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David Clark Scott
Scientists have been listening to dolphins in the waters around New York City. And they鈥檙e hearing the sounds of a maritime revival 鈥� a staccato of hope.聽
A new study led by Columbia University and the Wildlife Conservation Society confirms , drawn by a plentiful supply of food, in this case, bunker fish. Researchers dropped underwater microphones into various spots around NYC waters, partly to calculate the scale of the rebound. Dolphins find their meals via echolocation. When the frisky mammals are hunting and eating, their clicks create, to the human ear, a foraging buzz. And these researchers heard a lot of bottlenose buzz.聽
In recent years, the dolphins have been joined by frolicking offshore, at the busiest seaport on the East Coast. This cetacean comeback, say scientists, may be partly due to climate change and is likely the result of cleaner coastal waters.
The harbor is , according to a 2019 report by New York City鈥檚 Department of Environmental Protection. A shift in federal and state laws as well as attitudes is credited with making the waters more hospitable to marine life. The dumping of toxic chemicals and human waste into the harbor has largely stopped. Annual coastal cleanup events now draw thousands of volunteers. Thanks to , bivalves, which act as natural water filters, are also making a comeback.聽
Humans are also taking advantage of the tidal shift. A , is being built on the Hudson River.
鈥� about what people think about the New York, New Jersey Harbor estuary,鈥� Howard Rosenbaum, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society鈥檚 Ocean Giants Program, told the Gothamist.
Indeed, the waters of New York City now credibly offer a portrait of maritime resilience, natural vibrancy, and restored beauty.
