The Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count 2015 – Manhattan Ft. Washington Park

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The Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count is a one-day event each summer during which naturalists at multiple sites along the Hudson catch fish to show visitors the variety of slippery, wriggly, and fascinating creatures usually hidden below the river’s surface. Fresh upriver and salty at New York City, the Hudson estuary and its watershed are home to more than 200 fish species, including several that migrate into the river from the Atlantic Ocean each spring to spawn. Depending on the site, seines, minnow traps, and rods and reels are used to collect fish. Seining typically involves two people hauling a curtain of net through shallow water. Participants in the Fish Count programs may watch from shore or jump into waterproof waders and help pull in the net. After the naturalists display and discuss the catch, the fish are released back to the river. Participating groups share results during the day to see how the Hudson’s range of habitats and salinities supports a wide array of fishes, and to appreciate the estuary’s vitality in both urban and rural settings.
Free.