New York's Peconic Estuary, at the eastern end of Long Island, has been repeatedly plagued by an unusual algal bloom, locally referred to as "Brown Tide," that has caused the severe decline of local marine resources. Although the factors that trigger the blooms have not been identified, results from a recent U.S. Geological Survey study support a theory that Brown Tide blooms appear during years of decreased ground-water discharge to the estuary. In early May, the USGS worked with the Peconic Estuary Program to evaluate trends in ground-water discharge that could potentially forewarn of an outbreak of the Brown Tide bloom. If the theory holds true, ground-water conditions expected later this year appear favorable for the onset of Brown Tide blooms in the Peconic Estuary.
The following links are included for more information on USGS research under the Peconic Estuary Program:
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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Maintainer: New York District URL: http://ny.water.usgs.gov/projects/news/browntide.html Last update: 13:21:04 Thursday 02 January 2003 Privacy Statement || Disclaimer |
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