First Hope Spot in New York Celebrated at Shinnecock Bay, Long Island
June 6, 2022
Photo: Dr. Ellen Pikitch, Hope Spot Champion, tagging flounder (c) Kristy Leibowitz
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK
Approximately 122 km east of Manhattan lies Shinnecock Bay, a hidden gem of biodiversity that has been a key stronghold for imperiled species both in New York State and globally. The bay covers an area of 40 km2 and consists of nine thousand acres of open water, salt marshes, intertidal flats, and seagrass beds. A remarkable variety of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, invertebrates and other wildlife live and migrate through Shinnecock Bay.
International marine conservation nonprofit Mission Blue has named Shinnecock Bay a Hope Spot in recognition of its substantial ecological, scenic, touristic, economic, spiritual and cultural significance. The Hope Spot designation is also in recognition Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program (ShiRP) implemented ten years ago by Stony Brook University. Co-led by Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch, the team creates and populates clam sanctuaries, constructs oyster reefs and reseeds seagrass beds. Their successful strategy provides inspires hope that similar victories can be duplicated in other marine ecosystems with concerted, science-based effort.
Shinnecock Bay is the first Hope Spot in the State of New York and represents an oasis in the highly urbanized region of the Tri-State Region. Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue, says, “What a concept, in the shadow of one of the most densely populated parts of the planet – New York City! While New York conjures up visions of skyscrapers and crowded streets, it is a great ocean state with a significant coastline, a rich maritime heritage and growing opportunities to view ocean wildlife from the shores and in the water.”
A diverse group of residents and visitors throughout history have used this site as a place of spiritual value and renewal, including the Shinnecock Indian Nation, whose reservation is located on the far eastern part of Shinnecock Bay. Generations of baymen have built their livelihoods around the fisheries of the bay, which also serves as a vital link between land and ocean in the region.
Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch is a Hope Spot Champion and Executive Director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, Stony Brook University. Dr. Pikitch is co-lead of the successful restoration effort which involved many Stony Brook University lab and field researchers. In advocating for the nomination of the Hope Spot, she says, “Shinnecock Bay is arguably the healthiest bay in the state of New York, and is indisputably an ideal example of a once degraded bay that has shown significant recovery due to restoration efforts.”
The secondary nominator is The Explorers Club, through its President Emeritus Ted Janulis. Ted Janulis is the second Hope Spot Champion. Founded in 1904, the NYC-based Club has 34 chapters that promote field scientific exploration around the world.
Richard Garriott, President of The Explorer’s Club says, “The Explorers Club is proud to participate in the designation of Shinnecock Bay as a Hope Spot. Supporting this holistic, science-based, ecosystem-based, and comprehensive restoration strategy in our own backyard aligns well with our commitment to science and conservation, both locally and globally. We look forward to working with Dr. Pikitch and the stakeholders to help preserve and enhance this vital ecosystem.”
Long Island used to supply two-thirds of the shellfish to the USA, but disaster struck in 1985 when harmful brown algal blooms started occurring. Dr. Pikitch explains, “Soon enough the blooms would creep up every spring and last all summer long. Brown algae is particularly bad for wildlife because it prevents deep sunlight from penetrating through and ends up suffocating everything in the water.” Eventually, 95% of the eelgrass was lost, and researchers started seeing red tides, which can be fatal to humans.
Researchers at Stony Brook University’s state-of-the-art laboratory right on the shores of Shinnecock Bay have documented its degradation over the years. The restoration effort was founded to “turn brown tide blue.” Dr. Pikitch describes: “In the sanctuaries, the clams grow and breed undisturbed, filtering the water, which removes pollutants; a true nature-based solution.” The results are very promising – the once annual brown and red tides that wreaked havoc on local fisheries and posed a threat to human health have not been observed for the past several years. “We’ve seen a remarkable spillover effect,” says Pikitch, “clam densities in the areas outside the sanctuaries have increased clam landings to levels not seen since 1985.” Pikitch also pioneered the use of eDNA (environmental DNA) technology for the non-invasive assessment of fish and invertebrate communities.
With their eyes on the horizon, the Hope Spot Champions will continue to advocate for broader recognition of Shinnecock Bay, the expansion of restoration and research efforts, the engagement of diverse stakeholders and for greater accessibility. Plans are underway for an Inaugural Shinnecock Hope Spot Expedition, which is currently in the fundraising phase and is hoped to launch in 2023. The Champions’ leadership will help maintain the restoration gains that the bay has realized in the face of advancing threats. These threats include climate change (warming temperatures, ocean acidification, deoxygenation, invasive species, sea-level rise) and the continuing coastal development in eastern Long Island.
The Champions also plan to expand outreach in the bay by engaging a broad range of stakeholders to ensure the continued health of the area and equitable sharing of the many benefits it can provide. Local stakeholders include the Shinnecock Indian Nation, commercial and recreational fishers, businesses, government agencies, numerous NGOs and educational institutions, among others.
With its plentiful and scenic habitats, waterways, islands, beaches and undeveloped land, the iconic Ponquogue Bridge, and abundantly diverse wildlife species, Shinnecock Bay is known for its beauty. The Hope Spot Champions encourage the public to visit the bay to witness it for themselves. Shinnecock Bay provides urban residents an opportunity for quiet reflection in wild, undisturbed habitats. It is likely to become one of the most visited Hope Spots globally.
In addition to Mission Blue and Stony Brook University, partners in the Shinnecock Hope Spot Initiative include The Explorers Club, which served as secondary nominator for this designation, Montauk Oceans Institute, Oceanic Global, St. Joseph’s College, The Safina Center and Fragile Earth.
This area of the world is underrepresented in marine conservation efforts and restoration – in fact, 97% of marine protected areas in the United States touch the Pacific. “We hope that Shinnecock Bay sparks a movement to create more Hope Spots throughout the mid-Atlantic region”, says Dr. Pikitch. She concludes, “I was born and raised in NYC, and I recall people found it strange for a city girl to become a marine biologist. I know firsthand that city people often don’t think about the natural world beyond the urban element, but we want that to change.”
