It’s a riddle. No one knows why dolphins are found more often and longer in and around New York Harbor, a huge estuary where salty sea tides mix with freshwater from the Hudson River.
“We have a lot of sightings,” he said. New York Marine Rescue Center.. “It’s a glory to see a larger population, but we’re also worried about the increased overlap between humans and shared resources,” she said.
The resurgence of dolphins around New York, the country’s most developed coastline city, contrasts with the period of severe illness and rising mortality that has regularly plagued the waters of the East Coast. In 2013, a herd of dolphin carcasses first washed ashore in New Jersey, then to Virginia, Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and a winter home for mammals. Much of the body rolled in the waves and deteriorated badly. The suspected murderer was a deadly virus.
Now, despite the bid war for renting apartments, marine mammals seem to be enjoying the crowded waters of the city again, just as humans are flocking to New York.Possible explanations include improving habitat quality, rising water temperatures due to climate change, and Men Harden Stocks, experts say. Dolphins eat a school of fish and eat up to 20 pounds a day.
New Yorkers find dolphins on the East River, which separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens. Last year, a pair appeared off the coast of Greenpoint in Brooklyn, drawing gasps from spectators and scientists.
“This is usually not the place where they can be seen.” Howard C. RosenbaumSenior Scientist of the Wildlife Conservation Society, I told WABC last year.. He added that the pair showed no signs of distress.
To better understand dolphin rebounds and threats to their populations, six Nature Maintenance Society scientists, including Dr. Rosenbaum, have recently studied dolphin behavior and infestation in and around New York Harbor. did. The team focused on bottlenose dolphins — type Famous for his wide smile and energetic leap. A highly intelligent creature, it lives in coastal waters, communicates using sound waves, and hunts for food.
Scientists have discovered that bottlenose dolphins can emit a rapid series of clicks known as: Feeding buzz It helps them track their prey. Team from 2018 to 2020 setting Listen to unique sounds with underwater microphones and recorders in six locations: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey.
One sensor was placed near an artificial structure known as Rockaway Reef, A sighting hotspot about 2 miles south of Rockaway Beach in Queens. Another vessel was set up in a busy area in Upper Bay, off Brooklyn, near Manhattan. The overall purpose was to record when and where the dolphins were fed.
The team found that dolphin looting activity was highest in Lower Bay off Staten Island. In particular, it is near the outer entrance to New York Harbor and the estuary of the estuary, which stretches for five miles between Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Breezy Point. , Queens. Lower levels were found at the Upper Bay site. The team reported that hunting peaked from late summer to autumn.
“To better manage potential human-wildlife conflicts,” author I have written Earlier this month, in the Journal of Marine Ecology, “We need a more focused study of this under-studied population.”
Sarah G. TraviewLeading the study and a researcher at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the underwater ear “has done a great job of establishing a wealth of information about these animals, but needs to be filled, especially when looking for. You can see a gap, “she said, a possible link between human activity and foraging patterns.
Dr. Rosenbaum added the importance of acoustic research, saying that population growth is “becoming part of our new normal.” “Learning bottlenose dolphins in our backyard is a very powerful tool,” he added, adding that it would help establish “the most rigorous understanding of how to minimize harm.”
Joe ReynoldsNature writer and wildlife photographer, I got it Increasing dolphin sightings on his blog about New York Harbor almost five years ago. Among the factors driving their return, he considered the abundance of marine life, especially Menharden, to be of paramount importance. Avoid humans and dolphins prefer oily fish, also known as bunkers.Expert credit Resurrection of fish to improve management of east coast fishing.
According to Reynolds, herds of bottlenose dolphins feed on large herd bunker in Sandyhook and Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Ocean near Jersey Shore towns such as Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch. It was often seen.
“How can you tell if a dolphin is chasing a bunker?” He asked. “They weren’t alone. A flock of hungry seagulls, terns, cormorants, and other seabirds also appeared.”
Montello of the New York Marine Rescue Center said that the factors that were overlooked in recent sightings were the surge in people flocking to New York’s waterways, piers, piers, riverside parks and fishing spots to escape the coronavirus pandemic. He said he became an accidental observer.
“We see more animals, but we also see more people’s consciousness,” said Montello. She added that wildlife experts are raising concerns about accidental invasion.
During the pandemic, “many people tested their ability to drive a boat,” she said. “It may be scary over there.”
Last year, Montello said the rescue center had more dead dolphins and live grounding, adding that the reason for the incident often remains unknown. “Understanding what is happening requires further investigation,” she said, including her autopsy and other detailed studies of the affected animals and their water environment.
“We didn’t see a significant increase this year,” says Montello. “But we are just in the season.”