Under the Pier

The waters around Pier 76 are part of a 400-acre estuarine sanctuary managed by Hudson River Park that provides essential habitat for many fish species, including striped bass and lined seahorses. Visible pile fields throughout the park, clusters of wooden pilings left from bygone piers, are among the most notable elements of the sanctuary waters because they create unique habitat and support a complex food web, and Pier 76 is built atop a similar series of clustered pilings. Shipworms and gribbles bore into the wood, creating sheltering crevices for aquatic plants and animals such as mud crabs, grass shrimp, and barnacles, while the shallow waters also serve as hunting grounds for smaller predators including blue crabs, juvenile striped bass, and double-crested cormorants. The Hudson River's water quality has improved greatly after forty years of environmental regulations and advocacy, benefiting river wildlife and the surrounding community, and the greater Hudson River watershed supports more than 200 fish species and other wildlife. Fish abundance and diversity are important biological indicators of the river's health. Hudson River Park is also working to restore oysters in New York Harbor through the Tribeca Habitat Enhancement Project, which expands aquatic habitat by adding over 11 million oysters to sanctuary waters through reef balls and gabions. Oysters, once abundant in New York Harbor, are important filter feeders that clean waterways, build habitat, and support shoreline resiliency.

New York, New York · United States