Why was New York Harbor selected as the research site?
The New Jersey – New York Harbor is arguably one of the most complex, most contaminated, and least understood estuaries in the nation. The harbor sits in the most densely populated metropolitan area in the nation. The estuary covers some 770 square kilometers, and over 88,000 hectares of tidal wetlands and 600 miles of shoreline. It provides recreational opportunities including fishing, boating, and swimming to its 20 million residents, and at the same time supports a world class port for both passengers and cargo. The Harbor supports extensive commercial and recreational fisheries while also acting as a repository for municipal and industrial effluents, for storm runoff from the vast metropolitan area, and for the disposal of dredged material. All this combined makes for an exciting study site and the potential for the LaTTE research to contribute to a greater understanding of the economically and aesthetically important New York – New Jersey estuary system.
