NEW YORK — August 14, 2014 — Cleaner seas means an increase in fish population, and an abundance of fish will lead to an overall increase in the variety of marine life. Currently, New York and New Jersey are seeing a surge in seals, dolphins, great white sharks and, to the delight of tourists, humpback whales!
Paul Sieswerda, head of the Gotham Whale marine wildlife tracking group, believes that cleaner rivers are to thank.
Over time, New York’s Hudson River has become clearer (thanks to clean-up initiatives), allowing nutrients to flow naturally into the oceans where plankton can engorge themselves. The plankton then feed the fish, and the fish feed the whales.
Sieswerda says, “The river used to bring nothing but pollution but in the last five years or so there is cleaner water, more nutrients and less garbage.”
Both environmentalists and New York residents are thrilled to have the chance to attend whale watching tours with the Manhattan skyline serving as a backdrop. On these boats, whale enthusiasts have even encountered whales “lunge feeding,” a technique favored by humpbacks. In this feeding form, whales will surface–mouths open wide–from underneath swallowing up huge shoals of fish.
Read the full story at OneGreenPlanet.org