The Great South Bay – Past, Present and Future

What Was, What Is, and What May Yet Be

Menhanden, 1700s, 1800s

Oysters, 1800s, 1900s

Our Heritage

Whaling, 1700s, 1800s

Clamming, 1900s

1980 1990 2000 2010 20202

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

Nitr

ogen

(mg/

L)

Unbridled Growth Post-War: Inventing The Suburb

Suffolk County groundwater

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000Population of Suffolk County

Septic tanks,

cesspools

This Came as No Surprise (1976)

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

Hard Clam landings from Great South Bay in bushels

NY bay scallop landings

Environmental Collapse

Clams Oysters Scallops Mussels

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

Perc

ent d

eclin

e sin

ce 1

980

NYS Shellfish Landings, 1980 – 2010

Brown Tide, South Shore, July 2015, Linked to Shellfish Mortality

Brown Tide in The Great South Bay

Brown Tide in Bellport Bay

Wastewater =55%

Atmospheric deposition = 30%

Fertilizer= 15%

Nitrogen Budget for Great South Bay

Kinney and Valiela, 2011

Where is the Nitrogen Coming From?

Kinney and Valiela, 2011

NYS Sea grass, 1930 - 2030

NYSDEC Seagrass Taskforce Final Report, 2010; Suffolk County assessment, 2014

1930 2009 20300

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

Acre

s of s

eagr

ass

Extinction in NY

90% loss$200,000,000 lost annually (Johnston et al 2002).$10,000,000,000 lost since 1975.

Healthy marsh Nitrogen loaded marsh

“Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss”, Deegan et al 2012, Nature

Dense, strong roots

Nutrient weakened, roots

Nitrogen promotes water impairments: algal blooms, low oxygen

Preparing For The Future

The Breach

Bellport Inlet (Courtesy Thomas Schultz)

Osprey at The New Inlet (Courtesy Mike Busch)

Seal at The New Inlet (Courtesy Mike Busch)

The Ever Changing Inlet – Barrier Beach Dynamics (SOMAS)

Operation Blue Earth

Organic Lawn Care

Zero Pesticides

Oyster Cultivation

Filter Feeders To The Rescue!

Clam Power!

The Hatchery At Great Atlantic Shellfish Farms

Oyster Gardening Program

On-Site DiNitrification

Alternative Septic Systems

Center for Clean Water Technology

On-site wastewater disposal

…Engineering a solution…

CCWT Mission

• Develop and commercialize the next generation of nitrogen removal technology for septic systems– Improve efficiency of nitrogen removal– Reduce system costs– Minimize maintenance– Shrink the infrastructure

Coupled Septic Tanks and Leaching Pit

Thank You!