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Quantify
Biological Impacts of Recreation Year-round on Ocean Beaches Parkwide
A year-round survey of ocean beaches in all three
administrative units of Gateway NRA will be done to quantify visitor
impacts on birds, invertebrates, and plants. This will build upon
the winter beach survey that was done at Breezy Point JBU and
the summer beach survey that was done at Plum Island SHU. Initial
information suggests that recreational uses of the park’s
beaches is, at some sites, contributing to the loss of native
species.(top) |
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Develop
a Habitat Plan for the Park's Flora and Fauna: A Vision of What
Should Be
This is a two-year project to synthesize existing
ecological data and perspectives into a vision of what the natural
resources of Gateway NRA could regain through long-term protection
and restoration. The perspective is parkwide, and includes the
full spectrum of terrestrial and aquatic habitats in and around
the park’s estuaries and barrier islands. NPS staff’s
habituation to existing degraded environmental and ecological
conditions makes it all too easy to forget, or fail to realize,
what the park’s ecological potential is.
Permanent staff of the park’s Division Natural Resources
will review the scientific literature. They also will meet frequently
with rangers from each of the park’s three administrative
Units to draw upon their experiences. Project information will
be analyzed in and presented through a predictive, visual model
within the park’s Geographic Information System (GIS).
The process of updating the park’s General
Management Plan will benefit by having the proposed Habitat Management
Plan as a referent for the park’s ecological potential.
The Habitat Plan will focus on the plant communities and the animal
communities that existed in maritime New York before urban development
had an impact. The process will be more than a recreation of the
past, because it also will consider the role that the park has
today in providing temporary refuge for migratory animals as well
as permanent refuge for the more-sedentary species. A vision of
the ecological, scenic, and recreational potential on a landscape
rich in natural values also will facilitate planning of how to
restore Jamaica Bay using damage-assessment funds. (top) |
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Develop
an Inventory and Management Plan for Horseshoe Crabs Parkwide
There is a vital connection, which is well documented,
between Horseshoe Crab eggs and the migratory shorebird diet.
Shuster(1999)has documented that these migrating birds need to
replenish up to half their body weight in order for their continued
migration Northward. This is accomplished by ingesting mainly
Horseshoe Crab eggs, which tend to be rich in dietary oil.
Migratory shorebirds in the New York/New Jersey Harbor area use
these eggs as a dietary resource, and with the current decline
in spawning populations of Horseshoe Crabs, this could adversely
impact shorebird populations here. It has been observed that the
NY/NJ Harbor area is a "flyway" for migratory bird species.
The latest documented evidence shows that there is a steady decline
in Horseshoe Crabs, and therefore their eggs, which is serious
enough to impact not only their own population numbers, but also
the numbers of migratory shorebirds who rely upon their eggs to
maintain their body weight, fishermen, whose main use is for bait
(eel, conch), and the biomedical industry who utilize Horseshoe
Crab blood for medical sterilization. To further our understanding
of the Horseshoe Crab, whose range spreads from Maine to the Yucatan
Peninsula, inventory and management data need to be collected
and added to the data from recent years. Although they are scarce,
surveys have shown that there is currently a 74% decline in Horseshoe
Crab abundance in Delaware Bay (ASMFC 1998). On Cape Cod, MA,
a decline in spawning activity in the Crabs has shown that one
local population has declined by 95% (Widener and Barlow 1999).
It is also important to document the linkage
between Horseshoe Crabs and currently observed poaching activities
that occur in Jamaica Bay, NY, Great Kills, NY, and Sandy Hook,
NJ. In addition, this project will evaluate the harvest pressures
placed on spawning horseshoe crabs at Gateway, to determine if
illegal harvesting is occurring within our boundaries.
(top) |
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Assess
Visitor Use Impacts at Key Ecological Sites Parkwide
The Division Natural Resources will supervise
a study to identify and evaluate the effects that intense visitor-use
is having on the quality of Park resources. The focus will be
on ecological sites where visitation is most intense, such as
the beaches at Sandy Hook and Breezy Point, or where the ecology
is especially fragile, such as the Holly Forest at Sandy Hook
and the peat outcrop/beach/cliff catena at Great Kills (site of
proposed daily field visits by school children). Of special concern
are the fringe marshes by the horse-riding academy at Bergen Beach
(JBU), and the marshes at Hamilton Beach (JBU), Great Kills (SIU),
Horseshoe Cove (SHU), and Spermacetti Cove (SHU).
The study will describe the current condition of these natural
areas, the associated visitor activities, and the sensitivity
of the flora and fauna to disturbance. The purpose of the study
is to provide recommendations on how to mitigate impacts and restore
damaged resources. Determination of the appropriate visitor carrying
capacity for the different ecological sites and/or visitor use
zones within the Park will be made. Suggestions for specific site
uses of boardwalks, fences, signs, trails, types of use, and visitor
numbers will be made with regard to time and place. The report
will serve as a reference guide for future development and management
proposals. (top)
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Survey
of Raccoons and Other Problem Mammals, Native and Alien
Abstract: Nearly 80% of the native mammalian
fauna has been lost from Gateway NRA. Among the two dozen remaining
mammalian species, several are becoming abundant to the point
of being a nuisance and hazard to visitors as well as a threat
to the survival of rare and listed species. This study will survey
the mammalian fauna and make recommendations on whether and how
to control nuisance species, and to provide the data that may
be needed for environmental assessments. Raccoons (Procyon lotor)
will be a focus, because they have entered new areas and become
very abundant throughout the park in recent years. While raccoons
are a native species to be preserved in the park, they also are
a nuisance to humans in residential areas and a threat to the
survival of other native animal populations within the park.
A parkwide inventory of problem mammals is proposed in the Gateway
NRA for planning intervention to restore and preserve the native
fauna and to protect property and human safety. The survey will
update and expand knowledge of occurrence, distribution, and abundance
of indigenous and exotic mammal species in Gateway NRA. Focal
animals are raccoons, opossums, rats, dogs,and cats. The survey
will contribute to-- (1) Planning to minimize property destruction,
disease risk, and injury. (2) Planning reintroduction of extirpated
mammal species. (3) Planning the elimination of feral mammal species.
(4) Planning management of native and feral mammals that are hindering
efforts to protect and rebuild viable populations of rare or threatened
species, such as Diamondback Terrapins and Piping Plovers. (5)
Beginning a parkwide museum reference collection, useful for education
and research. These activities will aid in the preservation and
restoration of biodiversity at Gateway NRA. (GMP proj# GATE-N-025.000)
(top) |
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Chemical
Contaminants in Sediments of Jamaica Bay: Comparing Damage with
Pre-Settlement Conditions
Abstract: Chemical contaminants in the sediments
and in the invertebrates of Jamaica Bay,NY, will be sampled, analyzed,
and mapped in GIS to provide a preliminary assessment of damage.
Core samples from the original salt marshes (now buried under
land-fill) will provide comparisons with present-day conditions.
The results will be compared with other data in the scientific
literature, to assess how the park’s estuarine ecosystem
is affected. This is Gateway NRA’s highest-priority natural
resources project, because these results are needed to justify
funds for a comprehensive assessment of ecological damages in
Jamaica Bay.
Urban refuse, industrial waste, and sewage in Jamaica Bay have
left large quantities of chemical contaminants in the sediments.
Contaminant distributions in time and place are poorly known,
despite NY State and EPA data in the STORET and EMAP databases.
Hazardous-waste landfills are now closed and soon will be sealed
to contain the leachates. In preparing an assessment of damages
to the Jamaica Bay ecosystem, answers are needed on how best to
deal with the contaminants that already are dispersed among the
sediments. Should the be removed, capped in situ, or left undisturbed?
The latest GIS orthophotos and maps of the bay bottom and tidal-water
exchange will be used to plan stratified random sampling to determine
where to collect sediment cores. Samples will be removed at intervals
along the length of each hand-drilled core. Where possible, such
as in salt marshes, cores will extend to depths of several centuries.
Samples will be preserved and promptly analyzed, following standard
procedures. This study is based on the Gateway NRA General Management
Plan (project # GATE-N-140.003). (top) |
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Bathymetric
Survey of Jamaica Bay and other bays parkwide: Closing a Gap in
the Saltmarsh Loss Model
Extensive research is underway at Gateway NRA
to determine physical and other processes causing the rapid loss
of the saltmarsh resources of Jamaica Bay and other areas parkwide.
This research includes sediment budget analysis, time series analysis
of salt marsh changes over time, and marsh elevation studies,
among others.
Good bathymetric data for the saltmarsh areas of the park are
fundamental for this research. Changes in bathymetry are recognized
as a major factor in the status of the saltmarsh ecosystems (Blue
Ribbon Panel Report,2001), but since NOAA surveys in the 1950’s
there has been little specific and comprehensive information on
what is occurring in benthic and deep water areas.
Recent collection of high-resolution bathymetry
and backscatter data in a portion of Jamaica Bay using multi-beam
echo soundings suggests this may be a promising tool to measure
changes in bathymetry (Flood, 2004).
Based on results of this trial and the importance
of accurate and current bathymetric information to understanding
saltmarsh loss, it is proposed that a more complete high-resolution
bathymetric survey be acquired for all of Jamaica Bay, and selected
areas of Sandy Hook and Great Kills Park, using the SIMRAD EM3000
multibeam bathymetric system for waters over 6 feet in depth.
The proposed survey would show the dimensions and features of
the channels as well as the edges of the shallow banks, with a
data density of approximately one square meter. Acquisition of
bathymetry in shallower areas would use a small boat, single-beam
echo sounding time.
The project will be conducted by a university
or agency cooperator who will perform the survey, conduct accuracy
assessments on project results, and communicate the information
to Gateway NRA in a digital format usable within the park’s
geographic information system. (top) |
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Biological
Effects of Contaminents on Marine Invertebrates Parkwide
An investigation of marine invertebrates will
be done throughout Gateway NRA to identify species and their relative
abundance for a basic description of biodiversity. Chemical contaminants
in invertebrate tissues will be identified, quantified, and further
studied in controlled experiments with living invertebrates in
aquaria to elucidate the biological effects that these contaminants
have on reproduction and survival in key species. This project
will address the critical issue raised by the 1991 NOAA report
that ranked the waters around Gateway NRA as Number One among
200 coastal sites nationwide in the potential for biological effects
from chemical contaminants. Better documentation of the hazards
and effects will help to inform specialists and the general public,
and will contribute to the public decisions and environmental
enforcement that ultimately will result in improved water quality
in the estuaries of Gateway NRA and in estuarine ecosystems nationwide.
Invertebrate animals in Gateway NRA waters are appropriate subjects
for an experimental approach to demonstrating the effects of contaminants
on the Park’s fauna, because invertebrates have a short
life cycle and because they are important foods for many other
kinds of animals. Invertebrate tissues will be analyzed to identify
and quantify chemical contaminants, particularly polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. Selected marine invertebrate
"key" species will be maintained in aquaria in the Water
Quality Laboratory in the Division Natural Resources, where they
will be dosed with various chemical contaminants to observe changes
in behavior, physiology, morphology, and survival. (top) |
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Assess
Ecological Effects of Contaminants and Efficacy of Recontouring
Jamaica Bay (FY05-07)
Existing data (published and unpublished) about
chemical contaminants in estuarine waters and sediments will be
reviewed and evaluated for biological and ecological effects.
Gateway NRA’s Division Natural Resources is refining a test
of biological effects, by using amphipod reproductive success
over several generations to provide a more-accurate monitoring
tool. Results will be evaluated in the context of food webs, pathology,
and ecosystem processes. The objective is to assess impairment,
so that informed decisions can be made about the management of
Jamaica Bay and other estuarine waters within Gateway NRA. (top) |
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Control
Invasive Plants to Restore Native Maritime Vegetation Communities
Much of the land of Gateway National Recreation
Area is presently dominated by invasive plants, alien species
or genotypes, which typically form near-monocultures and suppress
or prevent the growth of native plants. These invasive monocultures
are spreading, and overwhelming ever-larger areas of the native
plant communities that would otherwise be present under the existing
physical environmental conditions of the affected sites. The goal
of this project is to remove, or at least suppress the growth
of alien invasives in four small, selected areas throughout the
park, and restore the native plant communities at these sites.
Native plants appropriate to the sites will be grown, insofar
as possible, from local seed sources, at the park greenhouse/nursery,
then planted into the sites once the invasive plants have been
removed. As necessary, the park-grown plants may be supplemented
with plants purchased from local commercial nurseries that produce
native plants. Although the restored areas will be small relative
to the total park acreage currently dominated by invasive plants,
they will greatly increase the biodiversity of these small patches,
and will serve as examples to show visitors, via signage and interpretation,
the native maritime plant communities that were historically present
in the Greater New York City Region. (top) |
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Mitigate
Invasive Vines, Trees, and Sedge to Restore Native Maritime Vegetation
Much of the land of Gateway National Recreation
Area is presently covered with near-monocultures of invasive plants
(alien species or alien genotypes) which suppress or prevent the
growth of native plants. Many of these invasive monocultures are
spreading, overwhelming ever-larger areas of the existing native
plant communities and preventing any future development of the
vegetation that would otherwise be present under the existing
physical environmental conditions. The goal of this project is
to eliminate, insofar as possible, the alien invasive plants in
five small, selected sites within the park, and restore native
plant communities at these sites. Those native plants remaining
after the removal of the invasives will be protected. To facilitate
recovery of the native-plant communities, and to hasten ecological
succession toward regional climatic-climax communities, appropriate
native species will be planted to fill gaps in the residual vegetation.
Although the restored areas will be small relative to he total
park area currently dominated by invasive plants, the restorations
will greatly increase the biodiversity at these sites. They also
will serve as examples to show visitors the native plant communities
that were historically present along coastal New York City. (top) |
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Intensive
Investigation and Monitoring of Saltmarsh Erosion in the Jamaica
Bay Wildlife Refuge
Work with Blue Ribbon Panel of experts to set
up a protocol and action plan for monitoring and stabilizing erosion
of central marshes of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Set up
an inventory by GIS mapping all central and perimeter saltmarshes
in Jamaica Bay. Conduct workshops and routinely monitor all potential
erosion events over a three year period (i.e. weather, tides,
Canada & Snow Goose foraging habits, etc.). Consult with panel
experts, DEC, ACOE, community leaders and local universities to
develop action plan to stabilize, mitigate and/or enhance saltmarshes
at most serious erosion sites in Jamaica Bay. Evaluate program
effectiveness. (top) |
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