Before founding Save The Great South Bay, in 1999 I married and moved to Northern New Jersey. Having been a lifelong Long Islander and a huge Great South Bay fan I was immediately immersed in the New Jersey Raritan Bay for striper fishing, my favorite hobby. In short time it became very evident to me that The Great South Bay, Raritan Bay, New York Harbor and a myriad of estuaries, creeks and the Hudson River were all incestually related.
I certainly know that local areas are more focused on their own locally impacting ecological waterway needs and concerns but I quickly realized that in order to continue to save the Great South Bay the need to create a larger scale resuscitation effort was not only a good idea but an inconvenient truth.
We cannot save the great south bay unless we partner with local contiguous waterways. Not to worry, numerous efforts such as http://www.savebarnegatbay.org/ are underway. We need to boost efforts and collaboration between such organizations to win the brass ring! Fish have tails, they swim. Water has tides, it moves. And all of our NY/NJ waterways share the same moving waters.
Through our bays, estuaries and creeks denizens of New York and New Jersey are all deeply connected and reliant on our adjoining and contiguous ecosystems.
It is no coincidence that The Great South Bay and the New York–New Jersey Harbor estuaries are home to one of the most vibrant and economically important metropolitan areas in the country and the world.
Estuaries—where rivers meet the sea—are rich, productive, and diverse ecosystems where many plants and animals live. Our bays and estuary’s natural resources, beauty, and connectivity with the sea and inland waters have made it an ideal location for humans.
As more and more people were drawn to our areas bays and estuaries, resources were exploited, ecosystems were modified or eliminated, and wastes were disposed of in our waterways at an increasing rate. Growing environmental degradation prompted the enactment of legislation and action to bring our local bays, estuaries and creeks back from the brink of ecological collapse.
In many areas, further improvement will require a combination of large-scale efforts across state lines (such as upgrading wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure) and simpler actions that each of us can take (such as keeping streets litter-free).
SaveTheGreatSouthBay.org is working with government agencies, community organizations, and other groups in our area to help. We trust you agree that we are all deeply connected to the waters we share. And we hope you will be inspired to contribute by doing your part to preserve the wonderful treasure that is our New York and New Jersey shared waters so that we may enjoy its beauty and resources for generations to come.
To learn more about ECO Systems, check out this resource! https://quizlet.com/29355289/ecosystems-flash-cards/
SOURCE citations: https://www.epa.gov, https://quizlet.com