Fetching Data With DEC Fisheries

We were out this morning helping the DEC fisheries team retrieve data from their hydrophone buoy just south of Hastings. The hydrophone tracks tagged Atlantic Sturgeon and Shad as they enter and exit the River.

If you don't know where the fish are you can't protect them!

Hauling the buoy out of the water

That's less than a year of growth on the hydrophone!

Scrubbing the hydrophone off so that data can be read.

Removing the data!

Post-Irene with the DEC Fisheries Team

Last week, we had a CBS film crew aboard to discuss post-Hurricane Irene river conditions.  By sheer luck, the DEC fisheries team happened to be out doing beach seins for young-of-year fish as part of a long-term study on Hudson River fish species.  Based on their numbers from this season, they reported that they had not seen a reduction in young fish following the storm.  This is great news because we were worried.  

While the hurricane probably had an impact on fish behavior, we won't know exactly how they fared until next year.  The CBS clip will be available soon.

The DEC fisheries team discusses Irene's impacts on local fish species with CBS News

A pumpkinseed sunfish collected during a beach sein at Croton Point Park