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Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Jamaica Bay InstituteGateway National Recreational Area

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National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Jamaica Bay InstituteGateway National Recreational Area

Highlighting ongoing research, local and internationalperspectives and future restoration plans

March 3, 2004New York Aquarium

Scientific Symposiumand Public Forum

Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing MarshesHighlighting ongoing research, local and international perspectivesand future restoration plans

March 3, 2004New York Aquarium

Assistance provided by New York Sea GrantSpecial thanks to the New York Aquarium

FRONT COVERBlack Bank Marsh is an example of a deteriorating marsh which shows erosion downto the underlying mineral sediment (gray area) and marsh peat (foreground).Photo courtesy Don Cahoon, USGS

BACK COVERIn an experimental restoration technique using a high-pressure jet spray, a thin layerof sand is applied to the surface of Big Egg Marsh in September 2003.Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Gateway National Recreation Area

PROCEEDINGS PROCEEDINGS

National Park Service Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes

Table of Contents

Superintendent’s Message ..................................................................................... 3Introduction: Jamaica Bay Science Board ........................................................... 4

Part I: Daytime Scientific SymposiumDaytime Agenda ...................................................................................................... 7Documenting Marsh Loss and Site CharacterizationAbstracts ................................................................................................................... 9Science Board Comments .................................................................................... 12Marsh Development Processes and History of Marsh DevelopmentAbstracts .................................................................................................................. 13Science Board Comments ................................................................................... 16Causes of Marsh Loss: Hydrodynamics and Sediment FluxAbstracts ................................................................................................................. 18Science Board Comments .................................................................................... 21Causes of Marsh Loss: Mussels, Wrack, Bird Grazing, Organic PollutantsAbstracts ................................................................................................................. 23Science Board Comments ................................................................................... 27Experimental RestorationAbstracts ................................................................................................................. 28Science Board Comments ................................................................................... 30Future Research Needs ................................................................................... 32

Part II: Evening Public ForumIntroduction .......................................................................................................... 37Session Abstracts ................................................................................................... 38Question & Answer Session ............................................................................... 44

Part III: DirectoriesDaytime Session Attendees ................................................................................. 50Contacts ................................................................................................................. 52Mission Statements .............................................................................................. 55

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSProceedings document compiled, edited and designed by New York Sea Grant.General editor and event photographer, Barbara Branca; additional editorial and graphic support fromSue Hamill, Sharon O’Donovan, Cornelia Schlenk, Lane Smith, and Jay Tanski. Layout by LC Graphics.Special thanks to Kim Tripp and Kathleen Cuzzolino, Jamaica Bay Institue, Gateway National Recreation Area.

Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing MarshesProceedings

Gateway National Recreation Area was established thirty years ago as this country’s firstnational urban park. As such, management of this area revolves around two fundamentalobjectives. First, we must protect the significant natural and cultural resources that arelocated within the park. Second, we must create high-quality opportunities for people to enjoythe park without impairing the resources that make the park a special place. Jamaica Bay—with its mosaic of islands, waters, and marshes—is a distinctive part of Gateway and containssome of the most important natural resources entrusted to our care.

Concerns about salt-marsh loss in Jamaica Bay were first brought to the attention of parkmanagement by a number of local residents. GIS trend maps developed by other publicagencies subsequently validated their impressions. Four years ago, a Blue Ribbon Panel wasconvened by the National Park Service to discuss this issue. The panel was made up of twelvescientists, all with extensive experience in various aspects of wetland ecology. They concludedthat numerous interrelated factors are causing the loss of saltmarshes in Jamaica Bay. Someof the more important factors included: changes in sediment deposition, increased waveaction, contamination of bay waters, and sea level rise.

The report of the Blue Ribbon Panel provided a starting point from which the park and parkpartners could address the issue of wetland loss. Our strategy consists of three kinds ofactivity, all done at the same time. First, we must carry out targeted research that will help usbetter understand the causes of wetland loss. Second, we must protect existing wetlands. Andthird, we must restore degraded or lost saltmarsh.

This strategy is not limited to the wetlands themselves. Jamaica Bay is a remarkably richecological system situated within the most populous city in the United States. Ultimately,protection of Jamaica Bay and conservation of its natural resources will depend on how wellall of us understand the effect of urban systems on the bay and whether or not we choose topromote environmental health through our decisions and our actions. In other words, basicenvironmental stewardship is essential to the long-term health of Jamaica Bay.

We have taken the first steps in a long and complex journey. We do not want to misstep andinadvertently worsen the situation through ill conceived or hasty action. However, we mustact now to stop salt-marsh deterioration and to restore portions of Jamaica Bay that havealready been lost.

We welcome the opportunity to forge a common vision with you regarding the future ofJamaica Bay and to pursue that vision in the interest of the wild things that live in the bay andthe millions of people who benefit from this special place as a recreational venue, outdoorclassroom, and quiet source of inspiration.

Billy G. GarrettSuperintendent, Gateway National Recreation Area

Superintendent’s Message

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Introduction

The National Park Service established the Jamaica Bay Science Board as an independentscience advisory group to provide guidance and oversight of the numerous scientific inves-tigations of salt marsh loss in Jamaica Bay within Gateway National Recreation Area.

This issue has gained considerable visibility among the scientific community as well as thelocal public. Understanding the complex causes of marsh loss at Jamaica Bay is critical todeveloping reasonable, sustainable solutions for the restoration and maintenance of themarshes. This will require the long-term commitment of physical and biological scientistsknowledgeable of marine, saltmarsh ecosystems working with federal, state, and localmanagers to guide research and restoration efforts.

The Board will periodically provide written comments on the ongoing scientific investiga-tions and propose additional research. The first of these is presented below and follows aworkshop, Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes, focused on saltmarsh loss in Jamaica Bayand held at the New York Aquarium on March 3, 2004. The Board continued their discus-sions during a Jamaica Bay field trip on March 4, 2004. Comments provided by individualBoard members are organized by the general topics discussed at the March 3rd workshop,followed by their recommendations for future investigations and directions.

Editor’s note: For the convenience of the reader, the Board’s comments have been inserted fol-lowing each group of related abstracts under each major topic.

Jamaica Bay Science Board

Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz is a professor ofoceanography at the Marine SciencesResearch Center, Stony Brook Universityand also serves as Director of theUniversity’s Long Island Groundwater Re-search Institute. He holds his doctoratefrom Yale University and has over 25 yearsexperience in the region. He is aninternationally recognized expert oncoastal processes, estuarine sedimentation,coastal groundwater hydrology anddredging studies. He was also a member ofthe National Park Service’s “Blue RibbonPanel” for Jamaica Bay.

Dr. P.A. Buckley is Senior ResearchEcologist with the US Geological Surveyand Resident Professor of Ecology at theUniversity of Rhode Island. An avian andcoastal ecologist by training, he was thefirst Chief Scientist for the NPS' NorthAtlantic Region, is a Fellow of theExplorers Club, Associate Editor of NorthAmerican Birds, and has served on numer-ous national and international scientificand journal advisory bodies. His researchand management interests include coastalecology, waterbirds and seabirds, aviantransmission of Lyme Disease, and ecologyof migratory birds. A co-founder of theWaterbird Society, he was its secondPresident and is now Associate Editor of itsinternational journal, Waterbirds. He is theauthor of many research papers and of twohighly acclaimed books: NeotropicalOrnithology (‘85) and Avian Genetics (‘87).

Dr. Susan Peterson is an anthropologistand a partner in Teal Ltd. of Rochester,MA. She has worked full-time as aconsultant on wetlands, water and waste-water management issues such as water-sheds, jurisdictions, carrying capacity, landuse, restoration, construction, technology,permitting, and finance since retiring fromEcological Engineering. EcologicalEngineering is a company she co-foundedin 1988 that promoted natural systems forwastewater treatment. In the 1970s and1980s, she was a Marine Policy Associate atWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution.In the mid-1980s she taught and conductedresearch at Boston University.

Jamaica Bay Science BoardBiographical Sketches

(From Left ) Dr. Norbert Psuty, Rutgers University; Dr. Denise Reed, Chair, University of New Orleans;Dr. Susan Peterson, Teal Ltd.; Dr. John Teal, Teal Ltd. and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Dr.Henry Bokuniewicz, Stony Brook University. Not included in photo: Dr. P.A. Buckley, USGS PatuxentWildlife Research Center.

Dr. Henry Bokuniewicz and Lane Smith

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Daytime Agenda

9:00 am Welcome and IntroductionsBilly G. Garrett, Superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area

Purpose of SymposiumKim Tripp, Jamaica Bay InstituteCharles Roman, North Atlantic Coast CESU

Documenting Marsh Loss and Site Characterization

9:15 am Jamaica Bay salt marsh maps 1974 to 2002: Base maps for temporal-spatialanalysis of salt marsh changesM. Kathryn Mellander, GATE

9:30 am Development of salt marsh change detection protocol using remote sensingand GISY.Q. Wang, URI

9:45 am Subaqueous soil survey in Jamaica BayRichard K. Shaw, USDA

10:00 am 15 minute Q & A

10:15 am Break

Marsh Development Processes and History of Marsh Development

10:30 am An evaluation of salt marsh accretion and elevation dynamics ofJamaica Bay, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York using thesurface elevation tableDonald R. Cahoon (USGS) and Charles Roman (NPS)

10:45 am Paleoecology and marsh compositional changes over the last millennium,Jamaica Bay, NYDorothy Peteet, Columbia University

11:00 am Are accretion rates and marsh loss decoupled?Alexander S. Kolker, Stony Brook University

11:15 am 15 minute Q & A

Causes of Marsh Loss: Hydrodynamics and Sediment Flux

11:30 am The waters of Jamaica Bay: Impact on sediment budgetArnold L. Gordon, Columbia University

11:45 am Sedimentation history and budgets for the Jamaica Bay estuary-marshsystem: Seasonal to decadal dynamics revealed through radiotracer studiesSteven L. Goodbred, Stony Brook University

12:00 pm Modeling tidal hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics of Jamaica Bay estuaryRobert E. Wilson, Stony Brook University

12:15 pm 15 minute Q & A

12:30 pm LUNCH

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Dr. Norbert Psuty is Professor Emeritus inthe Institute of Marine and Coastal Sci-ences at Rutgers University. He is a coastalgeomorphologist with research interests incoastal sediment budgets, dune-beach in-teraction, estuarine sedimentation, and sea-level rise. He has been at Rutgers Universitysince 1969 and has been conducting re-search primarily along coastal NewJersey and southern Long Island, with in-quiry extending into Mexico, Peru, Portu-gal, and Spain. His research in the parks hasespecially focused on coastal dynamics inGateway National Recreation Area and FireIsland National Seashore in the local areaand at Canaveral National Seashore andGulf Islands National Seashore outside ofthe region. His recent books include:Coastal Hazard Management:Lessonsand Future Directions from New Jersey(2002), and Coastal Dunes:Ecology andConservation (2004). He serves onnumerous national and internationalreview and editorial panels on coastal andgeomorphological topics.

Dr. Denise Reed is a Professor in the De-partment of Geology and Geophysics at theUniversity of New Orleans. Her researchinterests include coastal marsh response tosea-level rise, the contributions of sedi-ments and organic material to marsh soildevelopment, and how these are affectedby human alterations to marsh hydrology.She has worked in coastal marshes innorthwest Europe, southern Chile and theAtlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts of the US.She has been involved in restoration plan-ning both in Louisiana and in California,and in scientifically evaluating the results ofmarsh restoration projects. Denise hasserved on numerous boards and panelsconcerning the effects of human alterationson coastal environments and efforts to re-store them.

Dr. John Teal received his Ph.D. fromHarvard (1955) and studied trophic rela-tionships in a Massachusetts spring. Hestudied salt marshes at University ofGeorgia’s Marine Institute at Sapelo Island,and went to Dalhousie University inHalifax. He joined Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution where he is now Scien-tist Emeritus. In addition to research oncoastal wetlands, he has worked on effectsof hydrostatic pressure on deep sea ani-mals, physiology of large warm-bloodedfishes, bird migration over the oceans, oilpollution, wastewater treatment, and resto-ration ecology. He now consults on con-structed wetlands for wastewater treatment,marsh restoration in fresh, brackish and saltwetlands, and cleanup of polluted wetlandsand waters. He has been involved since1993 in a salt marsh restoration project inDelaware Bay that encompasses 32 squaremiles. He served as president of the Societyof Wetland Scientists in 1998-99.

Dr. Denise Reed and Dr. Norbert Psuty

Jamaica Bay Science BoardBiographical Sketches


Jamaica Bay salt marsh maps, 1974 to 2002:base maps for temporal-spatial analysisof salt marsh changesM. Kathryn Mellander1, Abbe L. Schreibman2, Fred M. Mushacke3, George W. Frame1,Nigel Shaw4, Charles Roman4, Martin Schreibman2

Salt marsh maps were created at GatewayNRA through a partnership with New YorkState Department of Environmental Con-servation (NYSDEC). The maps (works inprogress) are the products of one of six saltmarsh projects resulting from recommen-dations of the Blue Ribbon Panel onJamaica Bay salt marsh loss.

The present study is the first of two map-ping projects for Jamaica Bay salt marshes.The first, large scale (1:600) mapping ofJamaica Bay salt marsh extents and interiorstructures over a period from 1974 to 2002,demonstrates loss from the exterior of thesalt marsh as well as significant changes inthe interior of the marsh during the rela-tively short period of the project’s scope.

The second project, recently begun at theUniversity of Rhode Island, will be the de-velopment of a salt marsh monitoring pro-tocol using satellite imagery and automatedcomputer mapping.

The time series portion of the salt marshmapping project began in 2002. NYSDECprovided scans of 1974 and 1985 low-tide,color-infrared aerial photography toGateway NRA GIS personnel, who geo-referenced the imagery and used on-screendigiziting techniques (interactive computermapping from on-screen aerial images) tocreate salt marsh maps from each set ofimagery. To date, maps are nearing comple-

tion for 1974 and 1989, and mapping from2002 aerial imagery has begun. The mapswere digitized at a scale of approximately1:600, with a mapping classification schemethat provides information on marsh struc-tures (vegetation, mud flats, tidal creeks,etc.) as well as overall extents. The mini-mum mapping unit is approximately 10-15square meters.

Examples from the salt marsh maps will bepresented, to illustrate the relative complex-ity of detail and to demonstrate their use asbase maps in measuring both internal andexternal changes in the salt marsh. Spatialanalysis techniques available in a GIS willalso be demonstrated, as time allows.

1 Division Natural Resources, Gateway NRA,National Park Service

2 Aquatic Research and Environmental AssessmentCenter, Brooklyn College, CUNY

3 New York State Department of EnvironmentalConservation, Marine Resources Unit,East Setauket, NY

4 National Park Service, Northeast Region Office,Boston, MA

5 National Park Service, Northeast Region,University of Rhode Island Bay Campus,Narragansett, RI

Work is currently underway to provide maps ofJamaica Bay salt marshes that demonstrate marshloss and changes from 1974 to 2002. Using geo-graphic information systems (GIS) technology, themaps will provide a base from which to measureongoing changes of the salt marshes.

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Causes of Marsh Loss: Mussels, Wrack, Bird Grazing, Organic Pollutants

1:15 pm Erosion and pool formation in a Jamaica Bay fringing marsh:The mussel berm hypothesisDavid R. Franz, Brooklyn College

1:30 pm Effects of wrack on smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora survival and recoveryin Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, New York: A progress reportGeorge W. Frame, GATE

1:45 pm Marsh loss and bird grazingDan Mundy, Ecowatchers

2:00 pm Results of Jamaica Bay pore water chemical analysis including organic prioritypollutants detection in organic sediment grab samples taken along a transectfrom PAL/FAL (not presented)John T. Tanacredi, Dowling College


Experimental Restoration

2:30 pm Big Egg Marsh experimental restoration in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,New York: A progress reportGeorge W. Frame, GATE

2:45 pm Army Corps restoration plansLeonard Houston, US Army Corps of Engineers


3:15 pm Break

3:30–4:00 pm Future directions and research needsComments from Science Board and discussion

Daytime Agenda


Dr. Y. Q. Wang is an associateprofessor in terrestrial remotesensing at the Department ofNatural Resources Science,University of Rhode Island. Hereceived his M.S. and the Ph.D.degree in Natural ResourcesManagement & Engineering atthe University of Connecticut in

1992 and 1995, respectively. He was on the faculty of theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago for four years beforejoined the URI faculty in 1999. His research interestsinclude observing, understanding, and modeling hu-man induced land-use and land-cover change(LULCC). He has been conducting research in theUnited States, East Africa, and China with fundingfrom NASA, USDA, USAID, UNDP, and the NPS.Dr. Wang teaches introduction and advanced remotesensing classes at URI.

Subaqueous soil survey in Jamaica BayYiyi Wong1, Richard K. Shaw2, Olga Vargas2

Estuarine sediments have traditionally beencategorized from a geologic perspective.Recent research has shown that shallowwater sediments 1) undergo pedogenic, orsoil forming, processes; and 2) are system-atically distributed across the subaqueouslandscape. A state factor equation describ-ing the variables in subaqueous soil forma-tion has also been established. Traditionalsoil survey mapping techniques have beenapplied to estuarine environments inSinepuxent Bay, MD, Rehoboth Bay, DE,Ninigret Pond, RI, and Taunton Bay, ME.Subaqueous soil survey provides for a moreholistic, ecologically oriented substratecharacterization and classification system,and a comprehensive soil-landscape modelthat explains sediment distribution. Thiswork has contributed to a taxonomicamendment to the definition of “soil” toinclude areas that are submerged by 2.5meters or less.

A subaqueous soil survey pilot project isplanned for Jamaica Bay, beginning in May2004. A 200 acre portion of Jamaica Bay willbe mapped at scale of 1:12,000, in an areawhich allows for a diversity of landscapesand soil conditions. Detailed bathymetricdata will be acquired to prepare a topo-graphic map, which, along with aerial pho-tos, will be used to identify subaqueouslandforms. Survey equipment includesbucket and McCauley peat augers forheavier textured and organic substrates, anda vibracoring device mounted on a pontoonboat for sandy samples. Sediment profile de-scriptions will be recorded to a depth of 1.5meters, and selected samples will be ana-lyzed in the laboratory for particle sizeanalysis, pH and electrical conductivity, or-ganic carbon and CaCO3 content, NH4+and NO3-, acid volatile and chromium re-ducible sulfides, and trace metals.

Initial interpretive emphasis will be on eel-grass (Zostera marina) habitat: is eelgrasspresent in this area of Jamaica Bay, and(how) do soil conditions affect its distribu-tion? This study will attempt to providemanagers of Gateway National RecreationArea with information to determine poten-tial sites for eelgrass restoration, and lead toa better understanding of the relation ofsubaqueous soil characteristics and distri-bution to benthic flora and fauna.

1 Department of Soil ScienceCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina 27695-7619

2 USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNYC Soil Survey1000 South AveStaten Island, NY 10314

Richard K. Shaw is a Soil Scientist and Project Leaderfor the USDA-NRCS New York City Soil Survey.Previously (from 1996 to 2002) he served as SoilSurvey Party Leader for the USDA-NRCS in NorthernNew Jersey, conducting soil surveys in Sussex andEssex Counties. From 1979 to 1996 he worked as a labtechnician in soil science at Rutgers University,providing technical support for soils related research.He received the B.S. degree in Natural ResourceManagement from the University of Maine, and theM.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Soilsand Crops at Rutgers.

Development of salt marsh changedetection protocol using remotesensing and GISY.Q. Wang, Mark Christiano

The National Park Service has identifiedthat the loss of salt marsh habitat inJamaica Bay, Gateway National RecreationArea, warrants the development of acost-effective, long-term salt marsh changedetection protocol that can be applied in abroader coastal region of the northeastUnited States. This project addresses thecreation of such a working protocol.We are using the high spatial resolutionQuickBird-2 satellite image, acquired onSeptember 10, 2003, for salt marsh infor-mation extraction. The QuickBird-2satellite image possesses 0.65-meter spatialresolution on its panchromatic band and2.5-meter spatial resolution on its multi-spectral bands. The high spatial resolutionand repeated satellite data acquisitionshould meet the goal of salt marsh changedetection and monitoring.

The extraction of salt marsh informationis being conducted in both digital imageclassification and manual delineation. Weadopt the classification scheme used by theGateway NRA Salt Marsh Mapping projectincluding Spartina > 50%; Spartina10-50%; Spartina < 10%, and other associ-ated categories. Upon finishing the infor-mation extraction, we will be able to com-pare and validate the agreement betweensatellite-derived salt marsh informationand the delineation result from historicalaerial photographs; investigate the effec-tiveness of salt marsh change detection in aregular time frame with reliable accuracyand in reasonable cost using high spatialresolution satellite data; and develop de-tailed description of the change detectionprotocol. As for ground truthing, we haveconducted a fieldwork to establish a GPSbased Virtual Field Reference Database(VFRDB) for the Jamaica Bay area. The

VFRDB contains GPS-photos thatrecorded landscape specifics of the photosites. The VFRDB should also containtypical GPS transect data that recorded thesalt marsh variables such as the vegetation,hydrology, soils and sediments, as well asother observable indicators such asnektonand birds. The VERDB is part of theprotocol that will provide benchmark datafor long term monitoring and changedetection analysis.

Y.Q. Wang and Mark ChristianoDepartment of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, RI 02881-0804(401) 874-4345, (401) 874-4561 (fax)[email protected], [email protected]

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Using recent satellite imagery and historical aerialphotographs along with GPS, a protocol to detectlong-term changes in salt marshes is under develop-ment. By examining the marshes through the highdetail photos and satellite image combined with onthe ground field work, benchmark data will providea baseline to detect future changes.

A study is planned to survey shallow water sedi-ments using soil survey mapping techniques toidentify and characterize shallow water soils in a200 acre portion of Jamaica Bay. This study willpotentially help with eelgrass restoration, andwith understanding the relationship betweenshallow water soil characteristics and benthicflora and fauna.

Olga Vargas(Olga Vargas presented forRichard Shaw)

National Park Service Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes12 13

An evaluation of salt marsh accretion andelevation dynamics at Jamaica Bay, GatewayNational Recreation Area, New York usingthe surface elevation table methodDonald R. Cahoon1, James C. Lynch1, Charles Roman2, George Frame2

Several factors have been identified as po-tentially contributing to the salt marsh lossat Jamaica Bay, Gateway NationalRecreation Area, New York, includingsediment deficit, sea-level rise, altered es-tuarine circulation due to dredging, nutri-ent enrichment, and biotic influences re-lated to water bird and mussel populations,among other factors. We designed a studyto determine the accretionary and eleva-tion dynamics of the salt marsh habitats ofJamaica Bay to more fully understand themechanisms causing wetland loss and todevelop effective marsh restoration strate-gies. Using surface elevation tables (SET)and artificial soil marker horizons, we com-pared soil elevation dynamics between twomarsh islands with different levels of stabil-ity; the stable marsh at JoCo and the dete-riorating marsh at Black Bank. Preliminarydata analyses revealed the marsh at BlackBank had a higher rate of accretion butlower rate of elevation gain compared toJoCo, which is typical of deterioratingmarshes located lower within the tidalrange. We also evaluated the effectivenessof thin-layer deposition of dredgedmaterial at restoring soil elevation of thedegraded salt marsh at Big Egg Marsh.Where the marsh had degraded to mudflat,thin-layer deposition effectively restoredsoil elevation to that of the adjacent veg-etated marsh. In contrast, the elevation ofthe reference marsh continued to decline.

1 U. S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center

2 National Park ServiceGateway National Recreation Area

Address as of March 2004USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research CenterBeltsville Lab, c/o BARC-EastBuilding 30810300 BaltimoreAvenue, Beltsville, MD 20705

Dr. Donald R.Cahoon is a Re-search Ecologistwith the U. S. Geo-logical Survey,Patuxent WildlifeResearch Center lo-cated in Laurel,MD. He received

his Bachelor of Arts degree, with Honors in Botany,from Drew University (1972), and MS (1975) and PhD(1982) degrees in Wetland Plant Ecology from the Uni-versity of Maryland. His professional interests includewetland plant ecology, wetland accretionary processes,and wetland restoration and management. His re-search program is focused on three objectives: (1) de-termining the impacts of sea-level rise on long-termmarsh stability through evaluations of marsh accretion-ary processes, (2) identifying the processes of wetlandloss, submergence, and soil erosion in both natural andmanaged coastal marshes, and (3) evaluating the effec-tiveness of wetland restoration and management tech-niques. His research approach for measuring wetlandelevation dynamics is being used in more than 100 wet-land sites in 15 countries. He worked on coastal man-agement and research issues in Louisiana for 19 years

Two marsh islands with different levels of stabil-ity were studied to better understand the mecha-nisms causing wetland loss and to develop effec-tive marsh restoration strategies. Preliminary re-sults showed that the less stable marsh had ahigher rate of accretion but lower elevation gain.


Science Board Comments

Comment:The new GIS analysis being conducted bythe NPS that includes identification of“within marsh” features includes a cat-egorical assessment of vegetation cover.This analysis is very promising and the Sci-ence Board should consider the results ofthis analysis when it is complete using the2002 photography.

Comment:The documentation of marsh loss is un-equivocal. The question of tidal stage orwhen the images were taken continuallycomes up. I do not believe more refinedtreatment of the tidal stage will affect theoverall conclusion (i.e. that there’s beenalarming loss of marshland) but it couldpossibly change the character of the evi-dence that the tidal creeks are widening.Some test of sensitivity to tidal stage shouldbe made either by multiple images orground surveys in a small area. In my opin-ion, the issue of a trend in marsh loss fromNW to SE is not yet convincing. Perhapsthese new studies can provide better evi-dence for any trends.

Comment:Mellander’s photographic imagery analysiswas instructive in highlighting the manystages of change in the marsh cover over a15-year period. Whatever is happening isnon-uniform and perhaps with some spatialassociation (exposure, proximity, se-quence). She had data on areas of gain aswell as loss, seemingly indicating that con-ditions do exist for marsh expansion or re-covery. Obviously, changes in the following15-year period will be very instructive rela-tive to the spatial variables.

Comment:Studies of satellite imagery were very prom-ising. These techniques may provide a morerapid assessment tool for landscape change.The work appears promising. I have someconcerns regarding the Virtual Field Refer-ence Database as much of the informationit contains relative to the vegetation covercategories appear to be visual estimatesrather than real field “reference” data. Irecommend that the investigating teamstrengthen this aspect of the work to pro-vide a more quantitative reference fordocumenting change on vegetative cover.

Comment:The detailed aerial and satellite data lookedvery promising, especially those from theQuickBird-2 images for future imaging. Thework of Wang and Mellander should defi-nitely continue.

Comment:Mellander and Wang’s work on salt marshmapping, change, remote sensing and GISis valuable work and needs continuing sup-port. The remote sensing work needsground-truthing to determine level of veg-etative identification. The remote sensingmay prove faster, but not better than digitiz-ing aerial photos.

Comment:Wang unveiled a new source of multispec-tral information (new to me) in QuickBird 2that has great monitoring potential at a veryreasonable cost. It would seem to be espe-cially valuable in following any restorationeffort in the bay.

Comment:I would not continue to support the sub-aqueous soil survey.



Are accretion rates andmarsh loss decoupled?Alexander S. Kolker1, Aaron Beck, Tamara Kroboth, Steve Goodbred andJ. Kirk Cochran.

We present 210Pb derived accretion ratesfrom 3 salt marsh cores from Jamaica Bay,NYC and compare these results to 8 coresfrom salt marshes in 4 separate oceano-graphic environments on Long Island.Sedimentation rates over the past centuryaveraged 0.52 cm/yr for a core from Big EggMarsh, 0.44cm/yr from East High Marshand 0.28 cm/yr from JoCo Marsh. A de-tailed analysis using a model assuming aconstant flux of 210Pb to the marsh surfacesuggests that sedimentation rates in Big EggMarsh have increased during the past 3 de-cades. However, evidence for changes inthe sedimentation rates all the Jamaica Baycores are not without their ambiguities.The sedimentation rates in these 3 cores arecomparable to stable systems elsewhere onLong Island. Our results suggest thatmarsh loss in Jamaica Bay, and acrossLong Island, is controlled by complex dy-namics which may not be directly linked tosediment accretion. Ongoing work isattempting to explain accretion patterns interms of long terms of decadal scalechanges in storm frequency, sea level andanthropogenic disturbance.

Alex Kolker is a Ph.D. candidate in Marine Sciences atS.U.N.Y., Stony Brook University. He is interested inunderstanding how coastal ecosystems, such as saltmarshes, respond to environmental changes. He uses avariety of techniques from radiochemistry, geochemis-try, sedimentary geology and ecology. He receivedBachelors in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Mas-ters in Ecology from Stony Brook. Before coming toStony Brook he worked in wetlands in Maryland and inFlorida Everglades ecosystem

1 Marine Sciences Research Center,Stony Brook University,Stony Brook, New York [email protected]) 632-3076

Estimates of Jamaica Bay salt marsh growthseem similar to marshes elsewhere on LongIsland. There are complex interactions amongmany factors involved in marsh growth overlong and short time periods. As such, recentmarsh losses may not involve a simple rela-tionship between sedimentation rates andthe rate of relative sea level rise.

Paleoecology and marsh compositionalchanges over the last millennium,Jamaica Bay, New YorkD. Peteet, L. Liberman, P. Higgiston

at JoCo Marsh and Yellow Bar Marsh hasprimarily been the result of a significantdecrease in inorganic deposition on themarshes, although JoCo shows a major in-crease in organic content in the twentiethcentury. An increase in the sand size frac-tion of organics may be attributed to a num-ber of sources in the watershed and estuary,including logging and clearing, fertilizationand changes in water quality, or an increasein the production rate of Spartina. C-13 andC/N analyses (in progress) will aid in under-standing these changes.

Lamont Doherty Earth ObservatoryRm. 204 New Core LabPalisades, NY 10964,[email protected].

Dorothy Peteet is aSenior ResearchScientist at NASA/Goddard Institute forSpace Studies, andAdjunct SeniorResearch Scientist atLamont Doherty EarthObservatory. Her inter-ests are in paleoecology

and paleoclimate, and she has been recently working inthe Hudson River marshes as well as Hudson Valley up-land swamps and bogs. She works on Alaskan and Eas-ter Island sites, and tests hypotheses of climate changewith her colleagues at NASA/GISS. She also teaches aclass entitled “Wetlands and Climate Change” at Colum-bia University.

At the same time that the marshes showdocumented loss in this century, our re-search on sediment cores from marshes inJamaica Bay show striking increases in per-centage of organic matter (up to five-fold)since European impact. We have probeddepths of marsh sediment throughoutJamaica Bay including the islands of JoCoMarsh, Silver Hole Marsh, Big Egg Marsh,Little Egg Marsh, Yellow Bar Hassock, StonyCreek Marsh as well as the mainland marshOld Mill Creek. All of the marshes are un-derlain at depths of 2 m or less by sand. Twocores were analyzed for pollen, macrofossils,and detailed study of sediment composition,and they show striking similarites and in-triguing differences. Less than one thousandyears ago, the marsh formations began,probably due to protection of the islands bysouthwestward growth of Rockaway Spit.Salt marsh peat accumulated, andTrochammina spp. became the dominantforaminiferal type, followed by other marshspecies such as Milliamina andRotamorphina. Regional vegetation in bothcores shows an increase of Pinus (pine) for-est compared with Quercus (oak) today, pos-sibly signaling a Little Ice Age response. Thesubsequent rise in Ambrosia (ragweed) re-flects the forest destruction and the openenvironment that resulted as Europeanscolonized the region. It is only in the upper-most sediments (30 cm) that Salicorniaseeds are continuously present, suggestingmore saline conditions as the marshes erode,or high marsh characteristics. The last cen-tury shows a resurgence of the Quercus-Pinus forest after the decline due to earlyEuropean influence. Examination of themass of organic vs. inorganic matter showthat the increase in organic matter observed

Analysis of sediment cores in Jamaica Bay marshesshow that marsh formation began less than 1000years ago. During the intervening time period, thecores reveal many changes in the marshes and re-gional vegetation that resulted from European im-pact. Further analysis still in progress will aid in un-derstanding these changes.



Science Board CommentsComment:The series of presentations on sediment ac-cumulation (Cahoon, Peteet, and Kolker)are remarkably coherent in their estimationof sedimentation rates in the remainingmarsh areas. The rates seem to tracksea-level rise records from the Batteryremarkably well and seem to indicate thatcurrently vegetated areas are keeping pacewith sea-level rise.

Cornelia Schlenk, Kirk Cochran and Steven Goodbred

Comment:I was impressed by the work on the deepcores and the suggestion that the changesaround 1600 the composition of the sedi-ments were associated with the creation ofmillponds by the European settlers. If pos-sible, more cores should be studied andsome cores taken from whatever millpondlocations can still be found.

Comment:Questions remain about the rates of saltmarsh decline. Do they vary spatially ortemporally? What are the rates in thoseareas where marshlands are recovering? Itis likely that the rates at the Battery are notthe best rates for comparison because it isin a different geomorphological setting.The Sandy Hook, NJ setting is moresimilar because of the barrier spitdevelopment and thick accumulations ofHolocene sediments.

Comment:Since the initial recommendations of theNPS’s Blue Ribbon Panel, urgently neededremediation is moving forward and re-search has begun to address the principalquestions concerning the alarming loss ofJamaica Bay marshland. The research fo-cus is placed properly on the two mostlikely suspects–relative sea level rise and adeficient sediment supply. One of thestriking generalizations of the most recentresults is that accretion rates, by and large,are adequate to keep up with an averagerate of sea level rise of about 3 mm/yr.Over a period of years, however, the actualsubmergence rate may be many times thisvalue as sea level oscillates up and down.As shown in the recent presentations,there seems to have been an increase inboth the amplitude of fluctuations in themultiyear rate of sea level rise and an in-crease in the period of fluctuations. Sub-sidence of the marsh surface, in addition,can be punctuated by, as yet unresolved,interannual events. An observed loss inmarsh elevation in 2003 coincided withone of the wettest June’s on record.

Comment:The evaluation of salt marsh accretion us-ing SETs is valuable and needs to continueto be done at reference sites and at any siteswhere alteration is contemplated.

Comment:The report of Peteet on paleoecology andmarsh compositional changes over the last1000 years was the best of the day.Intriguing issues on organic:inorganicfraction of marsh sediment. This needscontinuing support.

Comment:Peteet provided some insight on one of myfavorite topics, the temporal perspective ontoday’s events. Her cores showed changesin the sediment quality through time.Thus, suggesting that the environmentalconditions have been altered, or are alter-ing. Jamaica Bay is an embayment, and mayhave been changing from generally openaccess to the ocean to closing off by spit orbarrier island extension across its entrance,perhaps non-uniformly.

Comment:As the presentations by Cahoon, Peteet,and others indicate, the presence of the ex-isting marsh is evidence that it is keeping upwith sea-level rise. The additional informa-tion offered by these researchers is the rateand variation in rates that are representedin the cores and/or accumulations. Theyshould focus on these rates, the organic/in-organic ratios, the potential periodic andepisodic events, and the geographical pat-terns of accumulations. That is what willprovide insight to the spatial and temporalscale of sedimentation in various parts ofthe bay. I wonder if the reference to the tidegauge at the Battery is the best basis forcomparison of the SLR record. The SandyHook tide gauge is in a more similar geo-morphological setting and has a similardepositional history. It may be a bettercomparative barometer of inundation dur-ing the past century. This is excellent re-search and should be continued

Comment:The Kolker presentation on accretion ratesand marsh loss decoupled was interesting,it needs to be published, and additionalwork is likely needed.

Dan Cahoon and Jim Lynch

Charlie Roman and David Franz


Sedimentation history and budgets for theJamaica Bay estuary-marsh system:Seasonal to decadal dynamics revealedthrough radiotracer studiesSteven L. Goodbred, Jr., J. Kirk Cochran, Roger D. Flood

Sediments in coastal wetlands and shallow es-tuaries are dominated by fine-grained cohe-sive material. However, the dynamics of thesesystems are difficult to successfully under-stand because of (1) non-linear behavior asso-ciated with fine-grained sediment cohesion,(2) biological modifications to the environ-ment (e.g., bioturbation, plant stabilization,etc), and (3) physio-chemical interactionswithin sedimentary deposits (e.g., role of pol-lutants and organics in substrate stability). Inaddition, studies of wetlands require a com-prehensive understanding of both the marshproper and the adjacent estuary system, be-cause the majority of sediments delivered tothe marsh surface are derived from sedimentresuspension in the estuary. In this way, mostcreeks and estuaries provide temporary stor-age for new sediments that are subsequentlytransported onto the marsh by a combinationof waves, tides, and storms.

To fully consider the issues of cohesive sedi-ments and marsh-surface accretion, quantifi-able measures of sediment flux, transportpatterns, and accumulation rates are neededfor the Jamaica Bay marsh-estuary system. Inthis study, we will use a suite of radioisotopetracers to determine spatial and temporal pat-terns of sediment movement within the estu-ary and marsh. Specifically, the inventory ofshort-lived (monthly), naturally occurring nu-clides, 7Be and 234Th, will be measuredthroughout Jamaica Bay over several seasons.Both 7Be and 234Th are strongly particle re-active and bond tightly with sediments in thewater column, making them excellent tracersfor sediment movement. The radiotracer ap-proach also allows sediment accumulation to

be tracked both through the estuary and onthe marsh surface, so that sediment dynamicsin subtidal habitats and high marsh environ-ments can be studied in a comprehensivemanner. Results are quantifiable and can beused to calculated the total volume of mobilesediments within the estuary, indicating thepool of sediments available for transport ontothe marsh surface by waves, tides, and storms.In addition, these approaches will be com-bined with a high-resolution sonar survey(Flood) and modeling study (Wilson andFlagg) of Jamaica Bay to provide a more com-prehensive understanding of estuarine sedi-ment transport patterns.

Marine Sciences Research CenterStony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY 11794-5000

Dr. Steve Goodbred has been an Assistant Professor atStony Brook University’s Marine Sciences ResearchCenter since 1999. He received his M.S. from Univer-sity of South Florida and his Ph.D. from College of Wil-liam and Mary in Marine Sciences. His research atStony Brook has focused on coastal development andthe dispersal of sediment within river, delta, and wet-land environments in both South Asia and New En-gland. In the New York region, Dr. Goodbred is cur-rently conducting several research projects within theJamaica Bay, Peconic Bay, and Great South Bay estuar-ies and salt marshes, which are each under threat fromnatural and human-induced changes.

Two complementary approaches are being usedto evaluate historical and present sediment dy-namics in Jamaica Bay. By using radioisotopetracers and numerical modeling, the mechanismsof sediment transport and their relationship towater circulation in the estuary will be eluci-dated. This dual method will help evaluate whichrestoration approaches will work best to pro-mote marsh growth.

The waters of Jamaica Bay:impact on sediment budgetArnold L. Gordon and Robert W. Houghton

Jamaica Bay offers a unique opportunity tostudy a complex salt marsh and estuarine en-vironment in an urban setting. During thelast 50 years there is a noticeable decrease inthe marsh area, perhaps reflecting a changein the source/sink components of the sedi-ment budget. To effectively investigate thecauses of this phenomenonrequires an understanding of the complexinterplay of materials and energy flow withinthe system and it’s coupling to itsurban surroundings. Here we report on thecirculation and stratification of the watersencircling the interior marshes. Multiplesources of freshwater contribute to the Bayare sewage treatment outfalls and surfacerunoff. There are also indications that fila-ments of Hudson River water at times enterthe Bay through Rockaway Inlet. Jamaica Baywaters are highly stratified during summer,with residual stratification continuingthrough the winter. Nitrogenous nutrientsremain abundant throughout the summer,with periods of suboxic conditions at thesediment-water interface in Grassy Bay. Dur-ing hyper-eutrophic conditions the phy-toplankton appear to be limited by the avail-ability of carbon dioxide. Stratification ishighly time dependent with tidal influenceshaving a profound impact on vertical struc-ture throughout the Bay. Jamaica Bay islinked to the coastal ocean via Rockaway In-let. Strong tidal currents within the Inletgradually act to replace the waters ofJamaica Bay. Flushing times vary for differentportions of the Bay; estimates using two in-dependent methods yield a flushing time onthe order of 1 week for the upper 5 meters ofGrassy Bay. Terrestrial sediments must crossthe relatively deep water ring surroundingthe interior marshes. Energetic tidal currentsacting within the anthropogenic modified

bathymetry may alter the movement and fateof suspended sediment. For example, GrassyBay appears to act as a sediment sink, se-questering sediment before they reach themarshes. The source of terrestrial sedimentmay be expected to be diminished by the‘paving over’ of the surrounding land duringthe 20th century.

Columbia UniversityDepartment of Earth & Environmental SciencesDivision of Ocean and Climate DynamicsLamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryP.O. Box 1000Palisades, NY 10964(845) [email protected]

Prof Gordon investigates the com-plex processes that shape the pat-tern of ocean circulation and mix-ing and the ocean's interaction withthe atmosphere and cryosphere interms of the ocean's role in govern-ing Earth's climate and its variabil-ity. Observational data, drawn froma variety of sources, such as satel-

lites, ocean mooring and drifter time series, ocean tem-perature, salinity and chemical tracers, plus oceanmodel data products, provide a quantitative view ofhow the ocean "works", how it moves heat, water, nu-trients and dissolved gases in the horizontal plane andwithin the great ocean overturning cells. While his re-search involves field work in remote regions as theSouthern Ocean and Indonesian seas, he also devoteseffort to investigate the interface of the ocean with theland, within coastal ocean, estuaries and wetlands envi-ronments, where there are notable elements of changein response to fluctuating climate conditions and in-creased urban stresses.

Salt marsh losses in Jamaica Bay are closelyconnected to energetic water and sediment flowaround the marshes. By studying the water dynam-ics such as tidal flushing, stratification, surface run-off and sources and sinks of sediment in andaround Jamaica Bay, a better understanding of thecauses of recent marsh losses will begin to emerge.



Modeling tidal hydrodynamics and sedimentdynamics of Jamaica Bay estuaryRobert E. Wilson and C.N. Flagg

The overall goal of this project is todetermine whether physical alterations toJamaica Bay have modified the bay’s hydro-dynamics and thereby its sediment dynam-ics so that bay wetlands are no longer ableto be naturally maintained. We have de-fined the following objectives for both con-temporary and historical bay bathymetry:

1. Description of sediment transportpatterns within the bay

2. Quantitative description of horizontalsediment fluxes throughout the bay

3. Quantitative description of sedimentaccumulation rates and patterns ofaccumulation of throughout the bay.

We define as a final objective an evaluationof the changes in items 1-3 above from his-torical to contemporary settings, and an in-terpretation of these changes in terms ofchanges in bay hydrodynamics. Hydrody-namic features to be considered includetidal current amplitude, tidally-induced anddensity-induced and residual current struc-ture, asymmetry in both tidal currents andtidal elevation, salt intrusion and its rela-tionship to water column stratification andvertical mixing.

Our approach is to apply a calibrated 3-Dhydrodynamic model to a description ofboth the present and historic hydrodynam-ics and sediment dynamics. The modelbeing used is FVCOM which uses anunstructured grid and has wetting anddrying capabilities. It is especially wellsuited for simulations of hydrodynamicsand material transport processes incomplicated estuarine geometries such asthose found in Jamaica Bay.


To determine whether physical changes toJamaica Bay have modified the bay’s water andsediment dynamics so that bay marshes cannotbe naturally maintained, a 3-D hydrodynamicmodel will be applied to describe currentand historical water and sediment dynamics.The model is well suited tocomplicated estuarineenvironments such as Jamaica Bay.

20 21



Comment:The researchers examining sediment dy-namics using modeling and radionuclidetracers should be encouraged to develop a“sediment budget” for the Bay. If possiblethis should consider fine and sandy sedi-ments separately.

Comment:Gordon’s work on the waters of JamaicaBay and impacts on sediment budget wasvery interesting and needs continuing sup-port. It would be worthwhile to coupleGordon’s data on sediment budget withWilson’s hydrodynamic modeling.

Comment:The radiotracer studies were just recentlyinitiated and are preliminary. I am anxiousto see the data.

Comment: The sidescan sonar imagery of the reten-tion of the dredge scars in the bottom to-pography is amazing. These views offerinsights into the long-term impacts ofsediment manipulation in the bay. Thetechnique is a valuable tool to gain de-tailed information of the bay’s bathym-etry. Equally informative are the observa-tions of large areas of sedimentaccumulations of more than 3 m since theperiod of dredging. The spatial associa-tions of these negative and positive areasare fundamental to an understanding ofvectors of erosion, transport, and accu-mulation. The sidescan sonar tool can bea fantastic aid in identifying sites for fur-ther inquiry and for detailed bottom char-acterization. Potentially combined withwater penetrating LIDAR, these new toolscould provide valuable knowledge of thehydrography and pathways in the bay.

Bob Wilson and David Franz


Erosion and pool formation in aJamaica Bay fringing marsh –the mussel berm hypothesisDavid R. Franz and Ileana Friedman

The fringing marshes of Jamaica Bay are un-dergoing rapid bank erosion and interiormarsh pond formation, leading to marshlosses. Observations suggested that poolformation, and marsh loss, may be relatedindirectly to unusually high densities ofribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) whichoccur at the marsh edge. Interior pondsform when the marsh edge becomes elevatedabove the marsh surface due to high rates ofbio-deposition and sediment trapping bymussels. Reduced drainage of the ponds ul-timately leads to Spartina death. We refer tothis sequence of cause and effects as the“mussel berm hypothesis.” In 2001-2003,sediment collectors were embedded in andabove the sediment surface to measureshort-term sedimentation rates along atransect normal to the marsh edge. Organicand mineral components of bio-sedimentsand sediment cores along the transect weredetermined. End-of-season estimates ofSpartina alterniflora biomass and conditionwere made each summer.

Mussel aggregations promote export of bio-sediments. The berm itself may generatebio-sedimentation to the marsh interior by‘exporting’ bio-sediments landward on theflood tide and trapping sediments on theebb. High potential rates of accretion implythat sediment trapping, and the biomass ofthe living mussels themselves, probably aresufficient to account for elevation of themarsh edge (berm formation). On the berm,biosediments produced by mussels are equalor exceed sediments passively trapped bySpartina. Spartina condition measurementsshowed that, in the absence of drainage,Spartina growth was depressed immediatelybehind the berm, but recovered up-shore.

Our data indicate that Spartina continuesto flourish in the upper marsh, and we haveno data to indicate that sediment supplies onthe fringing marshes are insufficient tomaintain healthy Spartina growth. However,with current sea level rise, continued edgeerosion is rapidly shaving away the fringingmarsh system (at least is our study area).

Dr. David FranzProfessor of Biology andDeputy Chairman for Undergraduate StudiesBrooklyn College CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11210Office: 718-951-5700email: [email protected]

A graduate of Gettysburg College and Rutgers University,Dr. Franz has worked in the coastal zone offshore prima-rily on benthic ecology and population biology of inver-tebrates (e.g. amphipods, seastars, surf clams, mussels)and the biogeography of NW Atlantic invertebrates. As afrequent contractor for the USNPS during the last 20years, his research has included the first complete surveyof macrobenthos in the Bay, as well as studies on the ef-fects of landfill leachates, and Kennedy Airport, dietaryanalyses of Winter Flounders, and the community struc-ture and diversity of intertidal invertebrate communitiesin Jamaica Bay (JABBERT). In the last 10 years, his re-search has centered on the population dynamics ofribbed mussels in Jamaica Bay, on the ecological effects ofsea lettuce blooms on meiofaunal copepod populations(co-authored with Ileana Friedman), and, in the last threeyears, the possible role of ribbed mussels on fringingmarsh pond formation and marsh erosion. A past presi-dent of the New England Estuarine Research Society, anda member of the “Blue Ribbon Committee” appointed bythe NPS to evaluate marsh erosion in Jamaica Bay.

Unusually high densities of ribbed mussels (Geukensiademissa) along marsh edges form an elevated "berm"caused by bio-deposition and sediment trapping by themussels. This berm reduces drainage of the marshleaving interior ponds, which leads to Spartina death.Smaller ponds may coalesce to form larger unvegetatedareas within the fringing marsh, thus contributing tomarsh loss.

Comment:The sediment budget is a difficult puzzle topiece together. Is there enough sedimentcoming in to maintain the elevation of themarsh in the face of rising sea level? Ifthere is not, is the deficit from the terres-trial supply or the marine input? If enoughis coming in, is it finding its way to themarsh surface where it’s needed? One in-triguing recent result is the apparent de-cline in inorganic sediment content con-tinuing since colonial times.

In the past, sediment supply was able tosupport over 16,000 acres of marshland. Atthis stage, I would speculate that the 1,000acres of marsh islands now in Jamaica Bayrequire some 3,650 metric tons of sedimentannually to keep pace with a sea level riseof 3mm per year. I suspect that there islittle, new sediment being supplied fromthe land surrounding Jamaica Bay. Notonly is it comprised of sandy sediment leftover from the last Ice Age, with little silt andclay in it, but it is also substantially coveredwith concrete and asphalt. Organisms liv-ing in the bay water itself might contribute2, 000 metric tons per year and sewagetreatment plants might add about 5,000metric tons of fine-grained inorganic sedi-ment per year. Much of the mud found inthe bay today, however, is probably re-worked accumulation representing sedi-ment trapped between the barrier islandand the mainland. Over thousands of yearsthis system has been gradually movingnorthward as sea level rises, but new sedi-ment is also brought in by the tides. Mostestuaries on the East Coast seem to trapsuspended sediment imported to them bythe tide and Jamaica Bay is no exception.One attempt at a sediment budget required

an input of between 15,000 and 29,000metric tons per year to bring the debits andcredits into balance. A single tide can im-port 36 metric tons of sediment into theBay under the right conditions, but condi-tions vary, some tides will carry in less andsome will export sediment from the bay tothe ocean.

Like a senior citizen living on a fixed in-come, marshes have to contend with otherdrains on their income of silt and clay.Sediment deposited below the low tidelevel and in dredged channels is a debitamounting to between 6,000 and 15,000metric tons per year. In Jamaica Bay, an-other major debit is of our own making.When Kennedy Airport was built in 1946,Grassy Bay was dredged to a depth of over15 meters to provide 47 million cubicmeters of fill for the construction of theairport’s foundation. An additional 3.4million cubic meters was taken in 1958 and9.0 million in 1962. The dredging opera-tion left a large hole in the bay floor calleda “borrow pit.” Borrow pits cover over 700acres more or less. Borrow pits are out ofequilibrium with the environment andtend to absorb huge amounts of sediment.A sedimentation rate in Grassy Bay wasmeasured to be about 1.5 centimeters peryear. In this case, the borrow pit probablydrains some 45,000 metric tons of sedi-ment from the marshlands’ annual supply.Such a large sediment sink would be oneof the prime suspects in our case of themissing marshland.

Causes of Marsh Loss: Mussels, Wrack, Bird Grazing, Organic PollutantsCauses of Marsh Loss: Hydrodynamics and Sediment Flux



Marsh loss and bird grazingDan Mundy

The Blue Ribbon Panel concluded that birdeat-out, especially from Brant Geese, may beresponsible for the disappearance of saltmarshes in Jamaica Bay. We decided to ex-pand our study to include three species ofgeese that inhabit the bay; Brant Geese(Branta bemicia horta, October-May),Canada Geese (Branta canadensis, yearround), and Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens,October-April).

Canada Geese are here year round but morenumerous in the winter months. They wereseen occasionally eating Spartina, and for themost part they prefer lawn grass. They havebeen ruled out as any cause of marsh loss.

Brant Geese usually arrive in Jamaica Bay(1000) during the first week of October.They spend their first weeks flying in andout of the West pond, acclimating them-selves with the area. They feed mostly onUlva (sea lettuce) from the bay bottom untilthis source of food is depleted. They thenmove out of the bay to feed on all of the pe-rimeter grassy areas. Around April 1st ofeach year when the Spartina starts to grow(and before the Ulva forms) some Brant be-gin to eat the new shoots of Spartina. Fur-ther observations show that although theycropped these grasses, the Spartina continueto grow to normal heights. When the Ulvabegins to grow (within a couple of weeks)they move out to the mud flats to feed on it.

Snow Geese usually arrive around mid-October in large flocks and leave by Aprilfirst. Our studies throughout 2002 indicatedthat the snow geese were possibly grubbingin the existing die-off areas, however, the ex-tent of damage was not known. From No-vember 2002 through March 2003 extensivestudies indicated they spent a lot of timegrubbing at Black Wall and Big Egg Marsh.At Black Wall, which was already severelydepleted they caused some additional loss.When the same numbers of geese moved to

Big Egg Marsh they did forage at the rootsand rhizomes but this marsh did recoverthrough the growing season. (However theseportions of the marsh were in better shapeto begin with and this past season was a bet-ter growth season throughout the bay.)

Conclusions:Canada and Brant Geese have no significanteffect on marsh loss. Snow geese are a smallcontributing factor in existing die off areas.

Dan Mundy56 West 14th RdBroad Channel, NY 11693Tel: 718-634-5032Email: [email protected]

Dan Mundy is a retiredCaptain of the NYCFire Department and alifelong resident ofBroad Channel,Queens, the only in-habited island in Ja-maica Bay. He was thefirst to discover the lossof marshes in Jamaica

Bay in 1995. Together with his concerned neighbors andfriends he formed an environmental group called theJamaica Bay Eco Watchers (JBEW). The JBEW monitorthe bays waters and marshes daily throughout the year.They studied and documented these losses for manyyears and brought this to the attention of the variousagencies including the National Park Service Blue Rib-bon Panel. They also hosted two of their own confer-ences on the marsh loss and many of their recommenda-tions are being implemented. They lobbied electedofficials and agencies for funding to study causes and tobegin restoration projects. The first project, the Big EggMarsh Restoration, which they participated in has justbeen completed.

Three geese species (Canada, Brant and Snow)that forage in Jamaica Bay were studied to deter-mine if their foraging contributed to marsh loss.Canada Geese (present year round) were foundto feed primarily on lawn grass. Brant (presentOctober to May) feed mostly on sea lettuce andthus have no significant effect on marsh loss.Snow Geese (present October to April) do feed inexisting die off areas and are a small contributingfactor to marsh loss in those areas.

Effects of wrack (straw & sea lettuce mats)on Smooth Cordgrass Spartina alterniflorasurvival and recovery in Jamaica Bay WildlifeRefuge, New York: a progress reportGeorge W. Frame1, Michael D. Byer1, Martin P. Schreibman2,William S. Panagakos2, Marlen K. Waaijer2, M. Kathryn Mellander1

This is one of six saltmarsh pilot projectsfunded by National Park Service and NewYork State Department of EnvironmentalConservation. Fieldwork began April 2002on: (1) Observations of wrack distributionand movements, and (2) experimentalarrays in which wrack was placed onrandomized plots of Smooth Cordgrass(Spartina alterniflora) for specified time in-tervals. Both studies are in the saltmarshalong the western shore of Ruler’s BarHassock and Broad Channel village.

The observational study used GPS to mapwrack mats along 5,000 meters of shore-line. Wrack distribution was re-checkedbiweekly, and re-mapped with GPS when-ever movements occurred. In May 2002,less than 1% of the marsh had wrack, and inMay 2003 the wrack was 0.2% cover.During the summer, wrack decayed to onlyone-third the area of 10 weeks earlier. Barespots left by the wrack were sparsely re-colonized by Common Glasswort(Salicornia europaea).

The experimental study established 11arrays, each containing 7 “treatment” plotsand 1 control plot measuring 2m x 2m.Centered within each treatment is a“sample” plot of 1m x 1m, surrounded by a0.5m-width buffer zone. SmoothCordgrass densities at the start were 300 to600 stems/sq.m. In wrack-covered plots,most of the original grass shoots diedwithin 7 weeks of covering, but rhizomesremained alive and new sprouts grew. Inplots covered longer, even the rhizomesdied, and such plots still remain bare.

Wrack decreases saltmarsh elevation in 3ways: Wrack kills plants and roots, result-ing in subsidence of the peat surface; water-logging and chemical changes keep the siteunsuitable for plant regrowth. Wrack float-ing back and forth abrades the surface,causing erosion and puddling. Bare spotsleft by wrack sometimes are intensivelyused by birds, resulting in deeper puddles.All three factors contribute to interior de-cay and fragmentation of the saltmarsh.

1 Division Natural Resources,Gateway National Recreation Area210 New York Ave.Staten Island, NY 10305-5019

2 Aquatic Research and EnvironmentalAssessment CenterBrooklyn College,

City University of New York,2900 Bedford Ave.Brooklyn, NY 11210

George W. Frame is a biologist in the Division of Natu-ral Resources at Gateway NRA. Before coming to theUS National Park Service, he worked in African na-tional parks where he specialized in conserving wildlifethrough sustainable economic development in ruralcommunities. He received a B.S.(biological sciences) atUniversity of Alaska, M.S. (wildlife science) at the Co-operative Wildlife Research Unit in Utah State Univer-sity, Ph.D. (wildlife ecology) at the Ecology Center inUtah State University, and a NATO post-doctoral fel-lowship in tropical forest conservation.

Mats of decaying straw and sea lettuce (collec-tively called wrack) are being studied in a Ja-maica Bay salt marsh. Results so far show thatwrack contributes to salt marsh loss by decreas-ing marsh elevation by killing marsh grass andby abrading the surface. Wrack contributes towaterlogged roots and chemical changes thatkeep the site unsuitable for plant regrowth.


Ten sediment samples along a transect linefrom Pennsylvania/Fountain Avenuelandfills into Jamaica Bay, were collected in2001-2 and analyzed for organic prioritypollutants including PCBs, PAHs (9 parent,unsubstituted PAHs), chlorinatedpesticides (DDT, DDE) and metals (Cd, Pb,Hg, Zn, Al). Pore waters from these sedi-ment samples were collected and run forspecific chemical – nutrient parameters:(i.e. Salinity pH, Nitrate – N, Total -N,Phosphorous, Total – Phosphorous).

Results reveal few detectable (>2 ppb)PAHs, PCBs in samples analyzed – Metalconcentrations all exceeded standard levelsand pore water analysis did not reveal anyanomalous conditions, though there was alarge difference in values between total –N and nitrite – nitrate-N probably due tothe large presences of dissolved organicmaterial (DOM) in samples. Due to thelimited sample numbers, this work wasinconclusive as to causation of marsh lossin the immediate vicinity of PAL/FAL. Aconsiderably more intensive investigation issuggested to cover the full array of detect-able contaminants from these landfills.This material was not presented at theMarch 3 meeting.

Results of Jamaica Bay pore water chemicalanalysis including organic priority pollutantsdetection in organic sediment grab samplestaken along a transect from PAL/FALJohn T. Tanacredi and Martin P. Schriebman

1. Dowling CollegeDepartment of Earth and Marine Sciences

2 AREACDirector Brooklyn CollegeCUNY Grab

Sediment samples from a transect line fromPennsylvania/Fountain Avenue landfills intoJamaica Bay were analyzed for organic pollutantsand metals. Low quantities of organics andmetals were found, though more intensive inves-tigation is suggested to cover the full array ofdetectable contaminants from these landfills.

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George W. Frame and Martin P. Schriebman

Causes of Marsh Loss: Mussels, Wrack, Bird Grazing, Organic Pollutants

Comment:The data on mussel banks presented byFranz pointed to the potential role ofmussels in enhancing sedimentationrates locally, and to their potential effecton ponding waters on the marsh surface.While the study was limited in extentit provided useful insights into theinfluence of the dense mussel banks onmarsh processes.

Comment:The mussel berm hypothesis is compel-ling but not causative. Can the nitrogencontent of the mussels be identified as tosource? If it were all from sewage, thatwould be very interesting; if it were at-mospheric, that would be harder to fix.

Comment:Little data were actually presented re-garding the wrack study and I encouragethe investigators to produce a thoroughstatistical analysis of their findings. Thedata concerning the extent of wrack cov-erage however was convincing.

Comment:We heard that, while wrack is importantlocally, i.e. on the spots where it settles,wrack covered areas are a very small por-tion of the total area of the marshes in Ja-maica Bay. While the results of the wrackstudies should be made available andpublished in the peer reviewed literature,a wetland journal such as Wetlands orEstuaries, further effort on wrack isprobably not justified.


Comment:General results, but no data, were pre-sented indicating wrack is not a likelysource of marsh loss. The investigatorsare encouraged to complete their analysisand report their findings. More researchon wrack impacts is likely not needed.

Comment:Good natural history observations werepresented which concluded that geesegrazing is not a likely cause of marsh loss.It may, however, locally exacerbate theproblem.

Comment:Frame offered an insight into the prob-lems and issues of restoring marsh in Ja-maica Bay. His study design seemed tospan some of the spatial variables intro-duced in the previous presentations. Hehad information on a variety of condi-tions and perhaps his data could becoupled with that the directions of spa-tial change presented by Mellander.

Comment:There was no presentation on prioritypollutants in grab samples along atransect from the Pennsylvania AvenueLandfill/Fountain Avenue Landfill. Theabstract contained no data. I would bevery interested in the data and readingthe research proposal detailing theQAQC, sampling protocol, analyticalmethods, etc. Work needs to be done,done well, and made generally available.


Big Egg Marsh experimental restorationin Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,New York: a progress reportGeorge W. Frame1, Michael D. Byer1, Charles T. Roman2, Martin P. Schreibman3,William S. Panagakos3, Marlen K. Waaijer3, M. Kathryn Mellander1 ,Mark J. Ringenary1, James Lynch4, Murray Lantner5, Chidinma Kanu-Agha1,Arne Brix1, Norbert P. Psuty6, Jeffrey Pace6

During September 2003, sediment was ap-plied to the surface of a 2-acre portion of BigEgg Marsh using a high-pressure jet-spraytechnique. This marsh, like others through-out Jamaica Bay, NY, is converting fromSmooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)meadow to mudflat. The experiment willevaluate jet-spray technique as a means of in-creasing saltmarsh surface elevation andslowing the process of marsh deterioration.Sediment from an adjacent tidal creek wassprayed on the marsh surface in a layer 2 cmto 50 cm thick, to study optimum targetelevation for successful marsh restoration.After sediment application, the area wasplanted with Smooth Cordgrass and fencedto deter waterfowl grazing. This experimentused a BACI (Before, After, Control, Impact)study design, with environmental monitoringat both the treatment site and adjacent refer-ence site prior to jet-spray application. Moni-toring before and after the jet-spraying iscomprehensive and includes surfaceelevation tables (SETs) to evaluate processesassociated with marsh elevation change. Ran-domly-located permanent plots wereestablished to monitor plant species composi-tion, percent cover, stem height, and above-ground biomass. Additional random plotswere left unplanted to evaluate success ofnatural regrowth of Smooth Cordgrass vs.hand planting. To evaluate the success of theexperimental restoration in terms of re-estab-lishing a diverse biological community, themonitoring at the treatment site and referencesite also includes chemical contaminants,soils, pore-water sulfides, ground water table,

water quality, invertebrates in sediments, in-vertebrates aquatic and terrestrial, fishes, rep-tiles, mammals, birds, and changes in topog-raphy of the excavated creek. Monitoringwill continue for several years post-treatment.This study is one of six saltmarsh pilotprojects funded by the National Park Serviceand by a grant from the New York State De-partment of Environmental Conservation.

1 Division Natural ResourcesGateway National Recreation Area210 New York Ave.

Staten Island, NY 10305-50192 Cooperative Ecosystem Support Unit

National Park ServiceUniversity of Rhode

Island Bay Campus, South Ferry Road,Narragansett, RI 02882

3 Aquatic Research and EnvironmentalAssessment Center, Brooklyn CollegeCity University of New York2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210

4 U.S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center11510 American Holly

Drive, Laurel, MD 207085 Environmental Protection Agency, Region Two

290 Broadway, 20th Floor,New York City, NY 10007

6 Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs74 Magruder Road,Institute of Marine and Coastal SciencesRutgers University, Sandy Hook, NJ 07732

An experimental technique of restoring saltmarsh was tested in a portion of Big Egg Marsh.The technique involves using a high-pressure jet-spray to spray sediment from the adjacent creekonto the marsh surface. This raises the salt marshelevation, creating better conditions for marshgrasses to grow and thus slows the erosion ofthe marsh.

Jamaica Bay Marsh Islands EcosystemRestoration Project

The Jamaica Bay Marsh Islands EcosystemRestoration Project is being undertaken bythe USACE in sponsorship with theNYCDEP, the NYSDEC, and the cooperationof the NPS, under the Continuing AuthoritiesProgram (CAP) as authorization specificallyby Section 1135 of the Water Resources Devel-opment Act of 1986, as amended.

In the fall of 2002, the USACE received let-ters of intent from the project’s non-Federalsponsors (NYCDEP and NYSDEC) indicat-ing their interests in sponsoring this project.From that point, USACE staff prepared a Pre-liminary Restoration Plan (PRP) that deter-mined a Federal interest in addressing theproblem and preliminary costs/schedules todevelop pilot projects. The group came toconsensus and narrowed the study down tofour sites; Elder’s Point Marsh, Yellow Bar,Black Wall and Black Bank. Initial investiga-tions indicated that the funding limitationsunder the authority of the Section 1135 Con-tinuing Authorities Program ($5 million)would necessitate a reduction in pilotprojects from the four islands. The projectteam choose to focus on Elder’s Point andYellow Bar, and have concentrated their ef-forts on developing alternative plans for thesetwo eroding marsh islands.

Elder’s Point is currently comprised of twoseparate islands, Elder’s Point East andElder’s Point West that together make upabout 36 acres. Elder’s Point was historicallyone island, but over the last 40+ years, marshloss in the center of the island severed theconnection between the two ends, resultingin two separate islands connected only bymud flat. Yellow Bar is about 77.5 acres andlocated about 1.5 miles south of Elder’s Point.The islands are separated from each other byPumpkin Patch, Duck Point, and Stony Creekmarsh islands.

Currently, USACE is about two-thirdsthrough the feasibility phase and has com-pleted almost all baseline data collection nec-essary to design the project and be in compli-ance with local, Statlocal permitse andFederal requirements. Environmental soilborings are still being collected to character-ize the presence of any Hazardous, Toxic, orRadioactive materials in the sediments anddetermine the need for any agricultural addi-tives to support plant growth. New infraredaerial photographs were flown in October2003. Engineering data that still needs to becollected consists of geotechnical borings andtopography/bathymetry on Yellow Bar to de-termine the type and volume of fill that mightbe needed to restore eroded areas. Concep-tual designs are being developed and thedocumentation process started to meetNEPA and USACE/NPS requirements aswell as state and local permits. We expectto have the first Draft of the EnvironmentalRestoration Report (ERR) in May of 2004.It is expected that on island constructionwill begin in early Spring 2005.

For the last two years, Len Houston has been Chief,Environmental Analysis Branch, NY District U. S. ArmyCorps of Engineers. Prior to that for eight years he wasChief, Special Studies section, Environmental AnalysisBranch. He also spent ten years as fishery biologist forEAB staff. Houston holds an MS in Marine Sciencefrom C.W.Post College, Long Island University and aBS in Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of NY.

Len Houston, Chief; Environmental Analysis Branch, U.S.Army Corps of Engineers

A Preliminary Restoration Plan (PRP) focusing onElder's Point and Yellow Bar marsh is currentlyabout two-thirds through the feasibility phasewith most of the baseline data collected. A firstdraft of the Environmental Restoration Report(ERR) is expected this spring. The project repre-sents the cooperation of many agencies whohave contributed to this effort.





Comment:Restoration planning and implementationmust build on the increasing understandingof Jamaica Bay marsh dynamics. Data ob-tained from monitoring of the Big Egg res-toration should be synthesized and madeavailable to others planning restoration ef-forts, including the US Army Corps of En-gineers (USACE) as soon as possible. Fur-ther reports should be developed as moreinformation becomes available.

Comment:The Big Egg experimental restoration rep-resents a good start to developing restora-tion techniques for sediment applicationand revegetation specific to Jamaica Bay.Suggestions (based on presentation andfield trip March 4th) are as follows:

1. Replant several areas this spring –perhaps plots the same size as andadjacent to the unplanted plots. TheOctober planting was not ideal. Wewant a good measure of natural seedingcompared to planting compared toregrowth from vegetation under thesediment layer. The October plugs may/may not survive, but would not be agood data set from which to extrapolatethe benefits of using plant plugs.

2. Observe and photograph the areaalong the bank where the new sedimentfell short of the intended restorationarea so that the effects of this unin-tended sediment dispersion can bedocumented.

3. Share with the scientific advisors therestoration review protocol – sampling,measurements, etc. and projectedtime frame.

Comment:In connection with the Big Egg restorationefforts, I would like to see more effort in-vestigating whether or not planting ofSpartina alterniflora is necessary. It is easyto imagine conditions that would makeplanting desirable or essential and to imag-ine conditions that would make it unneces-sary and wasteful. It would be nice to un-derstand more. Certainly some springplanting at the Big Egg restoration sitewould be a good idea.

Comment:Insufficient information was provided bythe USACE to make any direct comment onthe nature of their restoration proposals.However, I encourage the NPS to take ad-vantage of the experience and enthusiasmof the Science Board members regardingrestoration issues and facilitate an opportu-nity for Science Board members to discussthe restoration proposals for Elders Pointand Yellow Bar with the USACE of Engi-neers. Restoration opportunities in JamaicaBay are so valuable that the NPS should useall resources at its disposal, including thetime and talent of their newly assembledScience Board, to assist in the developmentof effective restoration that offers the op-portunity for real learning about optionsfor reversing the marsh loss.

Comment:We need to know a lot more about theUSACOE proposals for their restorations. Isuggested that they look into the way cran-berry growers spread sand, with little watercontent, which could reduce the need fordikes round the restoration sites. I hopethey will plan to use ecological engineering.All of the restorations need to have a statedadaptive management program.

Comment:The USACE presentation was very interest-ing. I would like to know more of the tech-niques (sediment and vegetation) and as-sumptions used in their planning. I amparticularly interested in incorporating eco-logical engineering and adaptive manage-ment into their protocols to reduce capital,operation and maintenance costs. I am con-cerned about the potential failure of resto-ration efforts if sediment application tech-niques result in highly compacted soils.

Comment:We need to confirm that all restorationshave a program for observing/data collec-tion post construction.

Comment:Houston gave us a view into the USACE’sefforts to transfer sediment within the Ja-maica Bay system. The USACE is lookinginto restoration and other cost-effectiveways to ‘rebuild’ habitats. They will bemoving sediment. They are interested increating new wetlands. The challenge willbe to bring the emerging knowledge of wet-land distributional characteristics in Ja-maica Bay to the design table of theUSACE.

M. Kathryn Mellander


Future Directions and Research Needs

Nutrients

Comment:One of the areas of investigation recom-mended by the Blue Ribbon panel in 2001which has yet to be pursued in detail is theassessment of nutrient inputs to the bay. Aninventory of the sources of nutrients, bothsurface and groundwater is essential to un-derstanding the role of eutrophication in themarsh loss problem and guiding future man-agement decision.

Comment:Existing and proposed research appears tobe adequately addressing sedimentation/el-evation change rates within existing marshes.Not currently being addressed is the role ofbelow ground biomass in contributing tovertical soil development. This is of particu-lar interest in Jamaica Bay due the potentialrole of nutrients in changing the root: shootratio and the unanswered question ofwhether such a change in ratio actually re-duces below ground production. This studyshould examine marshes at various eleva-tions and in different substrate types (e.g.,sandy, fine sediment, mussel dominated).

Comment:1) High nutrient levels in the Bay may be a

major cause of marsh deterioration. Thefirst step in testing this should be a nitro-gen budget for the Bay using whateverdata are available locally and data fromother, similar areas if local data are un-available. The first attempt for a budgetwill tell us if local measurements forgroundwater or landfill exudates, for ex-ample, are necessary. If the budget indi-cates nitrogen levels are extreme, thenmeasurements of aboveground andbelowground biomass should be madein the Bay and compared with a similar

but less polluted bay elsewhere on LongIsland but with a similar tidal regime.This will indicate whether or noteutrophication in the Bay results in lesspeat formation potential and less abilityto keep up with sea level changes. Theother aspect of eutrophication effectcould be the stimulation of peat decom-position, resulting in more rapid sub-strate loss.

2) A corollary hypothesis is that the sedi-ment loss occurs down to basement. Ifit is mostly basement sand, that wouldexplain deeper losses and deeper holesas one moves from land out into the Bay.Coupled with this is the stimulation ofmussel populations by a high level of nu-trients stimulating phytoplankton pro-duction. As marsh breakup proceeds,the mussels move into the marsh andcreate dams, which further enhancemarsh breakup by ponding water on themarsh surface.

Comment:Two important new issues were raised indiscussion of the most recent results. Onewas the need for studies of sedimentgeochemistry. Eutrophication, the high pro-duction of chlorophyll and Ulva will be re-flected in the sediment geochemistry andthe quality of the substrate to support marshvegetation. Such information is lacking atthis time. The other was the issue ofgroundwater inputs.

Comment:We need nutrient data. First an inventory oraccounting of what comes in by air, sewage,leachate, groundwater, and other sources isneeded. A model should then be developed.

Elevation – Information Need

Comment:More extensive information on intertidalelevations is needed. This will be essentialto long-term modeling of bay dynamicsand understanding patterns of change. LI-DAR data should be obtained if it is notalready available, supplemented by groundsurveys. Current hydrodynamic modelingis likely limited by good topographic cov-erage, and future restoration efforts willrequire both models and the elevation datafor effective planning.

Groundwater Flux

Comment:Groundwater fluxes deserve attention; espe-cially as it might influence marsh subsurfacecompaction. The salt marsh that developedin Jamaica Bay over thousands of years wassubjected to unprecedented changes ingroundwater conditions with the urban de-velopment and consequent water supply in-frastructure in Brooklyn and Queens. Ja-maica Bay sits on a coastal plain,unconsolidated aquifer some 400 m thick.The recharge area feeding freshwater to thebay is limited by the glacial moraine that cutsacross Queens and Brooklyn to the Nar-rows. Streams were always minor ones sothat the natural freshwater supply to themarsh is discharged directly as groundwater.

Before, World War I, prior to the completionof its upstate reservoirs, New York Citydrew potable water from Brooklyn andQueens. Groundwater was taken from theuppermost (Glacial) aquifer and ponds. Af-ter 1920, however, the reserves of the deeperaquifers were tapped by the Jamaica WaterDistrict and pumpage increased steadily to

tens of million gallons per day by the mid1950’s. The sewer system prevented diffusesurface recharge. Consequently the watertable was depressed and seawater pen-etrated into the aquifers under Jamaica Bay.

Contamination of groundwater reserves byboth sea salt and anthropogenic pollutantseventually caused the city water supply to beshifted over about the last 40 years to up-state surface water sources. Recent isotro-pic results, presented in this workshop, nowshow that water in the bay includes aninmixing of water from the Catskills, about150 gallons per person per day feed throughthe sewage treatment plants. With this newsource available, groundwater pumpagestopped; water tables rose (causing seriousflooding problems, by the way, subways andthe basements of buildings constructedwhen the water table was artificially lower).Seawater was pushed further out from theaquifer under Jamaica Bay. The potentialimpacts of these changes on the salt marshhas not been investigated.

Sediment Budget

Comment:

The issue of sediment budget is very impor-tant. We need a handle on what is availableand what are its transport vectors (thus cir-culation is important).

Water Quality

Comment:We did not learn very much about waterquality at the gathering. It would seem tome to be an important variable in supportingor driving change (negative as well aspositive). These areas of inquiry aredirected to what is occurring.


History of Marsh Development

Comment:We also need to look at the history ofchange. That is not so easily accomplished.At a minimum, Mellander should expandher photo analysis as much as possible to getsome idea on the steps of change in wetlandextent. If possible, the images should beanalyzed to represent the shoals as well asthe wetlands. Any of the submarine topog-raphy visible on the imagery should becomepart of the data matrix and possibly a part ofthe QuickBird 2 as well.


Comment:The wetland restoration program is also veryimportant. There needs to be experimenta-tion in restoration methods on small sites toprovide some direction for the larger resto-ration projects. Restoration is a goal appar-ently identified by both the NPS and theUSACE, and other agencies. It is an essen-tial component of the management programand there needs to be research in support ofthe conditions accompanying restoration.As presently constituted, the experimentaldesign of the restoration project relates re-covery to elevation, exposure, depth ofburial, and plantings. Monitoring of the re-sults, both positive and negative, and identi-fication of other variables should continue.Importantly, there needs to be a bridge cre-ated whereby the results of the Big EggMarsh experiment are conveyed to theCorps so that their restoration effort canbenefit from the experience. There is aunique opportunity to provide guidance tothe Corps’ wetland restoration program inJamaica Bay. The NPS should take advantageof it.

Gateway National RecreationArea General Management Plan

Comment:There was brief mention during the March 3meetings of a process to update the GeneralManagement Plan for Gateway NationalRecreation Area. It is crucial that such up-dates incorporate the most current scientificunderstanding regarding the Jamaica Baymarsh loss issue. The Science Board shouldplay a key role in the review of any aspectsof the plan which address the marsh lossissue and should be regularly briefed on thestatus of the update process.

Documenting Marsh Loss andSite Characterization

Comment:When DEC’s 2002 change analysis becomesavailable, it will be very valuable. It will tellus lots of things to investigate and explain.

Comment:The geomorphology in the photos was im-pressive as it showed the shifting of shoals.Will researchers bring it all together? Howmuch of this change is occurring on top ofthose morphological features? We needgood bathymetric data to determine that.


Causes of Marsh Loss:Hydrodynamics andSediment Flux

Comment:Submarine groundwater discharge affectssalinity and nutrients, and there are non-trivial rates of seepage there. But we need toknow if this is controlling surface eutrophi-cation.

Comment:We need to look at the sedimentbiochemistry.

Comment:I think we were all very impressed with theprogress that has been made on many issuessince spring 2001. Some important issueshave yet to be addressed including nutrientloading and its effect on plant growth dy-namics. Additional basic data on elevationswill be critical for both increased under-standing of the loss processes and futurerestoration planning. I believe the ScienceBoard is keenly interested in providingwhatever insights we can into future restora-tion planning and Gateway’s future plans forthe system.

Marsh Development Processesand History of MarshDevelopment

Comment:It was surprising to see that there is sedi-ment accretion. What is behind the subsid-ence? (It happens in undisturbed marshes,as well.) We don’t know if it is a sedimentsupply issue or not.

Comment:What has been the natural development ofthese marshes? Researchers have donestratigraphic cores, but we need more. Aplace to potentially do it is in HempsteadBay where there is less degradation.

Comment:We have only measured where there weremarshes. Why is a marsh that’s not there,gone? This is like trying to do an autopsywithout a body.

Comment:Other researchers at URI did coring in Ja-maica Bay to look at hurricane overwash.Maybe this work would fit in.


Evening Agenda

7:00 pm Welcome and IntroductionsBilly G. Garrett, Superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area

7:10 pm Rapid coastal marsh loss across the globe: Local causes, regional consequencesand science challengesDenise J. Reed, Blue Ribbon Panel

7:30 pm Overview of ongoing projects in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: Responding toBlue Ribbon Panel recommendationsDavid E. Avrin, NPS

7:40 pm Wetland evaluation dynamics and sea-level rise: Are the salt marshes atJamaica Bay staying ahead of the curve?Donald R. Cahoon, USGS

7:50 pm Collaborative evaluation of the present and historic sediment dynamics ofJamaica Bay, NY (Gateway National Recreation Area)Steven L. Goodbred, Jr., Stony Brook University

8:00 pm Big Egg Marsh experimental restoration in Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,New York: A progress reportGeorge W. Frame, NPS

8:10 pm Future salt marsh restoration plansLen Houston, US Army Corps of Engineers

8:20 pm Q & A with panel and scientistsModerator, NPS

9:00 pm Summary, acknowledgements and future directionsBilly G. Garrett, Superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area

Areas of research identified during or afterthe individual presentations by presenters,science board members and other attend-ees of the day session:

1. Continue elevation monitoring; developa long-term record showing elevationtrajectories.

2. Relate marsh and mudflat surfaces tosea levels.

3. Using isotopes, determine carbon/nitro-gen ratios, carbon sequestration andbiomarkers.

4. Assess relationship between sedimenta-tion and marsh loss through short term(1 year) and long term (10 year) analy-ses.

5. Investigate sediment energy budget ofthe system.

6. Determine significance of storm eventson sedimentation and water properties.

7. Get data on tidal elevation; investigatehow vertical mixing in a two-layer sys-tem varies over annual tidal cycles.

8. Investigate fate of marsh sedimentsduring winter when there is no vegeta-tion.

9. Design mussel berm experimental areato see where this technique breaksdown.

10. Look at sediment microbial dynamics.Determine if a layer of organic carbonenhances the microbial oxygen de-mand.

11. Determine effect of eutrophication onthe growth of bacteria and decomposi-tion rate of peat.

12. Determine the growth habit of Spartinaunder increasing nitrogen conditions.

13. Discuss desirability or feasibility of cut-ting off nitrogen to the Bay.

14. Determine effects of the technique ofadding dredge material to the surface torestore marshes.

15. Investigate amounts of chlorine andnaphthalene discharged into the Bay,possibly from jet fuel; look for suitablebiomarkers for these compounds.


36 37

Evening Session

IntroductionThe evening session was designed to provide the general public with an update on themarsh loss issue and how it is being addressed in Jamaica Bay. More than 150 peopleattended the forum held at the NY Aquarium.


Evening Session

Rapid coastal marsh loss across the globe:local causes, regional consequences andscience challengesDenise J. Reed

The rapid loss of coastal marshes can bereadily distinguished from natural changesin dynamic coastal landscapes. Whileerosion of marsh edges in wave exposedareas is common place, massive interiordegradation or sudden decreases in the sizeof marsh areas have been identified inmany parts of the world. In some cases,disease or extreme environmental condi-tions are finally identified as the cause butmany times the immediate cause of the lossis attributed to a complex combination ofhuman-induced and natural stresses. Rapidmarsh loss is an important issue, not onlybecause it changes the landscapes we arefamiliar with and enjoy, but because it candisrupt established food webs, reducehabitat for already at-risk species, exposeimportant infrastructure to wave attack,and, in many cases, as it appears irrevers-ible without major intervention. The chal-lenge to scientists in Jamaica Bay, and manyother places experiencing similar problems,is to tease apart the contributing factors,identify which can be remedied, whichmust be lived with, and which courses ofaction provide the best opportunity forreversing, or at least stemming, the loss.

Denise J. Reed has been a Pro-fessor at Department of Geol-ogy and Geophysics at the Uni-versity of New Orleans,Louisiana since 1998. Her re-search interests include sedi-ment dynamics in coastal wet-lands with emphasis onsediment mobilization andmarsh hydrology, both natural

and altered, as factors controlling sediment deposition,and the response of coastal marshes to sea-level rise.Her recent research includes sediment dynamics andtidal wetland restoration in Louisiana and the Sacra-mento-San Joaquin delta. Dr. Reed is a member of theChief on Engineers Environmental Advisory Board andhas served on many regional and national panels con-sidering issues related to coastal management. Sheearned her BA. and Ph.D. in geography from the Uni-versity of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Denise J. ReedProfessor, Department of Geology & GeophysicsUniversity of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA 70148Phone 504 280 7395FAX 504 280 [email protected]

Large scale and sudden decreases in size ofmarsh areas can cause economic and ecologicaldisruptions for communities (both human andecological) that benefit from marsh environ-ments. The challenge is determining the contrib-uting factors (human and natural) and decidingthe best actions to take to manage the impactsand reverse the loss.

Overview of ongoing projects in Jamaica BayWildlife Refuge: responding to Blue RibbonPanel recommendationsDavid E. Avrin1, George W. Frame2, Charles T. Roman3

Based on a trend analysis of historic aerialphotography, the NY State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation documented asignificant loss of Spartina alterniflorasaltmarsh within Jamaica Bay. Wetland lossfrom 1924 to1974 was 780 acres due to directdredging and filling (prior to wetland pro-tection legislation) and 510 acres due toother reasons. Since 1974 there has been anaccelerated loss of wetland, for reasons un-known. Apart from the pre-1974 dredge-and-fill losses, the annual losses due to"other reasons" were 10 acres/year during1924-1974, 26 acres/year during 1974-1994,and 44 acres/year during 1994-1999. The ac-celerating annual loss may now be 50 acres/year. The area of saltmarsh islands in Ja-maica Bay decreased from over 2200 acresin 1924 to about 1000 acres today.

The park convened a Blue Ribbon Panel ofscientists that included salt marsh experts inMay 2001, to evaluate the likely causes ofthese dramatic changes, and to recommendshort and long-term actions. The panelistsdescribed several factors that may be con-tributing to the marsh loss, including sedi-ment deficit, sea level rise, altered estuarinecirculation due to dredging, nutrient enrich-ment, and biotic influences related towaterbird, mussel, and seaweed populations.It is probable that many or all of these fac-tors are acting together and contributing tothe marsh loss at Jamaica Bay.

The Blue Ribbon Panel suggested that in theshort-term, the National Park Service ini-tiate a number of investigations to increaseunderstanding of the causes of marsh disap-pearance and to demonstrate the feasibilityof managing the marshes. The investigationscurrently underway within Jamaica Bay in-

clude: (1) Experimental marsh restorationutilizing a thin layer spraying technique, (2)Investigation of the impact of wrack and sealettuce mats on the marshes, (3) Investigationof chronology of marsh development througha peat coring technique, (4) Development ofa long-term marsh monitoring program utiliz-ing GIS technology, (5) Investigation of roleof contaminants and water chemistry in thehealth of the marshes, (6) Investigation of theimpact of waterfowl, (7) Investigation of sedi-ment transport within Jamaica Bay. The Na-tional Park Service will use information de-rived from these studies to work with otherpublic agencies to direct future actions.

1 Jamaica Bay UnitGateway National Recreation AreaBldg. 69, Floyd Bennett FieldBrooklyn, NY 11234

2 Division Natural ResourcesGateway National Recreation Area210 New York Ave.Staten Island, NY 10305-5019

3 Cooperative Ecosystem Support UnitNational Park Service, University of

Rhode Island Bay Campus, South Ferry RoadNarraganset, RI 02882

Presently the Assistant Superintendent of Operationsfor the Jamaica Bay Unit of Gateway NRA, Avrin hasworked for the National Park Service for over 25 years.He holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Rutgers Uni-versity and M.S. in Resources Management from Uni-versity of Michigan.

Due to an apparently accelerated loss of marshacreage since 1974, a Blue Ribbon Panel of scien-tists and marsh experts was convened to evalu-ate the likely causes of the marsh loss and tomake recommendations for short and long-termactions. The panel described several factors thatmay be contributing to the marsh loss and sug-gested that a number of investigations be initi-ated to increase understanding of the causes ofmarsh disappearance and to demonstrate thefeasibility of managing the marsh losses.

38 39


Wetland elevation dynamics and sea-levelrise: are the salt marshes at Jamaica Baystaying ahead of the curve?Donald R. Cahoon

A significant loss of Spartina alterniflorasalt marsh has been documented forJamaica Bay, Gateway National RecreationArea, New York, and the rate of loss hasaccelerated since 1970 even though directhuman impacts (e.g., fill activities) havebeen diminished by regulatory protection.Several factors have been identified aspotentially contributing to the salt marshloss, including sediment deficit, sea-levelrise, altered estuarine circulation due todredging, nutrient enrichment, and bioticinfluences related to water bird and musselpopulations, among other factors. We de-signed a study to determine the accretion-ary and elevation dynamics of the saltmarsh habitats of Jamaica Bay to more fullyunderstand the mechanisms causing wet-land loss and to develop effective marshrestoration strategies. Using surface eleva-tion tables (SET) and artificial soil markerhorizons, we compared sediment elevationdynamics between two marsh islands withdifferent levels of stability; the stable marshat JoCo and the deteriorating marsh atBlack Bank. We also evaluated the effec-tiveness of thin-layer deposition of dredgedmaterial at restoring soil elevation of thedegraded salt marsh at Big Egg Marsh.Data collection, which began in summer2002, is ongoing. Preliminary data analyseswill be discussed.

Dr. Donald R. Cahoonis a Research Ecologistwith the U. S. Geologi-cal Survey, PatuxentWildlife Research Cen-ter located in Laurel,MD. He received hisBachelor of Arts de-gree, with Honors in

Botany, from Drew University (1972), and MS (1975)and PhD (1982) degrees in Wetland Plant Ecologyfrom the University of Maryland. His professional in-terests include wetland plant ecology, wetland accre-tionary processes, and wetland restoration and man-agement. His research program is focused on threeobjectives: (1) determining the impacts of sea-level riseon long-term marsh stability through evaluations ofmarsh accretionary processes, (2) identifying the pro-cesses of wetland loss, submergence, and soil erosionin both natural and managed coastal marshes, and(3) evaluating the effectiveness of wetland restorationand management techniques. His research approachfor measuring wetland elevation dynamics is beingused in more than 100 wetland sites in 15 countries.He worked on coastal management and researchissues in Louisiana for 19 years prior to moving toLaurel, Maryland in 2001.

A study using surface elevation tables (SET)and artificial soil marker horizons comparedsediment elevation changes between twomarsh islands with different levels of stabilityto get a better picture of the causes of marshloss in Jamaica Bay. The study is also evaluat-ing the effectiveness of depositing dredgedsediment to restore a degraded marsh.

Collaborative evaluation of the present andhistoric sediment dynamics of Jamaica Bay,NY (Gateway National Recreation Area)Steven L. Goodbred, Jr., Robert Wilson, J. Kirk Cochran, Charles Flagg, Roger D. Flood

A new collaborative project between two re-search groups at the Marine SciencesResearch Center, Stony Brook University hasbegun to investigate the sedimentation andphysical circulation patterns of Jamaica Bay.The overarching goal of the collaborativestudy is to understand and quantifysediment dynamics in the Jamaica Bayestuary-marsh system as related to recentlarge-scale losses of vegetated wetlands. Spe-cifically, the individual study componentswill (1) establish a seasonal sediment budgetfor Jamaica Bay using various natural andanthropogenic radioisotopes and (2) deter-mine the water circulation patterns as theyare presently and compared with pre-humandisturbance using numerical models. A ma-jor benefit of this combined field and mod-eling approach is that it allows the researchgroups to independently verify results basedon both direct measurements of sedimentsand computer modeling outputs.

The radiotracer and modeling studies pro-posed here are both stand alone, but thereare major benefits to gain from their com-bined approach. First, the radiotracer studywill determine the rates, patterns, and distri-bution of sediment accretion/erosion withinthe marsh-estuary system. This is critical tounderstanding the system's overall sedimentbudget relative to the deficit in marsh-sur-face accumulation. However, the radioiso-tope study cannot directly account formechanisms of transport and their relation-ship to estuarine circulation. Herein liesstrength of the proposed modeling study,which will evaluate sediment transport path-ways based on physical circulation. Thus, the

two approaches are complementary, investi-gating both sedimentary process (via model-ing) and sedimentary products (viaradiotracers). In terms of restoring JamaicaBay marshes, the radiotracer study will de-termine whether the current volume of sedi-ments moving into and around Jamaica Baycould be sufficient for marsh stabilization(given altered circulation patterns). Themodeling study can then suitably forecasthow modifications to Jamaica Bay bathym-etry would redistribute this mobile sedimentin favor of marsh accretion.


In order to provide a better understanding ofJamaica Bay sediment transport patterns, severalradioisotope tracers will be used to determinesediment movements in space and time. This ap-proach allows for the tracking of sediment accu-mulation in the marsh and provides quantifiablemeasurements of sediment sources available fordeposit on marsh surfaces.

U. S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center

Address as of March 2004USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,Beltsville Lab, c/o BARC-East, Building 308, 10300BaltimoreAvenue, Beltsville, MD 20705


Big Egg Marsh experimental restorationin Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,New York: a progress reportGeorge W. Frame1, Michael D. Byer1, Charles T. Roman2, Martin P. Schreibman3,William S. Panagakos3, Marlen K. Waaijer3, M. Kathryn Mellander1 ,Mark J. Ringenary1, James Lynch4, Murray Lantner5, Chidinma Kanu-Agha1,Arne Brix1, Norbert P. Psuty6, Jeffrey Pace6

During September 2003, sediment was ap-plied to the surface of a 2-acre portion of BigEgg Marsh using a high-pressure jet-spraytechnique. This marsh, like others through-out Jamaica Bay, NY, is converting fromSmooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora)meadow to mudflat. The experiment willevaluate jet-spray technique as a means ofincreasing saltmarsh surface elevation andslowing the process of marsh deterioration.Sediment from an adjacent tidal creek wassprayed on the marsh surface in a layer 2 cmto 50 cm thick, to study optimum target el-evation for successful marsh restoration. Af-ter sediment application, the area wasplanted with Smooth Cordgrass and fencedto deter waterfowl grazing. This experimentused a BACI (Before, After, Control, Impact)study design, with environmental monitor-ing at both the treatment site and adjacentreference site prior to jet-spray application.Monitoring before and after the jet-sprayingis comprehensive and includes surface eleva-tion tables (SETs) to evaluate processes asso-ciated with marsh elevation change. Ran-domly-located permanent plots wereestablished to monitor plant species compo-sition, percent cover, stem height, andabove-ground biomass. Additional randomplots were left unplanted to evaluate successof natural regrowth of Smooth Cordgrass vs.hand planting. To evaluate the success ofthe experimental restoration in terms of re-establishing a diverse biological community,the monitoring at the treatment site and ref-erence site also includes chemical contami-nants, soils, pore-water sulfides, ground wa-ter table, water quality, invertebrates insediments, invertebrates aquatic and terres-

trial, fishes, reptiles, mammals, birds, andchanges in topography of the excavatedcreek. Monitoring will continue for severalyears post-treatment. This study is one ofsix saltmarsh pilot projects funded by theNational Park Service and by a grant fromthe New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation.

1 Division Natural ResourcesGateway National Recreation Area210 New York Ave.

Staten Island, NY 10305-50192 Cooperative Ecosystem Support Unit

National Park ServiceUniversity of Rhode

Island Bay Campus, South Ferry Road,Narragansett, RI 02882

3 Aquatic Research and EnvironmentalAssessment Center, Brooklyn CollegeCity University of New York2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210

4 U.S. Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center11510 American Holly

Drive, Laurel, MD 207085 Environmental Protection Agency, Region Two

290 Broadway, 20th Floor,New York City, NY 10007

6 Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs74 Magruder Road,Institute of Marine and Coastal SciencesRutgers University, Sandy Hook, NJ 07732

An experimental technique of restoring saltmarsh was tested in a portion of Big Egg Marsh.The technique involves using a high-pressure jet-spray to spray sediment from the adjacent creekonto the marsh surface. This raises the salt marshelevation, creating better conditions for marshgrasses to grow and thus slows the erosion ofthe marsh.

Environmental projects in Jamaica BayLen Houston, US Army Corps of Engineers

Len Houston, Chief; Environmental Analysis BranchU.S.Army Corps of EngineersNew York District, 26 Federal Plaza; NY, NY [email protected]

The New York District (NYD) has focusedmuch effort under new authorizations onJamaica Bay, in keeping with its designation byThe Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) as atarget habitat of special concern. The NYDcompleted a 1994 Reconnaissance (Recon) re-port that recognized the tremendous regionaland national significance of the Bay. New YorkCity Department of Environmental Protection(NYCDEP) also recognized the importance ofbringing back the diversity and productivity ofthe Bay, and signed a Feasibility Cost-SharingAgreement (FCSA) in 1996 to identify and rec-ommend restoration actions.

The Feasibility Study identified a wide varietyof alternative restoration opportunities. Thir-teen areas of interest ere identified, consistingof modeling studies to determine what effect,various features, such as borrow pits, runways,channels and bridges had on water flow andflushing rates of the Bay. Other areas weredesignated for habitat restorations, includingseveral with planned Combined Sewage Over-flow (CSO) facilities that would greatly im-prove water quality and thereby the success ofany restoration project. Restoration sites arecurrently completing their design phase with adraft Feasibility Report scheduled for comple-tion in the spring of 2004.

New York City Parks Department (NYCP) re-ceived New York State Environmental Bondfunds to construct two of the restorationprojects located on their land. These are beingcompleted and constructed under the CorpsContinuing Authority Program (CAP).Gerritsen Creek would result in restoration ofapproximately 32 acres of rare coastal grass-lands and 40 acres of previously filled saltmarsh adjacent to the city’s new environmen-tal center in Marine Park.

More recently the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchersdocumented the problem of central marshlosses in Jamaica Bay. A NYSDEC evaluation

of historical maps confirmed an extensive andapparently accelerating loss of marsh from thecentral islands of the Bay, with most islandssuffering extensive losses over small periods oftime. A Blue Ribbon panel of experts was as-sembled by the NPS in 2001 to look into theproblem and possible solutions. The panelrecommended pilot projects to begin restoringsome of the habitat lost while the longer-terminvestigations tried to uncover the underlyingcauses. NYCDEP requested that the Corpsinitiate a CAP study to implement one or moreof the pilot restoration options.

The CAP study began in December 2002. It isprogressing under direction of an interagencyteam that consists of senior Corps staff,NYCDEP, NYSDEC, the National Park Ser-vice (NPS), and New York State Departmentof State (NYSDOS), which has Coastal ZoneManagement oversight for the Bay. A PRP wasapproved in March, 2003 and the ERR hascentered on two sites, Yellow Bar and Eldersmarsh, as pilot projects. Plans call for usingmaterial dredged from the Federal entrancechannel instead of purchasing and transport-ing material to the sites. The team is workingquickly to have its plans completed and allnecessary agreements and funding in place byFall 2004.

The Corps, who had been working on a numberof habitat restoration projects in the Bay already,was asked by the city (NYCDEP) and the State(NYSDEC) to form a partnership to implementsome of the pilot projects recommended by theBlue Ribbon Panel. The partners assembled an in-teragency team, including Gateway, to accom-plish this. Elders Point and Yellow Bar are thefirst sites under this effort.


Q: At the restoration site where the plant-ing was done last October, what hap-pens if it doesn’t grow starting nextmonth? Will it be replaced? The plant-ing was done very late.

A: First of all, planting 20,000 plants waskind of an insurance. We really do ex-pect a lot of the original grass that wason the site to regrow through the thinlayer of sediment. Even if all the20,000 plantings die, I think we are go-ing to get a lot of grass regrowth. Weare going to be looking at that, trying toseparate out how much of the grass thatappears this May is regrowth from theold stuff or coming from what wasplanted. If all that fails, we can’t leave abare surface, and would have to findthe means to plant more plants.

Q: What about the concept that the landshape changes and stretches out into thewater have changed over a relative pe-riod of time and that’s changed a lot ofthe tidal and circulation dynamics ofthese back bay and estuary areas thatseem to have these complex issues?Has anyone addressed or modeled that?

A: That is part of the study that StonyBrook University will be doing. Theywill be using computer models to lookat predredging flow, what the systemlooked like 200 years ago, compared topost dredging and look at thosechanges. Also, since most of thebathymetry from the current NOAAchart was done shortly after dredging30 to 50 years ago, this newer technol-ogy for mapping the seafloor will lookat differences and changes. In manyplaces we see dramatic changes. But, infact, some areas like the perimeters ofthe marshes haven’t changed at all in50 years.

Q: What about wave action from boat traf-fic? Has that been eliminated? Is any-body doing any research on that? Itseems like such an obvious thing, but Ididn’t see it in any of the diagrams.

A: It was not identified as a primary short-term research project. It is still some-thing that is under consideration, but itis not something we are actively investi-gating right away.

Q: I think it should be. There was a highspeed ferry that went to Inwood forone or two summers. It had to go at aslow speed in the Bay and threw a 10’high wake. And recreational boats aregetting larger and larger and throwinglarger and larger wakes.

Q: I have a question about Marine Parkand Gerritsen Creek area. You say youare digging out part of that area. Canyou explain where the soil is going togo, in relation to the trail?

A: It’s going to go into the interior looparea. The trail comes along the shore-line, gets to a certain area, and thenloops back.

Q: So, in between the trail itself. How highdo you expect that to be?

A: It depends on how low they need toget the elevation, so that will tell us howmuch material is available. If it has tocover the trail, then the trail will bemoved or even brought through thatarea. It might even be a nice place tobring the trail through a coastal grass-land.

Q: Big Egg is showing negative elevation.Have you been able to tell if sea levelrise or subsidence is the problem?

A: The marsh elevation is going down inboth the mudflat area reference sitesand the sprayed area. That’s not rela-tive to sea level, there’s a subsidenceprocess going on there. What it is, we’renot sure yet. We need to get more data.

44 45

Public SessionQuestion & Answer Portion

Q: This is a question for Len Houston. Inone of your early slides, you showed 10sites, one of which was Bayswater StatePark. Yet, when you went through yourinventory of sites, you omitted any dis-cussion of it.

A: I omitted any discussion on any of thesites in any detail.

Q: Can you give a little background onBayswater?

A: From what I remember, there is a two-fold goal there: to restore some of thesalt marsh and to protect the shorelinefrom further erosion. The plans arecurrently being designed now.

Q: KeySpan is spending $125 million toclean the Coney Island Creek on theirproperty which is contaminated withcoal tar. The agent that’s dangerous isbenzene. Right now they are throwingsheets around it and they are going todig it out and clean out the Creek. Arethere any plans with the Army Corps tohelp KeySpan and the community totry to create an ecosystem back on thatsite? Is this something we can talkabout?

A: That’s really outside the scope of thismeeting, but I’d be happy to talk withyou about it afterwards.



Q: Specifically, there are some bulkheadlines that have been changed over thecourse of the years that might play intothis issue of where the shorelines origi-nally were and how far they havemoved and how much things havetightened up in the channels. Thereused to be also some tidal grist mill ac-tivities a hundred or so years ago.Those types of historic activities needto be addressed because that had to dowith the way that we had the fingers ex-tending inland, and the flow of fresh-waters, and so on, over the low lyingland areas into the surface waters.

A: Yes, we’ve started picking DanMundy’s brain. We’re putting to-gether a wonderful history of Ja-maica Bay. Getting from point A topoint B has involved a lot of succes-sive steps and it will be key to under-standing how each piece has im-pacted those long-term changes.Looking up into the creeks and theadjacent land development hope-fully will be something we can get atalong the way.

Q: What about the sewage treatmentplants? From what I understand, thethree of them pump about 300 million

gallons of freshwater daily plus thou-sands of gallons of chlorine into thewater. How much have you been look-ing at this and how much of an effectcan that have? I heard you say thatfreshwater stays on top and lands onthe marsh with chemicals in it. Howbadly does that affect the marsh?

A: Some initial runs on the computermodel, as well as some field data, sug-gest the system is very sensitive to theamount of freshwater input that sets upthis two-layer flow. If you had a veryshallow system that would be all mixedup and you’d have sediment and every-thing going through the whole watercolumn. Getting these measurementsisn’t always as easy as we might hope.

Q: Would taking this freshwater into thedeeper ocean help the Bay a little bit?

A: Potentially. I understand that is some-thing that is being considered, both forthe nutrient loadings to the system andthe freshwater.

Q: I’m looking for clarification. Is the ef-fect of the pace of tidal flushing orflooding causing a mass wasting of thesediment for everything to slide into theBay?

A: One thing we thought is that mud ispretty slippery stuff, and that perhapsthe dredging around the perimeter ofthe Bay…In fact there are areas wherethere are nearly vertical walls, thedredging moving into shallow areas.We did not so far see any significantsigns of mass wasting. Essentially ifthose vertical walls would slump down,you’d lose marsh that way. However,that doesn’t mean there is not some

sort of subsidence of marsh surface.Basically, if you take a semi-fluid me-dium and you remove the retainingwalls, essentially that surface could sub-side or spread out some. Hopefully thiswill come out in Don Cahoon’s surfaceelevation tables, if this is an importantprocess. We don’t know.

Q: We’ve heard a lot of controversy aboutthe flushing time of Jamaica Bay. Doesit flush in 30+ days or 7 days? Has thatfinally been resolved?

A: Based on several different measures, itappears that flushing time more on theorder of about a week is significant. Youget some indication from the currentvelocities through there. And when wa-ter is moving through the system at sev-eral feet per second, that tends to en-hance the flushing time. Although, wedid see an area by Grassy Bay where thecurrent did slow down significantly. So,it’s hard to say. One thing that hasn’tbeen looked at is when you get far upon in water on the backside of theembayment, if the residence time mayincrease significantly there.

Q: Some of the data you’ll be collectingover the next year or two will shedsome light on that, I assume.

A: Yes, that’s right. Some of the modelingwill confirm that. Each step will addlayer upon layer of information, andeach one has its own issues and com-promises. But as you look at these dif-ferent approaches that are entirely un-related to one another and they aregiving you similar answers, you reallystart to develop a picture that you’refairly confident with.

Q: Does the depth of Rockaway Inlet play arole in the faster-than-expected flushing?

A: Almost certainly. It also plays a role inthe amount of water moving in and outof the Bay, the rate at which it moves,and also this two-layer flow. Essen-tially, as you deepen the Inlet andembayment itself, it allows the freshwa-ter to sit on top of the seawater withoutforcing. Basically, if you picture wavesmixing up the water column, they onlyreach to a certain depth. In shallowwater, that mixes the whole thing, butin a deep water column, it doesn’t. Andthat de-coupling can be important inestuarine dynamics.

Eugenia Flatow and Dave Avrin

George Frame at Podium


Q: I have a question about the restorationtechnique. We heard in one of the pre-sentations that dredging most likely al-tered the dynamic of the Bay by deep-ening certain channels and possibly therate at which sediments are movingthrough the Bay. But the restorationtechnique, if I understand it correctly,actually uses dredging to return sedi-ment back to the area we’re trying toimprove. Is there a real effect to thatdredging or are there better techniques?

A: We talked about two restorations: oneactual and one planned. The idea withthe Big Egg marsh restoration (and yes,it did use dredging) was that this was ademonstration project to test the feasi-bility of thin-layer spreading. If wecould have brought the material in andnot needed to dredge, we probablywould have taken that approach. Butfrom a cost standpoint there was noway we could do that. So, our intentwouldn’t be to do additional dredging ifwe could avoid it.

Q: Has anyone considered using microbesthat eat pollution, that eat dangerouschemicals in the soil? There is a bigtechnology out there that has beenproven to clean soil by using these mi-crobes. Has anyone been looking atthat as an option, to mix in with the soilor estuary before spraying? There is aperson here from an organic farm whoknows about this.

A: I know that this technology is beingused for oil spills and things like that,but I’m not aware that it would be ap-propriate here. We can talk afterwards.

Q: Are there any plans to discuss theseproblems on TV to reach a larger audi-ence? You’d get much more support.

A: There have been a few very short pieceson television about this. We’d like totry it. We could use help from anyonewho might have contacts with PBS.

Q: What work is planned for HawtreeCreek?

A: I believe that might be a combination ofshoreline restoration and dredgingsome blockage to the entrance to thechannel to improve water flow.

48 49


Q: It was mentioned that they were moni-toring fish and other species in the sur-rounding area to see what effect therestoration would have on them. Areyou aware of negative effects that thiswould have on diamondback terrapinsor other things that live at the site?

A: We are monitoring terrapins at the ex-perimental restoration site. During thedredging operations we had to watchthat there were no terrapins near thedredge. We didn’t see any there. Onthe upper side of the marsh, we sawone terrapin walking and two that hadbeen eaten by gulls. I don’t know ofany negative effects that this restorationis going to have on the terrapin popula-tion. Terrapins pass through the saltmarsh to go to higher areas to lay eggs.They feed down in the salt marsh alongthe banks and in the little drainagelines, normally. So, this maintains agood habitat for them. If we just let itgo turn to mudflat, then it won’t begood for them.

Q: Has anybody addressed nitrogen in anyof these studies? That is, the increasedamount of nitrogen that’s been put inthe Bay over the last ten years from theDEP. It correlated very strongly withthe time period in which the marsh sawits worst demise. It was mentioned thatthe Blue Ribbon Panel, and our groupthe Eagle Watchers, had brought it upthe same time we brought up the marshproblem. We brought up the fact thatwe’re having these tremendous algaeblooms. Last year was the first year theDEC forced the DEP to reduce the ni-trogen levels. And we saw somewhat ofa reduction in the algae blooms.

A1: There is the possibility of looking atthat as an issue in the future, but I don’tbelieve it’s happening at this point.

A2: I’d like to add that these algal bloomsthat have been reported in the lastcouple years have not been in just Ja-maica Bay. They are widespreadthroughout the state of NJ, also. So, itseems like it might be more related toclimatic changes of some sort.

A3 I’ve been to the brown tide conferencesfurther east and it seems they are aheadof us in looking at nitrogen. I knowthere are a lot of factors, but once theDEP had to reduce nitrogen last year,our records indicated we had the bestyear in over ten years in terms of secchireadings and visual clarity of the water.So, it might be a factor.

Jack Mattice, Billy Garrett and John Hnedak

Olga Vargas and Mark Christiano Jay Tanski, Dave Taft and Dave Avrin


Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes

March 3 Daytime Session Attendees

Adamo, DougGateway NRA

Alvarez, MelissaUSACOE

Antenen, SusanThe Nature Conservancy

Avrin, DaveGateway NRA

Bergfors, RobbinNYC Parks and Recreation

Bernick, AndyCollege of Staten Island

Bokuniewicz, Dr. HenryStony Brook University

Branca, BarbaraNew York Sea Grant

Brash, AlexNYC Parks and Recreation

Buckley, Dr. P.A.University of Rhode Island

Burg, DavidWild Metro

Byer, MikeGateway NRA

Cahoon, DonUSGS

Cochran, KirkStony Brook University

Couch, SteveUSACOE

Cuzzolino, KathleenGateway NRA

Feller, MichaelUNC Parks and Recreation

Flatow, EugeniaSoil and Water Conservation District

Foley, MaryNPS

Frame, GeorgeGateway NRA

Francoeur, LauraPort Authority

Franz, DavidBrooklyn College

Garrett, BillyGateway NRA

Gilmore, SueGateway NRA

Goodbred, SteveStony Brook University

Gordon, ArnoldColumbia University

Gornitz, VivianColumbia University

Grayson, ChristineGateway NRA

Hartig, EllenColumbia University

Hnedak, JohnGateway NRA

Houston, LenUSACOE

Kaplan, DavidNYC Parks and Recreation

Knoesel, EdwardPort Authority

Kolker, AlexanderStony Brook University

Lancos, JohnGateway NRA

Lynch, JimUSGS

Mattice, JackNew York Sea Grant

McLaughlin, JohnNYC DEP

McLetchie, KateStony Brook University

Mellander, KathrynNPS

Mooney, LizGateway NRA - Volunteer

Mundy, DanJamaica Bay Ecowatchers

Mushache, FredNYS DEC

Ngene, ShandrackKenya Wildlife Service

Olijnyk, ChrisGateway NRA

Panagakos, WilliamBrooklyn College

Peteet, DorothyColumbia University

Petersen, Dr. SusanWatershed Systems

Psuty, Dr. NorbRutgers University

Rafferty, PatriciaFire Island National Seashore

Reed, Dr. Denise J.University of New Orleans

Ringenary, Mark J.Gateway NRA

Roman, CharlesNPS

Schlenk, CorneliaNew York Sea Grant

Schreibman, Dr. Martin S.Brooklyn College

Shaw, Richard K.USDA-NRCS

Sinkecich, SteveUSFWS

Smith, LaneNew York Sea Grant

Soller, ChrisGateway NRA

Steimle, FrankNOAA

Taft, DavidGateway NRA

Tai, BillNYC Parks and Recreation

Tanski, JayNew York Sea Grant

Teal, Dr. JohnWoods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Tripp, KimGateway NRA

Vargas, OlgaUSDA - NRCS

Waaijer, Marlen K.Jamaica Bay Guardian

Wang, YeqiaoURI

Will, BobUSACOE

Williams, Brian P.USACOE

Wilson, RobertStony Brook University

Zahn, SteveNYC DEP

Zozworsky, JohnGateway NRA

Zuller, AvivaNY/NJ Baykeeper


National Park Service Personnel

Dave AvrinAssistant Superintendent - Park OperationsJamaica Bay UnitGateway National Recreation AreaHeadquarters - Bldg 69Floyd Bennett FieldBrooklyn, New York 11234phone: 718-338-3625fax: [email protected]

Chris SollerActing SuperintendentJamaica Bay UnitGateway National Recreation AreaHeadquarters - Bldg 69Floyd Bennett FieldBrooklyn, New York 11234phone: 718-338-3605fax: [email protected]

Billy GarrettActing General SuperintendentGateway National Recreation Area210 New York AvenueStaten Island, New York 10305phone: 718-354-4665fax: [email protected]

John HnedakDirector of Resource ManagementGateway National Recreation Area210 New York AvenueStaten Island, New York 10305phone: 718-354-4522fax: [email protected]

Doug AdamoChief, Division of Natural ResourcesGateway National Recreation Area210 New York AvenueStaten Island, New York 10305phone: 718-354-4510fax: [email protected]

Contacts

George FrameBiologistGateway National Recreation Area210 New York AvenueStaten Island, New York 10305phone: 718-354-4546fax: [email protected]

Kim Tripp, NPSResearch CoordinatorJamaica Bay InstituteGateway National Recreation AreaHeadquarters - Building 69Floyd Bennett FieldBrooklyn, New York 11234phone: 718-338-3688fax: [email protected]

Charles Roman, NPSResearch CoordinatorUniversity of Rhode IslandNarragansett, Rhode Island 02882phone: [email protected]

M. Kathryn Mellander, NPSGIS Specialist210 New York AveStaten Island, NY 10305phone: [email protected]

Researchers and presenters from otherinstitutions, agencies and organizations

Donald R. CahoonUS Geological SurveyPatuxent Wildlife Research Center, Beltsville Labc/o BARC-East, Building 30810300 Baltimore AvenueBeltsville, MD 20705phone: 301-497-5523fax: [email protected]

David R. FranzProfessor of Biology and Deputy Chairman forUndergraduate Studies,Brooklyn College CUNYBrooklyn, NY 11210phone: [email protected]

Ileana FriedmanAdjunct Instructor, current graduate studentBiology Department,Brooklyn College CUNYBrooklyn, NY 11210phone: [email protected]

Steven L. Goodbred, Jr.Asst. Professor of Marine GeologyMarine Sciences Research CenterStony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York 11794-5000phone: 631-632-8676fax: [email protected]://msrc.sunysb.edu/people/goodbred.htm

Arnold L. GordonLamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryOf Columbia UniversityPalisades NY [email protected]

Robert W. HoughtonLamont-Doherty Earth ObservatoryOf Columbia UniversityPalisades NY [email protected]

Len HoustonUSACOENew York District, COEEnvironmental Analysis Branch26 Federal PlazaNew York, NY 10278phone: [email protected]

Alexander KolkerStony Brook University Graduate StudentMarine Sciences Research CenterStony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY 11794-5000phone: [email protected]

Dan MundyEcowatchers56 West 14th RdBroad Channel, NY 11693phone: [email protected]

Dorothy PeteetColumbia UniversityLamont-Doherty Earth Observatory204 New Core Lab61 Route 9W - PO Box 1000Palisades, NY 10964-8000phone: [email protected]

Martin P. SchreibmanAREACDirector Brooklyn College, CUNY GrabBrooklyn College CUNYBrooklyn, NY [email protected]

Richard K. ShawSoil ScientistUSDA-NRCS; NYC Soil Survey1000 South AvenueStaten Island;NY 10314;phone:718-761-1657fax: [email protected]

National Park Service Jamaica Bay’s Disappearing Marshes54

Mission Statements

Gateway National Recreation Area

The Secretary shall administer and protect the islands andwaters within the Jamaica Bay Unit with the primary aim ofconserving the natural resources, fish, and wildlife locatedtherein and shall permit no development or use of this areawhich is incompatible with this purpose.

New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of the StateUniversity of New York, Cornell University and the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Our mission is toaddress critical coastal issues through high quality research,outreach and education so that New Yorkers may contributeto decisions that better conserve, utilize and rehabilitate theircoastal resources.

New York Aquarium

New York Aquarium —Where the City meets the Sea—is theonly aquarium in New York City and part of the largest net-work of metropolitan wildlife parks in the country. New YorkAquarium holds a special place in the mission of the WildlifeConservation Society —To Save Wildlife and Wild Places

Around the Globe. Driven by a vision of a world where peopleunderstand the critical role oceans play in human survival,our programs strive to encourage people to place a highpersonal priority on the protection of marine and freshwaterecosystems and the rich diversity of aquatic wildlife, whichthey sustain.

John TanacrediDowling CollegeDepartment of Earth and Marine SciencesOakdale, Long IslandNew York [email protected]: 631-244-3394

Olga VargasUSDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNYC Soil Survey1000 South AveStaten Island, NY 10314

Yeqiao Q. WangAssociate Professor in Terrestrial Remote SensingDepartment of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, RI 02881-0804phone: 401-874-4345fax: [email protected]

Robert E. WilsonMarine Sciences Research CenterStony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York 11794-5000phone: [email protected]

Yiyi WongDepartment of Soil ScienceCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina 27695-7619

Contacts

55

Science Board Members

Henry BokuniewiczStony Brook UniversityDepartment of Marine Sciences211 Endeavor HallStony Brook, NY [email protected]

P. A. BuckleyCoastal InstituteUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, RI [email protected]

Susan PetersonWatershed Systems241 Duchaine BoulevardNew Bedford, MA [email protected]

Norbert PsutyRutgers University19 Green Hills RoadEast Brunswick, NJ 08816phone: 732-708-1462

Denise J. ReedProfessor, Department of Geology & GeophysicsUniversity of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA 70148phone: 504-280-7395fax: [email protected]

John TealWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole MA, 02543Mailstop: 35Phone: (508) [email protected]

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