On New York City's western flank, but not usually visible, is another world, as complex in its structure as the man-made world that soars above tiny Manhattan island. This other world, the Hudson River, is populated by fish, plants and minute animals as well as by the occasional mammal. (Harbor seals have been known to show up in the river and there have been newsworthy whale sightings from time to time.)

A program on Pier 25 in Hudson River Park provides a glimpse of what's happening on Manhattan's doorstep. On Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., weather permitting, the Hudson River Park Trust provides rods, reels, bait and fishing instruction. For those who are interested, it also provides information about river ecology and the many species of fish that live in the river.

The Hudson River, carved out by glaciers and as much as 200 feet deep in places, flows from Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondack Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. But twice a day, high tides from the ocean push back against the currents.

More than 210 species of fish have been recorded in the river, 50 of them in the lower Hudson, where it empties into the Atlantic. The river is both salt and fresh as far north as Troy, N.Y. - a distance of 150 miles - which helps explain the large number of marine animals that can live in the Hudson. Some, like American eels (Anguilla rostrata), spawn in the ocean and swim to freshwater to mature. Others, like American shad (Alosa sapidissima), live in the ocean and come to fresh water to spawn.

In addition, the river happens to be at a junction between cold water and warm water ranges, which means that some tropical fish reach New York City while fish that prefer Arctic waters sometimes venture this far south.

Among the tropical fish are spotfin butterfly fish, banded in black with brilliant yellow fins. Gag groupers (Mycteroperca microlepis) are another tropical stray, less colorful than the butterfly fish but equally interesting. They commonly weigh 10 to 20 pounds and live in harems. The largest and most aggressive female can switch sexes if no male is available.

For more insights into Hudson River fish, the River Project on Pier 40 maintains both an informative website and a marine biology field station.

In addition, several times a year, the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy sponsors an event called "Go Fish" during which master anglers teach fishing skills. The fish caught during this program are placed briefly in tanks and then thrown back into the Hudson, presumably having learned to be wary of prey on hooks. The next "Go Fish" program will take place on Sept. 20.

Aside from these educational programs, fishing is legal along the Hudson River, but anglers 16 and older have to register with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and obey the rules. They have to do with the size of fish that can be caught, which kinds of fish are protected because they are endangered and where and when fishing can take place. There are specific instructions for the tidal Hudson River.

An annual license costs $25 for New York State residents, 16 to 69 years old, and $5 for those 70 or older.

The Hudson River is cleaner than it has been in years, but its sediments still contain an array of toxins that have accumulated over many decades. In fact, according to the River Project, the Hudson is the second most contaminated large estuary in the United States.

The New York State Department of Health publishes an advisory as to which fish can be eaten in limited quantities, and which fish should not be eaten at all because of contamination with PCB's, cadmium and dioxin.

Bits & Bytes

Liberty Island. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

 

Letter to the editor

(Re: "Where to get farm fresh food in Lower Manhattan," DPNYC, 7/23/14) Thank you for your article on farm stands in Lower Manhattan.

The farmers' market just north of the PATH Station had to close due to construction, but we hope to find a home for it at Greenwich and Albany Streets. Everyone from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, GrowNYC, the Downtown Alliance, the NYC Department of Transportation, NYC Police Department, the Port Authority of NY and NJ to the Mayor's Office have been working on this. This location should be great for both the Financial and Battery Park City residents and workers who want to eat local fresh produce. The CB1 Quality of Life Committee voted a resolution to support this and it goes before the full board for a vote.

Again thank you for covering topics that we care about.

Catherine McVay Hughes
Chair, Community Board 1

From the editor:
Thank you for the correction and the update.

We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to [email protected]/ We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length

An engine gauge in the wheelhouse of the lighthouse tender, Lilac, built in 1933 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lilac is open for tours on Thursdays and on weekends. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)