Students immerse themselves in the Hudson, literally, at the Corning Preserve Boat Launch in Albany to help assess the health of the river. From left, Anwesha Saha, Beatrice Martel, Alice Barrett, Cecelia Clary, Ethan Lin, and Oscar Smeraldo, some of the eighteen students who accompanied life science teacher Elizabeth Orenstein (Class of 2010) and school CFO Patrick White for the day.
On Thursday, Oct. 5, shorefronts along the Hudson River Estuary and the piers of New York Harbor were busy with activity as thousands of students equipped with seine nets, minnow pots, and water testing gear collect data on the Hudson’s fish and invertebrates, track the river’s tides and currents, and examine water chemistry and quality during the 21st annual celebration of A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor.
“DEC’s annual ‘Day in the Life’ event gives student scientists up and down the river the unique opportunity to experience the tidal Hudson’s diverse habitats, fish, and wildlife,” said DEC Commissioner Seggos. “The Hudson’s bounty is ecologically invaluable to our state and much of the Atlantic coast. This annual event gives students of all ages the chance to go down to the river and learn about the environment up close.”
Here’s a link to Spectrum News article, in which Anwesha Saha, Class of 2024 is interviewed about her experience of collecting data on the Hudson river for scientists.
“Day in the Life” gives students the opportunity to don waders or use a fishing rod to collect data on many of the Hudson’s 200-plus species of fish. Most are young fish, evidence of the Hudson’s importance as a nursery habitat. In some years, students catch surprising fish like seahorses, conger eels, and needle fish. Students also examine the physical and chemical aspects of the river with a wide range of equipment from basic dissolved oxygen and pH kits, to high-tech refractometers and plastic hydrometers to measure salinity and find the salt front – the leading edge of dilute seawater pushing up the estuary.
“Day in the Life” is sponsored by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, in partnership with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Columbia Climate School Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.