Dolphins spotted in the Bronx River for the first time in years, indicative of cleanup efforts

The Bronx River was considered “open sewer“for many years, due in large part to the large amount of industrial waste dumped into the New York waterway in the 19th and 20th centuries. Dolphins were among several species pushed out by pollution, but last week they returned for the first time in years.

“It’s true – dolphins were seen in the Bronx River this week,” the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said in a statement. tweeted Thursday along with video of at least two dolphins swimming in the water. “This is great news – it shows that years of efforts to restore the river as a healthy habitat are working.”

Bronx River Alliance said that dolphins were seen in star park, an area in the Bronx that was previously unused in built-up land and has since been restored with vegetation, picnic areas, playgrounds and more. This is the first time dolphins have made it to the Bronx since 2017, according to the parks department, although dolphins were seen as recently as last year in the East River, which joins the Bronx River.

Two dolphins were also spotted in a tributary of Whale Creek last week near Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s Newtown Creek sewage treatment plant.

The Parks Department said the dolphins may have “naturally” found their way back to the waterway in search of fish that frequent the tributary. In 2018, the department released 400 adult herring into the river as part of its efforts to improve aquatic ecology. AT video released then, the department explained that the river is New York’s only fresh water and that it is hoped that newly released fish will use the area to lay eggs and that their offspring will do the same.

“The dolphins will not swim ‘across’ the river, but will stay at the mouth where fresh and sea water mix,” the parks department told CBS News. “That’s why marine species like the dolphin are expected to be in the estuary, but we don’t expect them to swim into the freshwater portions of the Bronx River, which becomes more and more fresh (less salty) as you go upstream. “

The river has become heavily polluted in the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the American Museum of Natural History, when it was used to dispose of industrial waste, including fertilizer and oil. This pollution has led to the death of many plants and animals.

But the groups were works for decades to restore the waterway. According to the Bronx River Alliance, the Bronx Zoo stopped dumping over 200,000 gallons of animal waste into the river in 2001, and the New York Botanical Gardens stopped dumping thousands of gallons of pollutants into the water in 2002.

The latest sighting is “a sign of a healthy ecosystem,” according to the parks department.

“Dolphins help ensure ecological balance by preventing an overabundance of prey species,” the department said, adding that they also provide “great social benefits.”

“Watching dolphins and knowing they live in your neighborhood park can inspire awe, wonder, curiosity and pride, helping to develop a deeper sense of caring for the local environment and prompting action to protect, care for and restore important local habitats. like the Bronx. River.”

Although marine mammals are not common in the Bronx River, they often visit the waters around the Big Apple. Every year from spring to autumn bottlenose dolphins visit local water bodies to feed.

As marine animals make their presence known in the area, Department of Environmental Protection recently warned that people should avoid close contact. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires people not to touch, feed, harass or harass marine mammals, and says those who do are subject to fines and jail time.

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