Operation Salvage the American Lobster Population of the

Operation: Salvage the American Lobster Population of the Long Island Sound Team Spicy Turtles: Monika Brzostowska, Anastasia Deda, Elissa Olivera, Jiemin Yang Briefing Beginning in the 1990 s the American Lobster (Homarus americanus)population has declined by 90% in the Western LIS and 60 -80% in the central LIS, due to a 1 degree Celsius (1. 8 degree F) increase in temperature between 1979 -2002. After this decline the lobster population has yet to increase by at least 5% in the LIS. The main causes for this decline are increasing temperatures, which has lead to a number of harmful results such as increased bacterial growth leading to increased shell disease, and decreasing dissolved oxygen in the water. An increase in atmospheric temperature is due mostly to the increased greenhouse gas, CO 2, in the atmosphere, while a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the LIS can be attributed to many factors especially sources of nonpoint source pollution including atmospheric deposition, runoff, recreational boating and rivers. This decrease in the lobster population has caused many fisherman on Long Island as well as Connecticut to lose their income due to the lack of lobsters. Restaurants that use lobsters from the Long Island Sound lose business because they have to compete with the low prices of the lobsters that come from Maine. In addition, should lobsters not reproduce, the zooplankton population will increase, due to the fact that lobster larvae eat the zooplankton near the surface of the water. The loss of lobsters will also cause an explosion in the populations of other bottom dwellers since they will have less competition for resources. In this research, we discuss practical strategies that could be utilized to raise the lobster population in the LIS. We are looking to recover the lobster population by 85% by the year 2100 in all of the Long Island Sound. This will be achieved through the implementations of waterfalls and jets throughout the LIS and by capping the amount of carbon dioxide produced in NYC so that the water temperature will not increase any further. Tactics 1) Plan of Attack Aeration: ² Estimate the cost of the waterfalls - 1 month ² Find sponsors, Create a website that has a donation section ² Find investors to invest in our cause, apply for grants – 5 years ² Get a permit from NY state government to build the bridge - 5 months ² Close off the area for construction and get base of waterfall in – 5 months ² Construct waterfall with 135 feet height and 90 feet width – 1 year ² Have the opening ceremony for the waterfall (get the public more aware and involved during this ceremony) – 1 Day ² Run waterfalls from 7 am-9 pm each day Mixing ² Have meeting to obtain government funding. ² Set up the first center with a large jet in New Rochelle and add ten smaller jets that are attached to docks in Hudson Beach (New Rochelle) by the year 2022. ² Set up the second center with a large jet in Glen Cove and add ten smaller jets in Prybil Beach (Glen Cove) by the year 2032. ² Set up the third and final center with a large jet in Wards Island add the final ten smaller jets in Hell Gate (Wards Island) by the year 2042. Reducing Atmospheric CO 2 ² Make subway and bus prices cheaper to encourage people to use public transportation instead of cars. ² Encourage carpooling – make it very accessible (advertise online and locally) ² Make hot water heaters more efficient by wrapping them in insulation blankets. ² Make updating insulation in homes and other buildings a requirement by 2015. ² Grow gardens on NYC rooftops. Aeration: ² Construct 10 artificial waterfalls in the Western part of the LIS by 2022 similar in design to that underneath the Brooklyn Bridge (Figure 2. ) 2) Mixing: ² Install jets underneath beach docks and on Sound floor to increase mixing of water 3) Reduce Atmospheric CO 2 In NYC: ² Reduce amount of CO 2 emissions in NYC by 2. 5% per year so that atmospheric CO 2 will not 450 ppm by the year 2100 4) Public Awareness: ² Educate NYC’s public and young generation about the negative effects of climate change on the Long Island Sound lobster population Public Awareness: p Via Social Media ² Build a social media marketing team. ² Build a Facebook page where we update about lobster study in Long Island Sound. ² Use our networks and our friends’ network in Facebook to pass the messages. ² Update our status every day. ² Similarly, we would use Twitter to expand our awareness-raising campaign every day. Figure 2. Brooklyn Bridge Waterfall (Hydro Qual) Conclusion Why we are choosing these strategies? Are They Feasible? p Aeration/mixing: It’s Been Done Before! ² Increase the levels of Dissolved Oxygen in the Long Island Sound ² Reduce hypoxia leading to less lobster death ² Similar projects have already been carried out in different locations ² This increases the success rate of the strategies working in the Long Island Sound. ² Waterfall of similar design and cost on the Brooklyn Bridge funded as an artistic structure without government assistance. ² High chance that we will receive funding based on a previous example p Capping CO 2 in NYC: ² Decrease temperature in NYC therefore LIS ² In the end decreasing temperature is one of the only solutions that will prevent further lobster die-off events p Education: ² Not costly ² More public awareness = More Funding ² Educating young generation = Instill a sense of environmental compassion and knowledge = prevent future degradation of environment and climate change ² Educating lobster fisherman about issue will give them an incentive to help with the issue so they don’t lose their income By restoring the lobster population this way, we will not only save the lobsters but we will also create a cleaner and safer environment for the LIS and NYC Reference SAVE my family please! Barringer , Felicity. "A Market in Emissions Is Set to Open in California. " New York Times. 13 2012: n. page. Web. City of New York, . "Pla. NYC Report. " nytelecom. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Nov 2012. Friedman, Robert M. , and Rosina Bierbam. 58 -65. Web. Public Art Fund, . "Olafur Eliasson: The New York City Waterfalls. " Public Art Fund , 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. Figure 1. Siemens Water Technologies Corp, . (2009): n. page. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.