NYSG’s Fall 2012 New York Coastlines is available as a pdf, both in its full print version (see sidebar at right) and as individual articles. For individual articles and back issues of New York Coastlines, click here.

From the Director

As this issue goes to press, Hurricane Sandy is still dominating the news as shoreline areas of metropolitan New York struggle to recover from this devastating October 29th superstorm. NYSG’s website and social media have provided frequent updates on the storm and its aftermath, thanks to our Web Content Manager, Paul Focazio. Paul summarizes a number of NYSG outreach efforts on page 5, including information from the Stony Brook Storm Surge Research Group whose modeling research began with NYSG funding and whom we continue to support. NYSG storm information has also been featured on the Stony Brook University homepage. We are responding to the storm by supporting new studies of the impacts of barrier island breaches on the south shore of Long Island and expect to continue supporting research and outreach on Sandy’s aftermath for some time.

This issue’s cover story describes a NYSG-funded research study about the songs of Hudson Valley birds which may be altered by chronic sublethal exposure to the environmentally persistent organic chemicals known as PCBs. Researchers from the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology have demonstrated that PCBs affect song characteristics as well as bird behavior.

One of several other articles in this issue details NYSG’s cosponsoring of the first-ever Long Island Green Infrastructure Conference. NYSG’s water quality specialist, Eileen Keenan was both an organizer and speaker. The conference panelists and exhibitors were very well received and planning is already underway for a second conference in 2013.

During summer of 2012, an undergraduate intern worked with NYSG’s Nordica Holochuck and Paul Focazio to develop video and other resources about changing coastal areas around New York City to be used for upcoming teacher workshops. Mary Penney also led the NYSG (Boat) Launch Stewards in educational efforts regarding invasive species in the Great Lakes. In a final article, Stony Brook hosted the 5th Annual Research Symposium of New York Marine Science Consortium in September with significant participation from NYSG.

Almost all of these stories are in some way affected by Hurricane Sandy. We continue to welcome small proposals to investigate the important impacts of Sandy on New York coastal areas. For more details, please check under "Out-of-Cycle Funding" at www.nyseagrant.org/proposals.

— James Ammerman



NYSG Assistant Director Cornelia Schlenk (r.) leads a breakout group at the NY Marine Consortium conference along with SoMAS Associate Director William Wise while Sea Grant Scholars record. Photo by Barbara A. Branca