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Click here to learn more on the Harlem River Estuary.

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Can you tell by the prints what animal came to visit the shoreline?

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Did you know that flounders start with eyes on both sides of their bodies? As they grow, one eye slowly migrates to the other side so that adults have both eyes on one side.

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Explore What We Catch In the Seining Net

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Explore What We Catch In the Seining Net

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Seining in the Harlem River by Tess Wenstrup

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TOUCH this image to discover its story. Image tagging powered by ThingLink

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NYRP educators show students how to seine in the river to ethically catch and study marine life

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Restoring NYC Wetlands

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Jason Smith, director of Northern Manhattan Parks for the New York Restoration Project, is wading into the Harlem River at low tide these days and starting to build oyster reefs. At Swindler Cove, near the Row New York boathouse, he and his small team-masks on, of course-are demonstrating one way to create a resilient shoreline: pulling on tall boots and lugging eco-friendly materials, like special blocks of concrete blended with oyster shells, piece by piece into the water. It's muddy and efficient. There's no heavy equipment in sight, and no contractors. And the timeline? This living shoreline-500 feet of reef and 14,000 square feet of new wetlands-will be completed by the end of July. As in, next month.

Other groups around New York City are taking notice of this streamlined, human-scale approach to creating resilient waterfronts. Mr. Smith welcomes partnerships. "This approach that could easily be done by other groups," he said. "It's like building with concrete Legos in the intertidal zone. This way of building resilience is adaptable."

An important part of resilience in the face of climate change, wetlands mitigate storm surge and absorb pollution. Northern Manhattan used to be bordered by rich marshes and crisscrossed with streams and creeks. A small patch of original salt marsh at Swindler Cove is all that remains of this historic ecosystem. Three years ago, NYRP director of landscape architecture Filomena Riganti began to work on a design, then acquire permits, to protect and expand this marsh. The actual building of the living shoreline only started a couple weeks ago.

In an online interview, Mr. Smith makes the point that "developing a citywide, resilient shoreline is going to require a mix of strategies. But we don't see enough of the design process we're taking here, and it's not because it's more expensive. It's because it's not the way people are used to doing things. A significant portion of the resources that NYRP invested in this project was used for design and permitting, and a lot of that was due to the hurdles that are placed in front of doing a relatively unfamiliar project like this."

"The shoreline is definitely a complicated place to work, but we make it harder than it has to be," he told WaterWire. "We want to make it easier for other grassroots organizations, who are trying to restore little pieces of New York City's shoreline."

Mr. Smith is advising Jim Cataldi, caretaker of another small, precious, Harlem River inlet called North Cove, on creating a living shoreline. He's also giving tips to City Island Oyster Reef on their living shoreline work.

Part of Swindler Cove is closed now due to pandemic restrictions, but soon, he said, the little sandy inlet will be accessible to everyone. Visitors will be able to touch the water. "We'll be monitoring the new living shoreline and doing research," he said. "People are welcome to come down and check it out."
Photograph by Ben Hider.

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Quick and Dirty: One Way to Install a Living Shoreline | Waterfront Alliance

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Jason Smith, director of Northern Manhattan Parks for the New York Restoration Project, is wading into the Harlem River at low tide these days and starting to build oyster reefs.

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Watch a time-lapse of the oyster castle instillation

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Watch a time-lapse of the oyster castle instillation

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Did you know there are Wood Ducks on the Harlem River?

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Did you know there are Wood Ducks on the Harlem River?

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Click below to learn more

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A list of some of the fish you can find in the Harlem River

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The marine waters of New York offer valuable habitat to a range of sea creatures, from large marine mammals and sea turtles, to the smallest microorganisms that support the ocean food chain and ecosystem. Much of the marine life found off New York's coast are found here year-round, while other organisms migrate seasonally through our ocean and estuaries. Some of the least nomadic creatures found in our marine waters include saltwater shellfish (mollusks) and marine invertebrates, such as crabs and lobsters.

Several saltwater fish species support both New York's renowned recreational fishing industry and economically significant commercial fisheries. Some of the largest and famed fish species found in the ocean are the diverse collection of sharks. Sharks are completely cartilaginous fish, which means they have no true-bones, compared to more familiar fish that have complete skeletons.
Learn more about the most commonly occurring fish species below:

Striped bass

Striped bass can be found along the Atlantic coast from Canada to Florida and can live up to 30 years. They are anadromous which means they migrate from saltwater into fresh water to spawn. They migrate north in the spring, and back south in the fall where they overwinter offshore. Striped bass can live up to 30 years and can be found on our artificial reefs searching for a meal.

Summer flounder (Fluke) are found from Nova Scotia to Florida and can live up to 14 years. They are bottom dwelling fish that camouflage themselves in the bottom and ambush unsuspecting prey. Fluke migrate inshore in the spring and offshore in the winter. They begin their lives with eyes on both sides of their body which migrate to the left side in about a month. They can live up to 14 years and can be found on the bottom in and around artificial reefs.

Black sea bass

Black sea bass can be found on the eastern seaboard from Maine to Florida and can live up to 20 years. In the northeast, they migrate inshore in the summer and offshore in the winter. As ocean temperatures have warmed, black sea bass populations have expanded northward. Black sea bass begin their lives as females and become males as they age. This transition usually occurs between 2-5 years old. Black sea bass can live up to 20 years. These fish are structure associated and are commonly found at rock bottoms near pilings, wrecks, and jetties. highly sought after on artificial reefs.

Winter flounder are found from Labrador to Georgia and can live over 15 years. They are bottom dwelling fish that eat copepods, amphipods, and polychaetes. Winter flounder migrate inshore to spawn in the winter and offshore in the spring. Like fluke, they begin their lives with eyes on both sides of their head and the left eye migrates to the right side of the body in a little over a month.

Bluefish can be found in temperate waters through much of the world. They are fast growers and can live up to 12 years. Bluefish migrate into New York waters in the spring and summer. They are voracious predators and are known for their sharp teeth which they use to make quick work of their prey. They can live up to 12 years, and migrate into New York waters in the spring and summer. Bluefish stop at artificial reefs to feed and are sought after for their fight and willingness to attack lures thrown their way.

Blackfish (Tautog) are found along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Georgia. They are slow growing and can live up to 40 years. They migrate inshore during the spring and offshore as the water temperature drops through the fall. They have strong jaws and teeth which they use to chew up crabs, mussels, clams, and barnacles. Blackfish utilize structure as habitat and are commonly found around natural and artificial structures. Blackfish are one of the prized and commonly sought after species on our artificial reefs.

Scup (Porgy) are primarily found between Massachusetts and North Carolina. They are a schooling fish that can live up to 20 years. They migrate inshore during the spring and their abundance in an area is often influenced by water temperature. are found on artificial reefs feeding on benthic invertebrates. They are a popular sportfish that provide a good fight for their size.

Atlantic cod are a cold-water species that can be found from Greenland to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They spawn in the winter and early spring and can live over 20 years. Cod are one of the most highly productive species, but are also sensitive to increasing ocean temperatures which has been linked to declining cod populations. Cod are seasonal visitors of artificial reefs and utilize reef structure for shelter and foraging.

American eel are the only freshwater eel found in North America. In the United States they are present from Maine to Florida. Eels spend most of their life in freshwater and migrate to the ocean to spawn and die. They have a multitude of life stages including: leptocephali, glass eel, yellow eel, and silver eel.

Weakfish are schooling fish found from Nova Scotia to Florida. They can live up to 17 years, but their natural and fishing mortality has been increasing in recent years. The name weakfish comes from their fragile mouth, which easily rips when hooked by fishermen. Weakfish are part of the drum family and often make a drumming or croaking sound using special muscles and their swim bladder.

Oyster toadfish are found in Maine to Florida and can live up to 12 years. They reside in inshore waters on rocky bottoms near reefs, jetties, and wrecks. Oyster toadfish are hardy fish that need little food to live and are well adapted to live in polluted water and among litter. When spawning they make a foghorn sound to attract mates.

Monkfish can be found from St. Lawrence to North Carolina and live up to 30 years. They prefer deeper waters and migrate seasonally to feed and spawn. Monkfish feed by using their modified spine on the top of their head as a fishing pole to lure prey towards its mouth. Once the prey is close enough, the monkfish takes a gulp of water which sucks the prey into its mouth where it is swallowed whole.

Atlantic menhaden (Bunker)

Atlantic menhaden (Bunker) can be found schooling along the Atlantic coast of the United States. They can live for 10-12 years, but most never make it to that age. They are an important prey item for many types of wildlife, including, fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. Older and larger menhaden tend to migrate farther north than younger and smaller fish. They can live for 10-12 years, but most never make it to that age. Large schools of menhaden can be found near reefs, attracting a variety of predators to the area.

American shad are found from Newfoundland, Canada to Florida and can live up to 13 years. Like alewife, American shad also spend most of their life in the ocean, returning in the spring to freshwater to spawn. They are the largest member of the herring family. Shad roe (eggs) are considered a delicacy in certain areas. They are also an important prey item for many types of wildlife, including, fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. American shad populations have declined due to pollution, overfishing, and habitat degradation due to dams.

Alewife can be found from Labrador to South Carolina and they live up to 9 years. Alewife spend most of their life in the ocean, only returning to freshwater to spawn. They are an important prey item for many types of wildlife, including, fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. Some populations live entirely in freshwater or are landlocked in lakes where they have been introduced. Alewife populations have been in decline due to habitat degradation caused by dams and culverts.

Atlantic sturgeon have been around for 70 million years and can be found from Labrador to Florida. Sturgeon have a high age at maturity and can live up to 70 years. They spend their life mostly in the ocean, returning to rivers to spawn in the spring. Most juveniles remain in the rivers for 1-6 years before migrating out into the ocean. Atlantic sturgeon are an endangered species; possession of these fish are prohibited.

More about Marine Life:

Marine Invertebrates - Learn more about the different types of marine crabs, whelks and lobster found in New York's waters.

Sharks - Information on common species of sharks found in New York's marine waters.

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The marine waters of New York offer valuable habitat to a range of sea creatures, from large marine mammals and sea turtles, to the smallest microorganisms that support the ocean food chain and ecosystem. Much of the marine life found off New York's coast are found here year-round, while other organisms migrate seasonally through our ocean and estuaries.

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Can you tell by the prints what animal came to visit the shoreline?