Moriches Bay Research Articles

Telemetry reveals migratory drivers and disparate space use across seasons and age‐groups in American horseshoe crabs

AbstractIdentifying mechanisms that underpin animal migration patterns and examining variability in space use within populations is crucial for understanding population dynamics and management implications. In this study, we quantified the migration rates, seasonal changes in migratory connectivity, and residency across population demographics (age and sex) to understand the proximate cues of migration timing in American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). Juvenile (n = 25) and adult (n = 70) horseshoe crabs were tracked with acoustic telemetry techniques for a 3‐yr period in Moriches Bay, NY. Connectivity metrics and residency probability were quantified through spatial network analysis and empirically derived Markov Chain models (EDMC), respectively. The migratory probability of adult horseshoe crabs between Moriches Bay and the Atlantic Ocean was estimated to be 41.0% (95% CI: 34.0–59.8); in contrast, only 8% (95% CI: 1.2–31.6) of juveniles migrated into the ocean. Migration timing was influenced by the interaction of photoperiod and temperature, revealing seasonal differences in migration timing and a 50% narrower range of photoperiod and temperature over which fall migrations occurred compared to spring. Sex‐specific differences in space use and connectivity within each season were largely absent; however, centralized habitats were important for maintaining connectivity across all seasons. EDMC results revealed that when standardized to the number of horseshoe crab detections on each receiver, the centrally located habitats in Moriches Bay and Inlet accounted for >50% of the total relative residency probability within most seasons, indicating these areas may be preferred by adult horseshoe crabs. Ontogenetic differences in maximum spatial extent, space use, and connectivity were observed in the bay, as juveniles exhibited lower linkages between locations (n = 4) relative to adults (n = 13) during the same temporal period. Our work highlights the application of novel quantitative approaches for addressing the movement dynamics of horseshoe crabs that can be readily applied to other taxa in the context of wildlife conservation.

Accidental ecosystem restoration? Assessing the estuary-wide impacts of a new ocean inlet created by Hurricane Sandy

Barrier island lagoons are the most common type of estuary in the world and can be prone to eutrophication as well as the formation and closure of ocean inlets via severe storm activity. This study describes the biological, chemical, and physical changes that occurred along the south shore of Long Island, NY, USA, following the formation of a new ocean inlet in eastern Great South Bay (GSB) by Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. Time series sampling and experiments were performed at multiple locations within GSB and neighboring Moriches Bay from 2013 through to 2018. Historical comparisons to prior water quality monitoring data, fecal coliform concentrations, and hard clam growth rates were also made. Measurements indicated that the New Inlet provided asymmetrical ocean flushing. Within locations north (Bellport Bay) and east (Narrow Bay, western Moriches Bay) of the New Inlet, water residence times, summer water temperatures, total and dissolved nitrogen, chlorophyll a, the harmful brown tide alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens, pigments associated with diatoms and dinoflagellates (fucoxanthin and peridinin), and fecal coliform bacteria levels all significantly decreased, while salinity, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity significantly increased. In contrast, waters west of the New Inlet within the center of GSB experienced little change in residence times, significant increases in chlorophyll a and harmful brown tides caused by A. anophagefferens, as well as a significant decrease in water clarity and summer dissolved oxygen levels. Growth rates of juvenile hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) near the New Inlet increased compared to before the inlet and were significantly higher than in central GSB, where growth rates significantly declined compared to before the inlet. Hence, while enhanced ocean flushing provided a series of key ecosystem benefits for regions near the New Inlet, regions further away (> 10 km) experienced more frequent HABs and poorer performance of bivalves, demonstrating that enhanced ocean flushing provided by the breach was not adequate to fully restore the whole GSB ecosystem.

A Hydraulic Model for Multiple-Bay-Inlet Systems on Barrier Islands

In this study, we apply the traditional hydraulic engineering approach to model an inter-connected multiple-bay-inlet system that can represent the Great South Bay-Moriches Bay system on Long Island, New York. We show that the hydraulic model captures the essential physics of the system, despite its apparent simplicity in mathematical expressions. The model gives good estimates of bay tidal transmissions, including the tidal ranges, phase lags, and the flood-ebb asymmetry behavior in Moriches Bay. The hydraulic modeling results compare well with the simulations from a 3D coastal ocean circulation model, in particular the changes in bay tides due to the breach of Old Inlet by Hurricane Sandy. The modeled inlet discharge rates are in good agreement with the observations.

What history reveals about Forge River pollution on Long Island, New York’s south shore

Fifty years ago, the Forge River and Moriches Bay, of Long Island’s south shore lagoonal system, achieved notoriety when their polluted conditions were alluded to in a report of the US President’s Science Advisory Committee (1965). The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution investigated the bay throughout the 1950s, identifying duck farming as the cause of “objectionable”, “highly contaminated” conditions of these waters.Much has changed: duck farming declined; the river was dredged to remove polluted sediments, improve navigation; and barrier island inlets stabilized. Yet, the river remains seasonally eutrophic.Why? This paper reviews what occurred in the Forge River watershed. While governments aggressively curtailed the impacts of duck pollution, they failed to manage development and sewage pollution. The Forge experience indicates that watershed management is a continuing governmental responsibility as development accelerates. Otherwise, we will always be looking for that instantaneous remediation that is usually not affordable and is socially contentious.

Observations on the impact of a developing inlet in a bar built estuary

Field measurements of salinity and sea surface elevation are used to quantify the impacts of the developing inlet, Little Pikes Inlet, on tidal transmission and exchange in the bar built estuary, Moriches Bay. These measurements document a peak increase in tidal transmission of 30% for the post-breach condition. This increased tidal transmission led to a 1.4‰ increase in salinity in the region of the bay near the breach with no detectable change in the far section of the bay. It is shown that the tidal transmission of the developing inlet can be reasonably predicted by typical 1-D inlet hydraulic models with an appropriate selection of inlet characteristics. The mean tidal exchange of salt in the system is shown to behave as though frontal exchange at the plume boundary dominates and that the tidal exchange coefficient can be modeled to vary inversely with the square root of the flood tidal volume. Such a model is shown to improve significantly the predictions of the effects of changes in inlet properties.

BREACH/INLET INTERACTION AT MORICHES INLET

Moriches Inlet is located on the south shore of Long Island, New York, approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Montauk Point and 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of New York City. The inlet forms the primary outlet through the barrier island between Moriches Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The inlet is protected and stabilized by two stone jetties approximately 800 feet (245 meters) apart . During 3anuary, 1980, a severe northeast storm resulted in the breaching of the barrier island immediately to the east of the existing Moriches Inlet. By the fall of 1980, the breach had expanded to nominally 2900 feet (885 meters) in width with a maximum depth of around 10 feet (3 meters) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was requested to affect its closure. The method adopted by the Corps consisted of the placement of beach fill in the opening to develop a cross-section with a center line elevation of +13.25 feet (4 meters) MLW and side slopes of 1V:25H. Initiated in October 1980, the closure operation was succesfully completed in February, 1981. The formation of a significant breach immediately adjacent to the existing inlet and the artificial closure of the opening afforded a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of a tidal inlet under the influence of relatively rapid changes in tidal prism and cross sectional area. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a field measurement program and subsequent analyses of the dynamics of the inlet/breach system. The analyses were based on data obtained before, during and after closure of the breach.

Estuarine benthic invertebrates of Indian river and Rehoboth Bays, Delaware

AbstractFrom 1968 to 1970, 273 quantitative samples of macroscopic benthic invertebrates were collected seasonally (winter and summer) from Indian River and Rehoboth Bays, Delaware. A total of 103, 485 individuals representing 11 phyla and 149 species was taken. Mobile carnivores comprised 30.9% (46 species) of the fauna, selective deposit feeders 28.2% (42 species), sedentary suspension feeders 18.1% (27 species), nonselective deposit feeders 3.4% (5 species), and sessile carnivores 2.7% (4 species). In terms of number of individuals, selective deposit feeders and sedentary suspension feeders comprised 49.2% (51,442 individuals) and 43.7% (44,647 individuals), respectively. The average density (no./m2) was generally significantly higher in Indian River than Rehoboth Bay. Maximum density for the former was 106,871/m2 and for the latter 60,192/m2. Evenness diversity was normally slightly higher in summer than winter and higher in Rehoboth Bay than in Indian River Bay. The top three species, ranked by density and frequency of occurrence, were Ampelisca abdita, Gemma gemma, and Tellina agilis. Annual and seasonal changes in density and dominance (exclusive of the top three species) were substantial. Biomass patterns were very similar to areas north (Moriches Bay, New York) and south (Beaufort, North Carolina). It was suggested that larger invertebrates have been deemphasized in biomass estimates in past studies. It was concluded that Rehoboth and Indian River Bays contained an Ampelisca — bivalve (Gemma gemma, Tellina agilis, Mercenaria mercenaria) community.

Competition for Nutrients by Marine Phytoplankton in Oceanic, Castal, and Estuarine Regions

Fluctuations in the densities of marine phytoplankton species in the open and coastal ocean follow a sequence wherein one or several species may increase in abundance very much without causing a reduction in abundance of other forms. Theoretical calculations of the maximum size of nutrient—depleted zones about the plankton cells show that overlapping of these zones cannot occur at cell densities less than 3 x 108/liter. Since densities rarely exceed 106/liter in the open and coastal ocean, there is no possibility of an abundant species monopolizing the nutrient supply and forcing a less abundant form to extinction. The change from a coccolithophore—dominated plankton in the Sargasso Sea to the diatom—dominated plankton in the coastal water off New York cannot, therefore, be attributed to competition for nutrients by the two types of cells. But in some very shallow estuaries, Great South Bay and Moriches Bay near New York and Salt Pond at Woods Hole, the dominant forms sink considerably more slowly than the coastal and oceanic species and would thus be at an advantage over the latter. Plankton concentrations in the estuaries may come close to or exceed 109/litter, and monopolization of the nutrient supply should aid in the continued dominance of the abundant forms, eventually bringing about the extinction of many of the residual forms. This sequence is considered to be a real possibility in these estuaries and to be the reason for the reduced diversity of species observed there.

Comparison of Clay from the Continental Shelf off Long Island with the Gardiners Clay

Late in 1955 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution received from Moran, Proctor, Mueser, and Rutledge, consulting engineers of New York City, a few samples taken from a boring made at the proposed site of an Air Force Texas Tower (TT-4), located about 60 miles south of Moriches Bay, Long Island. Among these samples was an undisturbed clay sample, suggestive of the Pleistocene Gardiners clay of Long Island. For purposes of comparison, the same company later made available a group of ten core samples collected from a formation thought to be Gardiners clay on western Long Island. Standard mechanical analysis procedures were carried out on certain of these samples prior to their being examined for microfossils. The sample from the TT-4 site was located 70 feet below the ocean bottom under a water depth of 185 feet. The overlying sediments were coarse sand and fine gravel. The moist color of this sample was olive-gray as determined from the Rock Color Chart published by the Geological Society of America in 1951. The sediment is a silty clay with a sand content of about 6 per cent. The sand is mostly quartz with a number of reddish-brown silt-stone particles presumably reworked from an older formation. Occasional Foraminifera are found in this coarser fraction. The more common species are Elphidium clavatum Cushman, E. incertum (Williamson), and Quinqueloculina cf. lata Terquem or seminulum (Linnd). There were also a few reworked fossil species of the genera Gyroidina, Elphidium, and Cassidulina(?). These

THE ECOLOGY OF PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOMS IN MORICHES BAY AND GREAT SOUTH BAY, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

1. The phytoplankton bloom in Great South Bay and Moriches Bay during the spring, summer, and early fall of 1952 consisted of the Chlorophyta, Nannochloris atomus and Stichococcus sp., to the virtual exclusion of other species. These organisms persisted throughout the year, but were accompanied by minor diatom blooms during the winter and early spring.2. Growth rates of Nannochloris, Stichococcus, and the diatom, Nitzschia closterium were determined from laboratory cultures grown under various conditions of temperature, salinity, and nutrients which are peculiar to the Great South Bay-Moriches Bay area.3. Nannochloris and Stichococcus grew well in nitrogen present as nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, urea, uric acid, cystine, asparagin, and glycocoll. Nitzschia grew equally well in nitrate and nitrite, but showed poor growth in ammonia and the organic N compounds.4. Nannochloris and Stichococcus grew approximately twice as fast in media containing an N:P ratio of 5:1 as they did in media with a 15:1 ratio of these elements. The growth rate of Nitzschia was the same in both media.5. Nannochloris and Stichococcus appear to be brackish water forms with salinity optima of about 170/00, but both species grew well within a salinity range of 3-340/00. Nitzschia, a typical marine form, was unable to grow in low salinity water.6. Nannochloris and Stichococcus grew at temperatures of 10-30° C., with very slight growth at 10° and an optimum range of 15-25°. Nitzschia grew within a temperature range of 5-25° with its best growth at 15°.7. Pollution from duck farms bordering Moriches Bay heavily enriches the bay waters with plant nutrients. The presence of organic nitrogen compounds and the low ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in the pollutants favor the growth of Nannochloris and Stichococcus over that of the more typical estuarine phytoplankton.8. The peculiar nature of the pollutants together with low salinities and high water temperatures occurring at the time and place of maximum enrichment of the bay waters are factors which may explain the persistent dominance of the Nannochloris-Stichococcus community in the annually recurring plankton blooms in Great South Bay and Moriches Bay.

Moriches Inlet: A Problem in Beach Evolution

IN February of this year, during one of the severe storms that characterized the past winter, an inlet broke through the barrier beach that separates Moriches Bay, on the south coast of Long Island, from the ocean. The occurrence raises interesting engineering and economic questions relative to beach conservation, particularly in view of the present and potential value of the land in this vicinity. The section of beach east of Fire Island Inlet, the scene of this action, is an important potential part of New York City's playground. It is nearer the city than any other ocean beach not yet extensively developed. The economic and social factors in the situation increase the importance of the physiographic problem. He would be a rash prophet indeed who attempted to predict definitely what the situation will be at any point of this sandy cordon twenty or thirty years in the future; but, drawing on past experience, one can outline the probabilities. The inlet may close almost as suddenly as it opened. That has happened to a considerable number of inlets cut by storm waters and has been the disappointing outcome of a number of attempts to open inlets by artificial means. If closing is to occur, however, it is to be expected promptly: if such an inlet remains open long enough to establish an equilibrium it tends to be permanent.