlands, where volunteers could not even see their toes in less than one foot of water.
 
No doubt, seining is a great way to gain an insight into the health of the near-shore environment where many people swim and enjoy the water. It provides a snap shot at what dwells along the edge of Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay. 
​Results are below:
 
Seine the Bay Day
Raritan Bay & Sandy Hook Bay
Saturday, June 2, 2016
10:00am to 3:30pm
Weather: Partly Sunny, light winds, air temperatures in the upper 70s.
 
10:00am to 11:00am
Outgoing tide
Cliffwood Beach, Aberdeen Township
Mouth of Whale Creek
 
Water temperature = 71 F
Salinity = 21ppt
Turbidity = 1 foot +/-
 
1,000 Mud Snails
100+/- Spearing or Atlantic Silversides, including pregnant females
50+ juvenile herring (species undetermined)
Lots of snail eggs attached to sea lettuce
dozens of soft-shell clams exposed at low tide
Horseshoe Crab eggs exposed at low tide
12 + Horseshoe crabs
1 male killifish
1 juvenile Yellow Perch
 
11:30am to 12:30pm 
Outgoing tide
Conaskonk Point, Union Beach
 
Water temperature = 71 F
Salinity = 21ppt
Turbidity = 1.5 foot +/-
Lots of Snail eggs attached to sea lettuce
300+ Spearing or Atlantic Silversides including pregnant females
100+ Hermit Crabs
100+ Mud snails
50+ Comb jellies
30+ Shore shrimp
3 adult lady crabs
1 Pipefish
1 Red Beard Sponge
 
1:00pm to 2:00pm
Low tide
Port Monmouth, Middletown Township
Near the mouth of Pews Creek
 
Water temperature = 75 F
Salinity = 24ppt
Turbidity = 2.5 feet +/-
 
Lots of snail eggs attached to sea lettuce
500+ juvenile herring (species undetermined)
100+ Spearing or Atlantic Silversides including pregnant females
100+ Comb jellies
50+ Bay Anchovies
20+ Salps
25+ Hermit Crabs
20+ Shore shrimp
1 adult Northern Lined Seahorse
1 juvenile Winter Flounder
 
2:30pm to 3:30pm
Incoming tide
​Atlantic Highlands
Near the mouth of Many Mind Creek
 
Water temperature = 75 F
Salinity = 24ppt
Turbidity = zero
 
Lots of snail eggs attached to sea lettuce
300+ juvenile herring (species undetermined)
100+ Bay Anchovies
25+ Shore Shrimp
20 juvenile winter flounder
4 Lady Crabs
1 Pipefish
1 juvenile Blue-claw crab
1 isopod 
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    1. Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City by Leslie Day

    2.Heartbeats in the Muck by John Waldman

    3. The Fisheries of Raritan Bay by Clyde L. MacKenzie Jr. 

    4. Waterfront: A Walk Around Manhattan by Phillip Lopate

    5. The Bottom of the Harbor by Joseph Mitchell
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