Is the Great South Bay saltwater?
At 151 square miles the Great South Bay is the largest shallow saltwater bay in New York State. 5231 gallons of fresh water flow into the bay every second. 11% of that, or 575 gallons comes in directly through the bay floor. 85 species of fish have been identified in the bay, 40 of which are present on a regular basis.
Why is the Great South Bay Brown?
“Great South Bay has the precise combination of conditions that leads to brown tides and other harmful algal blooms: Intense nitrogen loading from household septic systems into a shallow water body that is poorly flushed by the ocean,” said Gobler, “As efforts by Suffolk County move forward to address septic nitrogen …
What effect is nitrogen pollution have on the Great South Bay?
The DEC’s report noted that increased nitrogen exposure causes marsh grass to become greener and grow taller, but the roots are weaker and smaller. Eventually, the marsh grass grows too tall and collapses, “exposing soils to erosive forces.”
How deep is the Great South Bay Long Island?
4 feet 3 inches
The Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is about 45 miles (72 km) long and has an average depth of 4 feet 3 inches and is 20 feet at its deepest.
Is the Great South Bay polluted?
The Great South Bay’s main issue is water quality. What’s polluting it? Scientists claim that 69% of the excess nitrogen in the bay is from septic systems, but then there is also runoff to consider — from lawns and roads, through storm drains and outfall pipes.
Why is the Great South Bay a lagoon?
As a shallow body of water shielded by the barrier islands, it is technically considered a lagoon, and not an actual bay. Many local events take place along the bay, using its scenic beauty as a backdrop for concerts, festivals, and other happenings.
Is the Great South Bay dirty?
What’s polluting it? Scientists claim that 69% of the excess nitrogen in the bay is from septic systems, but then there is also runoff to consider — from lawns and roads, through storm drains and outfall pipes. This is no more apparent than when there’s a heavy rain.
Is there a brown tide Great South Bay?
Stony Brook University marine biologists say the Great South Bay is suffering from the most intense and widespread brown tide in four years. Counts of the algae that causes the brown color are nearly 10 times what’s considered harmful to marine line.
Are there sharks in the Great South Bay?
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, sand tiger sharks “use Long Island estuaries such as the Great South Bay, which provide nursery habitat for juveniles during summer months.” The DEC lists sand tiger sharks as a relatively docile shark species.
What is Long Island Sound?
The Long Island Sound is an estuary, a semi-enclosed coastal body where fresh and salt water mix. Formed more than 22,000 years ago when ice sheets, possibly 2 miles high and spanning from Nova Scotia to Washington, sculpted the land. The ice tore a deep gouge in the land and formed Lake Connecticut.
Does the Great South Bay freeze?
The fringes of the Great South Bay freeze in frigid temperatures. In years past, the bay froze from shore to shore and people skated, fished and even drove on the ice.
What is brown tide caused by?
Brown tides are part of growing world-wide incidences of harmful algal blooms (HAB) which are caused by a proliferation of single-celled marine plants called phytoplankton.
Do sharks hang around sandbars?
Sharks tend to hang out in the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs. Sharks living on the East Coast feast on prey that tends to be close to the shoreline. The Atlantic Ocean also has a broader continental shelf than the Pacific, an area that sharks tend to prefer.
Where is the Great South Bay Long Island?
Located on the South Shore of Long Island between Fire Island and the east end of Jones Beach, the Great South Bay has long been a major natural attraction on LI. Stretching for 32 miles, it includes towns such as Bellport, Islip, East Islip, Oakdale, and Sayville.
Is brown tide toxic?
No. Brown tide poses no effect on humans.
Is red tide and brown tide the same?
Some marine algal blooms, often called red tides, produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish and cause illness in people who eat them. Then there are brown tides caused by algae like the one Wurch studies, Aureococcus anophagefferens.
Is it safe to swim in Long Island Sound?
Remember, Long Island Sound has many beaches that are tested frequently and are reliably safe to swim at. You should enjoy them! Save the Sound’s goal is to make every beach safe and healthy, every day.
What is green tide?
Green tides are large growths or accumulations of green seaweeds that have been increasing in magnitude and frequency around the world.
Where is brown tide found?
Where does it occur? Texas brown tides have been known to occur only in the Laguna Madre, which reaches from Corpus Christi to Port Isabel; they result from blooms of a microscopic alga called Aureoumbra lagunensis, which is unique to the Gulf of Mexico.