Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons^™

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 10 No. 2, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

Stephen J. Gould’s prophetic piece, “The Golden Rule: A Proper Scale for Our Environmental Crisis”, noted that, “Patience enjoys a long pedigree of favor”, which he elaborated, “usually involves a deep understanding of the fundamental principle… rarely grasped in daily life – the effects of scale.” Scientists observe changes incessantly, in dimensions and time, from microscopic conditions of cellular biology to the inconceivable distances of galaxies and their influences on Earth.

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 10 No. 1, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

New Year’s Day has always been, for me, a time to reflect and project into the near future. Nature’s influence on us all certainly tops my listing with several environmental concerns. For example, the frequency and intensity of hurricanes to Long Island. A decade has passed since Superstorm Sandy re-opened the “Old Inlet” on Long Island which now has mostly naturally closed. So, the new year immediately prompts me to assess the previous year’s Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 system, with winds exceeding 150 mph, which had considerable impact in Florida, and then proceeded north resulting in over 2 inches …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 9 No. 5, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

There are a multitude of lessons learned from the last 3 years of the Covid-19 pandemic. But one truly stands out ...the total lack of understanding of the basic chemistry associated with the nitrogen cycle, which in Suffolk County, NY, continues to be declared as the “evil-nitrogen”. The major source of nitrogen into the water body comes from the atmosphere which is the predominate constituent of the air we breathe79% nitrogen. Nitrogen compounds contribution to eutrophication in freshwater (ponds & lakes) systems is legendary and, the concentration of nitrogen in marine waters has always been known as a limiting agent …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 8 No. 4, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

The original five acre of land portion of the historic Blue Points Oyster Company is located at the southern end of Atlantic Ave in West Sayville, Islip Town, Suffolk County, New York on the shore of Great South Bay. The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) is the science field station serving Molloy College’s BCES programs in Earth & Environmental Sciences and Biology. Our mission is to provide unique hands-on educational opportunities in the physical and life sciences, in collaboration with a host of Federal, State, and local and NGO groups, to bolster students’ career path. Great …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 7 No. 3, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

Where has all the pollution gone? No hazardous toxic algal blooms? Incredible summer estuarine water quality! No fish kills. Banner years in recreational fisheries for Stripers and Blues and incredible numbers of Humpback whales! No going to restaurants, so greater at home use of water and septic systems! Since March 2020, drier years than most, thus reducing runoff with fertilizers and organic pesticides, resulting in reduced water contamination. So maybe, just maybe, this COVID- 19 period which has altered our collective lives forever, has also resulted in a grand experiment on what has been hiding in plain sight? That is, …

The Coastal Monitor Winter/Spring 2020 (Volume 6, No 2), John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

It is a distinct pleasure to welcome our new President, Dr. James Lentini, who epitomizes the STEAM connection between Art and Science at Molloy College. Dr. Lentini has been a leader in higher education for more than 30 years and has had stellar academic training in the arts which include his passion for music. From composer, to classical guitarist, to music technology on an international level, receiving countless awards, honors, and praise from the most prestigious entities in the Arts. His transition to Molloy College was at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and his leadership, under these most difficult …

The Coastal Monitor Winter/Spring 2020, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

Throughout Long Island’s educational structure, STEM educational institutions have responded to the latest information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics who into our new year, have emphasized the fastest growing occupational categories over the next 10 years. These careers will be in the energy, health and education sectors, with the medical and technical sectors containing the highest paying occupations. Yet, hidden in the projected demand which will continue to spur on millions of new jobs, is corporate leaderships continuous claim that they cannot find qualified workers. This “skills gap” is due to a lack of strong cognitive and socio-economic skills. …

The Coastal Monitor Fall 2019, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

In 2013 I had the distinct pleasure to be offered the opportunity to become a part of the Molloy College family. President Dr. Drew Bogner believed that CERCOM would be an important part of building an exciting program for students in Earth and Environmental Science at Molloy. Dr. Bogner was able to envision how the CERCOM Field Station, would enrich Molloy College science students, given its decades of earth, environmental, and marine sciences research. He had the foresight to understand that the experiences at CERCOM would help foster a vast array of international academic collaborations which now include 14 countries. …

The Coastal Monitor: Fall 2017/ Spring 2018, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

As I sat there in the Members Lounge at the Explorers Club; the world center for exploration, getting ready for our first Spring Saturday Science for Students @the EC lecture, I was putting together some notes on the accomplishments of our science students and CERCOM over the last few months since our last newsletter. Our visit to the Galapagos, a spectacular academic experience for our Molloy College students was at the top of my list! This was certainly not an epiphany but as I accumulated the items on this list, I was impressed not only with what we have conducted …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol 2. No 1., John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

There is something enchanting and vibrant about viewing the coast. Every day at CERCOM we are welcomed by either a vivid sunrise, a view of the barrier island Fire Island and a blending of the sky across the horizon, ultimately flooding the Great South Bay with either clouds or sunshine that reveals the Bay’s surface as either shimmering with sunlight, or an integration of sky and water as an endless ocean. I don’t normally wax poetic but the varying sights along the near shore ocean and this embayment beckon our scientific inquisitiveness. What’s below the surface water? How do animals …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 1, No. 3, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

Each fall I teach a course in “Ecology” and in the spring, “Marine Biology”; two seminal courses absolutely necessary and required to complete a BS Degree in Earth and Environmental Studies at Molloy College. To a large extent I draw on my 48 years of life experiences; flight meteorologist, “Hurricane Hunter” in the US Navy (1968-1970), environmental impact analyst with the US Coast Guard’s Bridge Administration on Governors Island (1974-1978); Coastal Barrier Parks Coordinator and Research Ecologist with the National Park Service (1978-2001); Research Associate in the Invertebrate Zoology Department at the American Museum of Natural History(1982-2000); Chairman Department of …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 1, No. 2, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

At a recent event a colleague asked me, “So what do you do at CERCOM?” My immediate response was the “M” word fundamentally! After 45 years involved in environmental sciences, monitoring remains the most important and critical aspect of not only any field station in support of the academics conducted, but the seminal responsibility to be able, as a scientist, to reveal trends in the massive volume of data collected through routine monitoring exercises. It is extremely rare for a single data point, or even a single season of data, no matter how accurate the individual data point is, to …

Questioning Ecosystem Assessment And Restoration Practices In A Major Urban Estuary: Perpetuating Myths Of Degradation In Spite Of Facts, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D., Martin P. Schreibman, Kevin Mcdonnell

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The Jamaica Bay ecosystem is a dichotomy. It encompasses more than 12,000 acres of coastal estuarine marshes and an ecological diversity rivaling any coastal environment in the world. It is considerably altered, and is affected by a variety of ecological insults directly related to the fact that more than 14 million people live in its vicinity. Environmental protection institutions responded to the challenge of protecting the bay, surrounding wetlands and recreational benefits by addressing the increasing load of contaminants into the ecosystem. Billions of dollars have been spent during the past five decades on restoration attempts, including upgrading wastewater treatment …

The Coastal Monitor: Vol. 1, No. 1, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

The Center for Environmental Research and Coastal Oceans Monitoring (CERCOM) is a scientific coastal research center and field station dedicated to exploring our global coastal environments and near-shore oceans. CERCOM is the field station support facility for all sciences at Molloy College and services the degree programs of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies, with special attention to a B.S. degree in Earth and Environmental Studies. Located at the West Sayville Boat Basin on the Great South Bay, CERCOM is a 2,500 sq. ft. field station estuarine/ marine science laboratory where environmental monitoring and analysis is conducted 365 days a year.

Limulus In The Limelight: Exploring An Ancient Species, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

In an era when sports numbers shatter historical ceilings (especially in baseball) and fall by the wayside like fall leaves, a most enduring record of life continues to crawl along emerging from the sea early each spring pronouncing their incredible "record" of existences... over 350 million years. Now there is a number that even the rarified air of baseball salaries can admire. Yet, today the remarkable sea creature which endured over 100 million years of dramatically changing earth history prior to the existence of the dinosaurs, and which is comprised of only four species globally, is being tested for its …

Habitat Use Of Sympatrically Nesting Fish Crows And American Crows, Brook Lauro, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

We examined habitat use of sympatric Fish Crows (Corvus ossifragus) and American Crows (C. brachyrhynchos) nesting in the vicinity of waterbird breeding locations at the Rockaway Peninsula, New York City. Fish Crows nested significantly more often at natural habitats, including coastal dunes and salt marsh islands; American Crows nested significantly more often at residential and recreational areas. In regard to potential foraging areas, Fish Crows nested closer to waterbird colonies and to the water's edge while American Crows nested closer to a garbage source and to lawns. Fish Crows nested significantly more often in deciduous trees …

Water Quality Characterization And Mathematical Modeling Of Dissolved Oxygen In The East And West Ponds, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Krishnanand Maillacheruvu, D Roy, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The current study was undertaken to characterize the East and West Ponds and develop a mathematical model of the effects of nutrient and BOD loading on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in these ponds. The model predicted that both ponds will recover adequately given the average expected range of nutrient and BOD loading due to waste from surface runoff and migratory birds. The predicted dissolved oxygen levels in both ponds were greater than 5.0 mg/L, and were supported by DO levels in the field which were typically above 5.0 mg/L during the period of this study. The model predicted a steady-state …

An Examination Of Predatory Pressures On Piping Plovers Nesting At Breezy Point, New York, Brook Lauro, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

This study examines predatory threats to Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) nesting at Breezy Point, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York. Several methods used include: 1) an evaluation of reproductive success data with documentation of predation to eggs and chicks, 2) predator surveys, and 3) an artificial nest study. The range of breeding pairs nesting from 1988-1996 was 11-19, with an average of 15.8 (SE ± 0.79) pairs/season. The average number of eggs hatched and chicks fledged per year for pairs was 2.2 ± 0.23 and 0.8 ± 0.16 respectively. Reasons for egg losses often went undetected (68%) but …

Managing Birds And Controlling Aircraft In The Kennedy Airport–Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Complex: The Need For Hard Data And Soft Opinions, Kevin Brown, R. Michael Erwin, Milo E. Richmond, P A. Buckley, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Dave Avrin

Faculty Works: CERCOM

During the 1980s, the exponential growth of laughing gull (Larus atricilla) colonies, from 15 to about 7600 nests in 1990, in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and a correlated increase in the bird-strike rate at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City) led to a controversy between wildlife and airport managers over the elimination of the colonies. In this paper, we review data to evaluate if: (1) the colonies have increased the level of risk to the flying public; (2) on-colony population control would reduce the presence of gulls, and subsequently bird strikes, at the airport; …

Phytosociological Analysis Of Restored And Managed Grassland Habitat Within An Urban National Park, Andrew M. Greller, Celestine Durando, Leslie F. Marcus, D. Siril A. Wijesundara, Michael D. Byer, Robert Cook, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Floyd Bennett Field (FBF), 579 ha in extent, is a division of Gateway National Recreation Area. It is the site of a former airfield, constructed by filling salt marshes with dredged materials. Except for the portion known locally as the “North Forty,” all sections of FBF have been cut over to maintain low vegetation. A grassland management plan (GRAMP) for 165 ha was initiated in 1986, to maintain habitats for open-country birds. Over the next few years, encroaching woody vegetation was removed manually and mechanically from the management area. Since then, it has been maintained as a grassland and receives …

Changes In Reproductive Morphology And Physiology Observed In The Amphipod Crustacean, Melita Nitida Smith, Maintained In The Laboratory On Polluted Estuarine Sediments, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D., B. Borowsky, P. Aitken-Ander

Faculty Works: CERCOM

An earlier study showed that the amphipod crustacean Melita nitida Smith maintained on sediments dosed with waste crankcase oil developed physiological and morphological abnormalities. Most notably, mature females developed abnormal setae along the edges of their brood plates. The present study was conducted to determine whether similar abnormalities might be induced in animals maintained on polluted field sediments containing petroleum by-products among other toxic substances. In the laboratory, heterosexual pairs were maintained on three sediments taken from Jamaica Bay (New York) plus one control sediment and one toxic substratum (Ulva lactuca (L.) thalli). The results mirrored the results of …

Rare And Endangered Plants At Gateway National Recreation Area: A Case For Protection Of Urban Natural Areas, Richard Stalter, Michael D. Byer, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The diversity of native plant species in urban environments is usually overlooked when biodiversity levels are considered. Inventories of native plants reveal many to be rare species surviving the harsh conditions encountered in urban ecosystems. Knowledge of their existence and an inventory of their distribution will assist in maintaining these populations. Protection strategies for rare plant species are outlined for urban National Parks.

Liver Lesions In Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes Americanus) From Jamaica Bay, New York: Indications Of Environmental Degradation, Thomas P. Augspurger, Roger L. Herman, Jeff S. Hatfield, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Liver sections of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) collected from Jamaica Bay and Shinnecock Bay, New York, in 1989, were examined microscopically to determine the pervasiveness of liver lesions observed previously in Jamaica Bay winter flounder. Neoplastic lesions were not detected in fish from Jamaica Bay or the Shinnecock Bay reference site. Twenty-two percent of Jamaica Bay winter flounder examined (n=103) had unusual vacuolization of hepatocytes and biliary pre-ductal and ductal cells (referred to hereafter as the vacuolated cell lesion). The lesion, identical to that found in 25% of Jamaica Bay winter flounder examined in 1988, has previously been …

Variability In Growth And Age Structure Among Populations Of Ribbed Mussels, Geukensia Demissa (Dillwyn) (Bivalvia: Mytilidae), In Jamacia Bay, New York (Gateway Nra), David R. Franz, John Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Growth rates, body weight, density and biomass of ribbed mussels, Geukensia demissa (Dillwyn), were determined at Spartina alterniflora marsh-flat sites in Jamaica Bay, New York (Lower Hudson Estuary). Cumulative growth and annual growth increments varied but rates were lower at sites within the central bay relative to peripheral sites. Local variability both in size at Ring-1 and size-specific annual growth rates probably account for the variability in cumulative length. No pattersn were noted in frequency distributions of shell size but congruence in age structure was observed among neighboring sites in some areas of the bay. Mussel densities were greater within …

Rotating Biological Contractors As An Effective Removal System Of Waste Petroleum Hydrocarbons From Untreated Wastewaters, John Tanacredi Ph.D., R. C. Cardenas

Faculty Works: CERCOM

A staged, partially submerged rotating biological disk system was assessed to determine its performance in the reduction of detectable concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH0 attributable to waste crankcase oils (WCCO) in wastewater effluent. Results indicate that such biological systems for the removal of WCCO aromatic hydrocarbons may be a viable alternative to secondary treatment systems commonly being employed.

Characterization Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) By The Kinetics Of Depuration In Bivalve Molluscs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, C Sato, H Kim, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The objectives of this study were to examine depuration aspects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a hard-shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria, and to characterize PAHs by the depuration kinetics. In this investigation, clams were exposed to artificial sea water containing a mixture of eight PAHs (i.e., naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, flouranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[a]pyrene) for 48 hours. The clams were then transferred into clean (PAH-free) artificial seawater for release, and sampled at predetermined intervals. The target PAHs were extracted from the clam tissue and quantified by a gas chromatograph equipped with a capillary glass column and FID.

The results …

Biodepuration Of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons From A Bivalve Mollusk, Mercenaria Mercenaria L, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D., Raul R. Cardenas

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Mercenaria mercenaria, exposed in vitro for 48 h to nine parent polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in waste crankcase oil (WCCO) and analysed by multiparametric analysis over a 45- day depuration period in an activated carbon filtration aquaria system, did not depurate PAHs, but rather maintained them at detectable levels. Uptake of PAHs was shown to be directly related to clam weight. A cluster analysis of empirical results reaffirmed a biostabilization in PAH groupings in clam tissue over a 45-day depuration period and exhibited no evidence of a decreasing trend in total PAHs when subjected to ANOVA. Due to the …

Naphthalenes Associated With Treated Wastewater Effluents In An Urban National Wildlife Refuge, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Our coastal enviornments have become the invariable recipient of petroleum and petroleum wastes. Demands for petroleum products coupled with a lack of economic incentive to recycle waste oil, will increase the probability of greater concentrations of petroleum derived hyrdrocarbons entering our estuaries (CEQ Report, 1983).

Petroleum Hydrocarbons From Effluents: Detection In Marine Environment, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

The marine environment has become the primary disposa ground for an increasing quantity of petroleum wastes. Mushrooming demands for petroleum products and the lack of economic incentive to recycle waste oil will increase the concentrations of detrimental petroleum hydrocarbons in the marine environment

Although a continuous, low-level discharge of waste petroleum hydrocarbons into the marine environment may not be as dramatic as a major oil spill, the consequences could be more devastating over an extended period. As noted by Blumer, earlier interpretations of the environmental effects of oil must not be reevaluated in the light of recent evidence of its …