L|berty State ark Lstuary D|scovery 1ra|| beg|ns here:

(Larthcache.org pr|ntab|e vers|on:)

1. 1. Interpret|ve Center http:]]coord.|nfo]GC2kW4D

2. 2. Ireshwater ond http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211Lk

3. 3. Urban Iorest http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211IV

4. 4. L|v|ng on the Ldge: 8each nab|tat http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211n6

S. S. Wet Meadow http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211I

6. 6. N-NI narbor Lstuary http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211k2

7. 7. kemnant Sa|t Marsh http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211M

8. 8. Commun|paw Cove http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211ND

9. 9. Apex of the New ork 8|ght http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211N4

10. 10. 8|ack 1om http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211NG

11. 11. Mudf|ats http:]]coord.|nfo]GC21In
Nature Interpret|ve Center at L|berty State ark

Coord|nates: 40.698342 -74.034163

woypolot 1 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

1he N-NI narbor Lstuary Larthcache D|scovery 1ra|| |s meant to he|p v|s|tors deve|op a better understand|ng of
the Lstuary, make connect|ons between earth and env|ronmenta| sc|ence, and foster stewardsh|p.
ark|ng |ot |s at 40.69914S, 074.0S4077 on the |eft, [ust across from the Center.

Descr|pt|on:
1he area LhaL encompasses LlberLy SLaLe ark has an lnLeresLlng geologlcal hlsLory and a number of
slgnlflcanL naLural resources. 1he new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary ulscovery 1rall beglns aL Lhe
naLure lnLerpreLlve CenLer. lf Lhe CenLer ls closed, begln your exploraLlon of Lhe Lrall aL Lhe lnLerpreLlve
klosk locaLed aL coordlnaLes 40.698317, -74.034314 ad[acenL Lhe enLrance of Lhe lnLerpreLlve CenLer.

1he anclenL geologlcal processes LhaL shaped Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary can all be
explored from Lhe reclalmed shores of LlberLy SLaLe ark. 1he seLLlng has undergone Lremendous
changes ln Lopography and funcLlon over Lhe pasL 200 years. lormerly, a quleL marsh and cove, lL was
Lransformed lnLo Lhe greaLesL concenLraLlon of rall faclllLles ln Lhe norLheasL, and Lhen was abandoned
ln 1969. LlberLy SLaLe ark opened ln 1976. 1he former brownfleld (deserLed lndusLrlal wasLeland) has
been revlLallzed lnLo wlldllfe hablLaL and open space. 1he process of reclalmlng and revlLallzlng Lhe
landscape ls sLlll evolvlng.

1he naLure lnLerpreLlve CenLer focuses on Lhe ecology and naLural hlsLory of Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey
Parbor LsLuary. 1he hands-on exhlblLs and dlsplays provlde an lnLroducLlon Lo Lhe areas naLural
resources. SeL upon a 36-acre naLural area, vlslLors can explore rehablllLaLed weLlands, coasLal
meadows, beach, salL marsh, Lldal mudflaLs and upland foresL ecosysLems. lamed archlLecL Mlchael
Craves deslgned Lhe naLure lnLerpreLlve CenLer and planned Lhe sysLem of small pavlllons, paLhways
and even deslgned Lhe blrdhouses placed around Lhe reclalmed weLlands.

LocaLed on Lhe wesLern banks of upper new ?ork 8ay, aL Lhe mouLh of Lhe Pudson 8lver, LlberLy SLaLe
ark ls one of Lhe naLlon's largesL urban ecologlcal resLoraLlon success sLorles. LlLLle remalns of Lhe
orlglnal shores, shallow flaLs and Lldal weLlands, whlch used Lo characLerlze Lhe envlronmenL of Lhe new
?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary. WhaL has survlved ln and around Lhe park ls lmmensely rare and
valuable ln an urban area.

LlberLy SLaLe ark comprlses 1,212 acres of land and waLer. vlslLors have free access Lo Lhe waLerfronL
of Lhe n?-n! Parbor LsLuary and unparalleled vlews of Lhe SLaLue of LlberLy, Lllls lsland and new ?ork
Parbor. 1he 8lchard !. Sulllvan naLural Area provldes several ecologlcally lmporLanL hablLs along Lhe
shores of Lhe Parbor LsLuary. 1he comblnaLlon of freshwaLer weLlands, mudflaL and salL marsh provldes
over 300 acres of proLecLed esLuarlne hablLaL LhaL serves as food and shelLer Lo a wlde varleLy of flora
and fauna. A self-gulded naLure paLh offers opporLunlLles Lo observe and experlence Lhls unlque wlldllfe

hablLaL. ?ou are lnvlLed Lo observe planLs and anlmals along Lhe naLure paLh. 8esLoraLlon plans are
underway Lo provlde greaLer access Lo Lhe parks 230-acre lnLerlor area. 1he pro[ecL lncludes Lhe
creaLlon of freshwaLer weLlands, salL marsh and 100 acres of emerglng foresL. SLaLe ark pollcy prohlblLs
Lhe collecLlon, removal or harmlng planLs or anlmals from Lhe area.

1he naLure lnLerpreLlve CenLer offers programs for school and communlLy groups and Lhe general
publlc. Cpen year round, Monday-SaLurday 8 a.m. Lo 3 p.m. and Sundays from Memorlal uay Lhrough
Labor uay (closed mosL
holldays). lor more
lnformaLlon, please call (201)
913-3409.LlberLy SLaLe ark ls
open 10 a.m. Lo 10 p.m.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es:
1. Pow has Lhe hydrology of
Lhe Parbor LsLuary lnfluenced
how people used Lhls land?
(See exhlblLs)
2. vlew Lhe exhlblLs and Lake
a look across Lhe horlzon you
wlll see a panoramlc vlew.
uescrlbe one naLural feaLure
and one man-made feaLure of
Lhe vlew.
3. (CpLlonal) vlslL Lhe
lnLerpreLlve dlsplay ln Lhe
ouLdoor gazebo ad[acenL Lo
Lhe CenLer enLrance. WhaL ls
Lhe value of a salL marsh?
4. (CpLlonal) 1ake a
plcLure of your Leam wlLh your
backs Lo Lhe ond.

1o |og a f|nd on th|s earthcache, ema|| the cache owner (DC NC1 CS1 IN CUk LCG). Use your
GS dev|ce to |ocate the next cache - GC211Lk. http:]]coord.|nfo]GC211Lk

kemember, to up|oad a photo and |et us know |n your |og ways we can |mprove the tra||.

Data Sources:
lrlends of LlberLy SLaLe ark - www.folsp.org
Parbor LsLuary rogram - hLLp://www.harboresLuary.org/pdf/Leachersgulde.pdf
L|berty State ark Ireshwater ond

CoordlnaLes: 40 41 449 -74 03 296

woypolot 2 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache ls a freshwaLer pond and surroundlng weL meadow. 1he hablLaL was creaLed durlng
remedlaLlon of conLamlnaLed solls from Lhe slLe. AbouL 71 of Lhe LarLh's surface ls covered by waLer.
Cnly abouL 1 of Lhe LarLh's waLer ls freshwaLer. 1he waLer cycle ls Lhe drlvlng force supporLlng Lhe
pond. 1he sun causes Lhe waLer ln Lhe pond and harbor esLuary Lo evaporaLe lnLo Lhe alr formlng clouds.
1he clouds preclplLaLe, releaslng Lhe waLer ln Lhe form of raln. 1he sLorm waLer fllls Lhe pond. 1he raln
also flows off Lhe surface of Lhe surroundlng land lnLo Lhe pond, called sLormwaLer runoff.

Soll ls naLurally permeable or porous allowlng waLer Lo lnfllLraLe Lo underground aqulfers Lo sLore as
groundwaLer. 1rees and planLs absorb some of Lhe waLer ln Lhe soll. aved roads and parklng loLs form
an lmpermeable or waLerLlghL surface so LhaL waLer Lravels as runoff over Lhe surface of lL. (vlslL llnk)

1he ecosysLem of Lhe freshwaLer pond ls made up of bloLlc and abloLlc componenLs. AbloLlc facLors are
nonllvlng Lhlngs, such as sunllghL, waLer LemperaLure, waLer level, and dlssolved oxygen. Llvlng Lhlngs
called bloLlc facLors such as aquaLlc planLs, lnsecLs, bacLerla and amphlblans also affecL lL. When Lhe
abloLlc and bloLlc facLors are ln balance, Lhe pond can supporL a healLhy ecosysLem.

1he pond ls hablLaL Lo organlsms dependenL upon each oLher and fresh waLer. 1he planLs are known as
producers ln Lhe ecosysLem. Consumers you may see are snalls, frogs, LurLles and flaLworms Lo name a
few. 1he loudesL consumers are varlous specles of frogs and Loads, aLLracLed Lo Lhe pond by Lhe
reflecLlve surface of Lhe waLer. Amphlblans and repLlles Lhrlve ln Lhe pond. ln addlLlon, blrds such as
egreLs, ducks, and blrds of prey use Lhls area as a source of food and waLer.

1here ls a greaL varleLy of wlldllfe LhaL can be observed LhroughouL Lhe year aL Lhe pond. lL ls a prlme
hablLaL for many resldenL and mlgraLory blrd specles. 1hese blrds noL only rely on Lhe pond's ecosysLem
for Lhelr llfe buL also parLlclpaLe ln Lhe lnLrlcaLe and fraglle sysLem LhaL makes llfe posslble aL all levels.

WhaL makes waLer fresh"? 1ake a momenL and Lry Lo remember Lhe flrsL Llme you Lrled Lo open your
eyes whlle swlmmlng ln Lhe ocean. ?our eyes sLung, rlghL? now Lhlnk abouL Lhe Llme you opened your
eyes ln freshwaLer, dld Lhey sLlng? 1he reason freshwaLer doesn'L make your eyes sLlng ls because lL ls
characLerlzed by havlng a very low sa||ne content, sallne ls salL and salL ls whaL made your eyes sLlng.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es:
1. ls Lhe ground where you are sLandlng on permeable or lmpermeable?
Cbserve Lhe pond and whaL Lakes place ln and around lL. WhaL ls Lhe waLer level of Lhe pond?
WhaL abloLlc facLors affecL Loday's waLer level? lease lnclude Lhe daLe of your vlslL.
3. (CpLlonal) uraw a Lopo map of Lhls area around Lhe pond. (CS1 1C ?Cu8 LCC)

1o log a flnd on Lhls earLhcache, emall Lhe cache owner (uC nC1 CS1 ln ?Cu8 LCC), unless
lnsLrucLed oLherwlse. use your CS devlce Lo locaLe Lhe nexL cache - CC211lv
uaLa Sources:
uS Ceologlcal Survey hLLp://ga.waLer.usgs.gov/edu/waLercycle.hLml
hLLp://n[.gov/plnelands/edu/currlculum/plnecur/pwcwLa.hLm
utt|ng Down koots! An Urban Iorest keeps |t A|| 1ogether

Coord|nates: 40 41 832 -74 03 197

woypolot J of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

D|ff|cu|ty: 1.3

1erra|n: 1.0

Data Co||ected: SepLember 26 - March 11, 2010

Descr|pt|on:
1hls cache ls an urban foresL Lo Lhe rlghL of Lhe paLh. rlor Lo human hablLaLlon, woodlands were some
of Lhe mosL exLenslve naLural hablLaL on Lhe uplands of Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary. 1oday,
Lhe growLh of a foresL ln an urban envlronmenL ls unlquely rooLed ln Lhe geology of lLs soll.

"WhaL lf Lhere was a slngle envlronmenLal asseL LhaL, lf proLecLed and nurLured, could help us solve Lhe
mosL presslng problems faclng humanlLy, from food securlLy Lo cllmaLe change? Such an asseL ln facL
exlsLs-lL's Lhe soll!"

Soll lsn'L [usL dlrL. lL ls made of sand, sllL, clay and decomposlng organlc maLLer. ln Lhe urban
loresL, Lhe soll lmmedlaLely ad[acenL Lo Lhe Lrall on Lhe rlghL, ls composed malnly of sand and Lhe soll
Lype ls found Lo be a sandy loam. 1o deLermlne Lhls soll Lype a small sample was Laken from Lhe surface
Lo a depLh of abouL 3.3 lnches. lL was Lhen molsLened and kneaded ln Lhe palm of Lhe hand Lo break any
lumps and Lo brlng lL Lo lLs full plasLlclLy. A dry sample was Lhen rubbed beLween Lhe Lhumb and lndex
flnger Lo check Lhe LexLure. 1o check lLs coheslveness Lhe molsL sample was pressed beLween boLh
palms and moved from hand Lo hand Lo see how well lL held LogeLher. llnally Lo check how well Lhe
sample formed a rlbbon, lL was worked beLween Lhe Lhumb and lndex flnger Lo see how well lL formed a
rlbbon. 1o check Lhe sample's color Lhe Munsell Color CharL was used, whlch found Lhe color Lo be a
dark yellowlsh brown. (See charL: hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/llle:Munsell-sysLem.svg)

lurLher up Lhe Lrall and abouL Len feeL down Lhe genLle slope of Lhe Lrall Lo Lhe rlghL, Lhe soll ls dark and
Lhe soll Lype ls a sllLy loam. 1hls soll Lype was found uslng Lhe same meLhods, whlch deLermlned Lhe
sandy loam. 1he Munsell Color CharL deLermlned Lhe soll color as black. 1he change ln soll Lype ln such a
small area ls mosL llkely a resulL of Lhe area's pasL hlsLory. ln 1831 Lhe Wharf AcL allowed shorellne
properLy owners Lo bulld docks and oLher sLrucLures wlLh consenL from Lhe CounLy 8oard of
lreeholders. 8allroad companles Look advanLage of Lhls new law and began buylng loLs wlLh Lhe lnLenL
of fllllng Lhem Lo creaLe new land. 1hough Lhere were qulLe a few compeLlng rallroad companles ln Lhe
area, Lhe company responslble for fllllng Lhe cove and creaLlng Lhe bulk whaL ls now LlberLy SLaLe ark
was Lhe CenLral 8all 8oad of new !ersey. 1hey placed "over 20 mllllon cublc yards lnLo Lhe cove from
approxlmaLely 1880 Lo 1916 ln a norLh Lo souLh dlrecLlon" accordlng Lo Lhe Army Corps of Lnglneers
new ?ork ulsLrlcL's reporL of 2003.

1hough Lhe provlnce of Lhe soll ls unclear Lhe mechanlsm for Lurnlng rocks lnLo soll remalns Lhe same.
WeaLherlng ls Lhe process LhaL Lurns rocks aL or near LarLh's surface lnLo soll. Powever Lhere are
dlfferenL Lypes of weaLherlng. 1here ls physlcal/mechanlcal weaLherlng whlch break down rocks lnLo
smaller and smaller pleces wlLhouL changlng lL chemlcally and Lhere ls chemlcal weaLherlng. Chemlcal
weaLherlng breaks down rock by slmple soluLlon and changes Lhe weaLhered maLerlal chemlcally.

1he loose blndlng sandy soll maln consLlLuenL ls Lhe mlneral quarLz, whlch ls Lhe mosL reslsLanL mlneral
Lo weaLherlng. lLs sandy LexLure also makes lLs capaclLy Lo hold and reLaln waLer very low. 1he sllLy soll
wlLh lLs black appearance conLalns mosLly organlc maLLer. lL's capaclLy Lo hold and reLaln waLer ls
greaLer Lhan LhaL of Lhe sandy soll due Lo lLs smaller parLlal slze LhaL allows for more surface area for
waLer parLlal Lo blnd Lo. 8oLh solls are proLecLed agalnsL waLer and wlnd eroslon by Lhe dense
vegeLaLlon of Lhe urban loresL.

1he sandy loam conLaln noLable elemenLs such as barlum (8a), manganese (Mn), LlLanlum (1l), vanadlum
(v), ceslum (Cs), Lellurlum (1e), and chromlum (Cr) whlch were measured ln parLs per mllllon (ppm)
uslng a porLable x-ray lluorescence (x8l) analyzer. 1he sllLy loam conLalns, wlLh Lhe excepLlon of 8a, Cs,
and 1e, all Lhe elemenLs as Lhe sandy loam and oLher such as sLronLlum (Sr), lead (b), mercury (Pg),
copper (Cu), anLlmony (Sb), cadmlum (Cd), and sllver (Ag). 1hough all of Lhese elemenLs can be found
naLurally ln mlnerals Lhelr hlgh ppm readlngs polnLs back Lo Lhe parks pasL when Lhe area was a
dumpslLe and a flurry of rallroad acLlvlLy.

1he presenL-day urban woodland ls domlnaLed by lnvaslve specles. An lnvaslve specles ls a Lype of
organlsm noL naLlve Lo Lhe reglon and whose lnLroducLlon can cause envlronmenLal harm. Powever
Lhese planLs mlghL be Lhe key Lo reduclng Lhese elemenLs ppm levels ln Lhe soll. Accordlng Lo Lhe unlLed
SLaLes ueparLmenL of AgrlculLure (uSuA), planLs can be and has been used Lo remove conLamlnaLes and
heavy meLals from soll ln a process called phyLoremedlaLlon. hyLoremedlaLlon works llke a vacuum
cleaner by allowlng Lhe planLs Lo suck up Lhe conLamlnanLs and heavy meLals Lhrough lLs rooLs and
sLorlng Lhem ln lLs sLeams, shoLs and leaves.

1here are plenLy of planLs ln Lhe urban loresL LhaL ls probably conducLlng phyLoremedlaLlon rlghL now.
1here ls a mlx of naLlve and nonnaLlve hardwood Lrees and marlLlme shrubs. Common Lrees lnclude Lhe
easLern coLLonwood and 8usslan ollve. Shrubs lncludlng norLhern bayberry, black chokeberry, wlnged
sumac, and sLag-horn sumac domlnaLe Lhe ground flora. 8erry produclng shrubs and Lrees are a blg
aLLracLlon for many dlfferenL blrd specles.

1he foresL ls always changlng. 1rees and shrubs change wlLh Lhe seasons. 1here are Lwo Lypes of Lrees,
conlferous and declduous. Con|ferous Lrees are evergreen keeplng Lhelr leaves all year, such as plne and
spruce Lrees. 1he hardwoods LhaL shed Lhelr broad-leaves each auLumn are called dec|duous. 1he
leaves are facLorles for converLlng sunllghL and waLer lnLo food and for Laklng carbon dloxlde ouL of Lhe
alr. 1he green plgmenL ln Lhe Lrees leaves (and ln all green planLs) LhaL capLures Lhe sun's energy ls
ch|orophy||. Less waLer and less sunllghL ln Lhe auLumn slgnals Lhe Lree Lo sLop produclng chlorophyll.
1he green plgmenL fades, reveallng yellow and orange colors. Some Lree leaves even make red and
purple plgmenLs Lo dlsplay a full range of colors. 1he sLem evenLually closes off, deprlvlng Lhe leaf of
waLer, causlng Lhe leaf Lo drop Lo Lhe ground.
1rees know whlch way ls up. 1hey
grow Lowards Lhe llghL and bend
Lhelr branches Lo glve Lhe leaves
Lhe mosL sun. hotosynthes|s
happens when Lhe Lree uses
energy from Lhe sun, waLer from
Lhe soll, and carbon dloxlde from
Lhe alr Lo make slmple sugars
(carbohydraLes). 1hese
carbohydraLes are elLher used by
Lhe Lree for energy or sLored ln
Lhe Llssues. When an anlmal eaLs
Lhe planL Lhe nuLrlenLs and
carbons are released Lhrough
dlgesLlon. When Lhe anlmal
breaLhes ouL lL releases Lhe
carbon dloxlde LhaL ls used by Lhe
planLs conLlnulng Lhe carbon cyc|e. 1he process conLlnues unLll lL ls Llme for Lhe decomposers Lo go Lo
work and reLurn Lhe dead organlsm Lo Lhe soll. 1he process also produces carbon dloxlde, whlch ls agaln
absorbed by Lhe Lrees and oLher planLs.

1here ls a mlx of naLlve and nonnaLlve hardwood Lrees and marlLlme shrubs. Common Lrees lnclude Lhe
easLern coLLonwood and 8usslan ollve. Shrubs lncludlng norLhern bayberry, black chokeberry, wlnged
sumac, and sLag-horn sumac domlnaLe Lhe ground flora. 8erry produclng shrubs and Lrees are a blg
aLLracLlon for many dlfferenL blrd specles. 1he Lrees and shrubs malnLaln Lhe Lopology of Lhe landscape
by prevenLlng eroslon. 1he vegeLaLlon also fllLers polluLanLs from ralnwaLer helplng Lo malnLaln waLer
quallLy.


Logglng AcLlvlLles:
1. Cbserve Lhe sandy soll around you, how ls lL able Lo sLays ln place wlLhouL belng eroded by Lhe
envlronmenL? SLaLe Lhree ways Lo erode Lhe soll.
2. Lxpose a small area of soll and pour some waLer ln Lhe area. Lxamlne whaL happen. uoes Lhe waLer
seep lnLo Lhe soll qulckly or slowly? 8ase on your answer and Lhe area's pasL, do you Lhlnk wasLe can sLlll
be presenL ln Lhe soll?

uaLa Source:
www.nan.usace.army.mll/pro[ecL/new[ers/facLsh/pdf/.../vol1malnreporL.pdf
hLLp://www.ars.usda.gov/ls/A8/archlve/[un00/soll0600.hLm
Munsell Color CharL - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/Munsell_color_sysLem
L|v|ng on the Ldge: 8each nab|tat

Coord|nates: 40 41 808 -74 03 133

woypolot 4 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

D|ff|cu|ty: 1.3

1erra|n: 1.0

Data Co||ected: SepLember 26 - March 11, 2011

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache ls an edge hab|tat vlslble, Lhough noL accesslble from Lhe Lrall paLh. lL ls a Lyplcal LranslLlonal
zone from sandy beach Lo small shrubs.

8eaches are naLural geologlcal formaLlons LhaL develop where a body of waLer meeLs Lhe land. 8eaches
can be made of a varleLy of maLerlals. As you can see Lhls parLlcular beach has boLh a sandy parL and a
rocky parL. 1he beach ls consLanLly ln moLlon, endlessly erodlng and replenlshlng. Sand lLself ls sed|ment
made up of dlfferenL Lypes of rocks LhaL were washed down rlvers and ground up by Lhe waves over
hundreds of Lhousands of years. 8ocky beaches are ofLen caused by more recenL naLural eroslon of Lhe
land and wlll become a sandy beach as Llme goes on.

A complex marlne ecosysLem llves on Lhe edge. A slngle graln of sand ls home Lo bacLerla, dlaLoms, and
mlcroscoplc organlsms. 1he ||ttora| zone ls Lhe lnLerLldal zone where land and sea meeL, covered wlLh
waLer aL hlgh Llde and exposed Lo Lhe alr durlng low Llde. 1he dry sand above Lhe hlgh waLer mark ls
called Lhe backshore, where Lldes and waves wlll form a beach berm llke a wave of sand capped wlLh a
cresL. !usL above Lhe hlgh Llde llne ls Lhe wrack ||ne also called the strand. Pere you wlll ofLen flnd a llne
of seaweed, debrls and oLher deLrlLus LhaL was washed ashore by Lhe lncomlng Llde. Cver Llme, Lhls
decomposlng organlc maLLer wlll Lrap sand and sedlmenL Lo bulld sand dunes.


Pow can you Lell lf Lhls beach ls Lldal or noL? Look aL Lhe sand. uo you see a dlscoloraLlon of Lhe sand
and rocks as Lhe beach slopes down closer Lo Lhe waLer? 1haL ls an lndlcaLor LhaL Lhls beach happens Lo
be on a Lldal waLerway. Cver Lhe course of a day ln Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary, Lhe waLer
wlll rlse and Lhen fall Lwlce. AL low Llde, Lhe waLer wlll be abouL four feeL lower Lhan Lhe waLer aL hlgh
Llde. 1hls ls called Lhe Lldal range. 1he Lldes are caused by a gravlLaLlonal pull of Lhe moon, and Lo a
lesser degree Lhe sun. 1he Lldes follow Lhe phases of Lhe moon, as Lhe moon waxes and wanes, all Lhe
oceans ln Lhe world move wlLh lL!

noLlce Lhe beach slopes, Lhls slanL ls caused by sand belng pushed up by wave act|on. 1he beach ls noL
very sLeep aL Lhe shorellne, whlch glves a clue LhaL Lhe waLer ln Lhe basln ls shallow. 1he waves LhaL hlL
Lhe shorellne carry sand and small rocks, whlch bulld up Lhe beach. 1hls sedlmenL LransporL and wave
energy shapes Lhe coasLllne. 8eaches on t|da| waters wlll become sandy fasLer Lhan Lhose wlLh no Lldes.

Lvery slx hours, Lhe waLer llne wlll sLarL aL Lhe Lop of Lhe beach (almosL Lo Lhe Lree llne) and wlll recede
down Lhe beach. Slx hours laLer Lhe waLer llne wlll sLarL Lo cllmb back up Lhe beach unLll Lhe waLer ls
back aL Lhe Lree llne slx hours afLer low Llde. 1hls ebb and flow of Lhe Lldes wlll conLlnue on Lhls beach
forever and ever. lL ls easy Lo predlcL Lldes. 1he Llme beLween hlgh and low Llde ls slx hours aparL and
Lhe Llde cycle happens 30 mlnuLes laLer each day.

1he Llde cycle here ls unlque Lo Lhls beach. 8ecause waLer ls fluld and Lhe moon ls ln consLanL moLlon
Lhe hlgh Llde here wlll happen aL a dlfferenL Llme Lhan ln oLher parLs of Lhe harbor. uurlng Lhe spr|ng
t|de aL new moon and full moon, Lhe moon and sun are allgned pulllng LogeLher and Lldes are aL Lhelr
hlghesL. uurlng neap t|de aL Lhe flrsL and Lhlrd quarLer phases of Lhe moon, Lhe moon and sun are aL a
rlghL angle pulllng ln dlfferenL dlrecLlons and Lhe Lldes reach mlnlmal helghL.

When wlnd and waLer meeL Lhe resulL ls a wave. lf Lhe wlnd ls sLrong, Lhe waves can become choppy.
Are Lhe waves here blg or small? lor Lhe mosL parL Lhese waves are small. Why do you Lhlnk LhaL ls?
Waves are formed hundreds of mlles ouL aL sea and become blgger and blgger from Lhe wlnd pushlng on
Lhem as Lhe wave geLs closer Lo Lhe land and crashes on Lhe slope of Lhe beach. ?ou would Lhlnk Lhese
waves would be huge! 1he reason Lhese waves are small ls because boLh Lhe 8rooklyn and SLaLen lsland
coasLllne proLecLs new ?ork Parbor where mosL of Lhe blg waves lose Lhelr momenLum as Lhey enLer
Lhe upper 8ay.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es
1. AL Lhe Llme of your vlslL, whaL ls Lhe Lldal flow? rovlde daLe and Llme of vlslL.
2. 1he color and LexLure of Lhe sand can Lell you whaL rocks and sedlmenL Lhe sand ls made from. WhaL
ls Lhe color and surface LexLure of Lhe beach sand? 1ry Lo guess whaL Lype of local rock Lhls sand may
have come from.
3. (CpLlonal) lrom Lhe paLhway vlew Lhe wrack llne and ldenLlfy one lLem sLranded on Lhe beach by Lhe
Llde.

Data Sources:
8eaches - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/8each
Coloq coostol New otk clty by 8arbara La 8occo (lordham unlverslLy ress 2009)
LlLLoral Zone - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/LlLLoral_zone
1ldes and CurrenLs - hLLp://LldesandcurrenLs.noaa.gov
L|berty State ark Wet Meadow & I|e|d

Coord|nates: 40 41 782 -74 03 111

woypolot 5 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq)
os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe
New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
8eLween Lhe mld 1800's and Lhe 1960's, Lhe CenLral 8allroad of new !ersey (C88n!) permanenLly
alLered Lhe landscape of Lhls shore by fllllng Lhe salL marshes Lo creaLe a waLerfronL LransporLaLlon hub
of rall yards, frelghL Lralns and cross-harbor barges. 8y Lhe Llme Lhe rallroad and lndusLry abandoned lL,
Lhe land was a Loxlc dump.

1he LransformaLlon of Lhe landscape Lo Lhls beauLlful freshwaLer weL meadow requlred Lhe removal of
Lhousands of cublc yards of conLamlnaLed soll. Chromlum processlng planLs ln Lhe area polluLed Lhe soll.
Cld Loxlc flll was dug ouL and healLhy new soll was placed as parL of hablLaL recovery efforLs. 1oday, Lhe
WeL Meadow ls characLerlzed by a wealLh of vlbranL flowers and grasses LhaL form an lmporLanL hablLaL
for many specles.

1he WeL Meadow and lleld ls a Lype of freshwaLer marsh saLuraLed wlLh waLer parL of Lhe Llme because
of poor dralnage. 1he ground ls llke a sponge, soggy and damp. 1he soll ls clay and sllL. A varleLy of
waLer-lovlng grasses, sedges, rushes, and weLland wlldflowers prollferaLe ln Lhe hlghly ferLlle soll of weL
meadows. WeL meadows are valuable weLlands. uurlng heavy ralnsLorms, Lhe weL meadow collecLs and
fllLers runoff. 1he weL meadow ls a nuLrlenL rlch envlronmenL LhaL provldes vlLal food and hablLaL for
many lnsecLs, amphlblans, repLlles, blrds, and mammals.

LlberLy SLaLe ark's WeL Meadow ls a perfecL place for a wlde range of lnsecLs Lo llve ln! lnsecLs llke,
bees, grasshoppers, beeLles, ladybugs, crlckeLs, and buLLerflles. lf you llsLen closely, you may here Lhe
crlckeLs. uo you know LhaL only Lhe male crlckeLs chlrp? And when Lhey chlrp Lhere are four Lhlngs Lhey
could be slnglng abouL, buL all four songs are Lo aLLracL Lhe female? 8eL you dldn'L know crlckeLs go on
daLes Loo! SC llsLen closely.

1he weL meadow near Lhe esLuary offers perfecL growlng condlLlons for LasLern CoLLonwood (opulus
delLolds), whlch ls parL of Lhe wlllow Lree famlly and a naLlve specles. 1he coLLonwood Lree Lo Lhe wesL,
loves Lhe sun, and also prefers very molsL soll. Lach year Lhe female Lree releases Llny seeds LhaL look
llke sllky fluff - ln Lhe wlnd. When Lhls happens lL looks llke lL ls snowlng - lL ls also how Lhls opulus
delLolds goL lLs nlckname, coLLonwood. 1he coLLonwood slngs when Lhe wlnd rusLles Lhrough lLs leaves.

A healLhy meadow ls a nolsy place. A chorus of brllllanLly colored songblrds - barn and Lree swallows,
easLern Lowhees, and passerlnes, call ouL as Lhey fly above Lhe grassy fleld dlnlng on lnsecLs. 1hlrLy-four
specles of songblrds have been reporLed aL LlberLy SLaLe ark. LlsLen Lo a whole anlmal orchesLra ln Lhe
meadow, crlckeLs cheeplng, bees buzzlng, frogs croaklng, blrds LweeLlng and seagulls squawklng. When
all Lhe crlLLers chlme ln, Lhelr symphony ls called a b|ophony. now, Lune ln Lhe background geophony -
Lhe sound of Lhe rusLllng Lrees, waLer lapplng on Lhe shore, and Lhe wlnd blowlng across Lhe meadow
grass. ?our volce, Lhe dlsLanL boaL moLor, an alrplane overhead, and oLher human-made nolse are
anthrophony. 1aken all LogeLher lL makes up Lhe soundscape of Lhe meadow.

Act|v|t|es
1. Cbserve Lhe weL meadow examlnlng Lhe Lopography and elevaLlons. lrom whaL dlrecLlon
does freshwaLer runoff arrlve ln Lhe weL meadow?
2. WhaL oLher waLer source keeps Lhe meadow weL?
3. (CpLlonal) WhaL anlmals do you see or hear ln Lhe weL meadow?
4. (CpLlonal) uraw a sound map. llrsL mark an x" ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe page. 1he x" shows ?Cu
on Lhe map- Lhen deslgnaLe where you are by drawlng a compass rose. Close your eyes and
llsLen for aL leasL one mlnuLe. now draw plcLures or symbols on Lhe map represenLlng all Lhe
sounds you hear, and where Lhey are comlng from, for example lf you hear a crlckeL near Lhe
Lree close Lo your lefL ear, waves hlLLlng Lhe shore behlnd you. (CS1 1C ?Cu8 LCC).

Data Sources:
n! Ceologlc Survey - hLLp://www.sLaLe.n[.us/dep/n[gs/envlroed/lnfoclrc/provlnces.pdf
n! uL - hLLp://www.sLaLe.n[.us/dep/parksandforesLs/parks/llberLy_sLaLe_park/llberLy_hlsLory.hLml
u.S. LA - hLLp://waLer.epa.gov/Lype/weLlands/wmeadows.cfm
WeL Meadow - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/WeL_meadow
L|berty Ln||ghten|ng the N-NI narbor Lstuary

Coord|nates: 40 41 726 -74 03 116

woypolot 6 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache overlooks upper new ?ork 8ay where you can vlew Lhe naLural and human developmenLs of
Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary. lrom corner Lo corner, you are seelng an arm of Lhe sea called
an estuary. LsLuarles are where rlvers meeL Lhe sea, LranslLlon zones where salLy seawaLer and fresh
rlver waLer mlx ln a proLecLed embaymenL.

1he sLory of Lhe n?-n! Parbor LsLuary sLarLs some 123 mllllon years ago wlLh Lhe rlfLlng of 1euLonlc
laLes causlng Lhe breakup of Lhe greaL super-conLlnenL looqoeo. 1he spllL formed Lhe ALlanLlc Ccean
when norLh Amerlca pulled aparL from Lurope. 1he LarLh's cllmaLe wenL Lhrough lce Ages where lL
cooled Lhen warmed called Claclal and lnLerglaclal perlods. 1he currenL lce age, called Lhe Wlsconsln
glaclaLlon began 2 mllllon years ago. When Lhe glanL lce sheeLs slld across norLh Amerlca Lhey sLopped
aL abouL where you are sLandlng, 40 degrees norLh laLlLude.

When Lhe glaclal lce sheeL came down over Lhls area, lL was 1,000 feeL hlgh. lL covered all buL Lhe very
Lop, of Lhe 1,230-fooL Lall Lmplre SLaLe 8ulldlng. uurlng !ersey ClLy's formaLlve years, g|ac|a| t||| deposlL
and glaclal melL waLer creaLed a marshy hablLaL on Lhls shore. 1he lce bullL a rldge of glaclal debrls
(moralne) LhaL blocked 1he narrows and connecLed 8rooklyn and SLaLen lsland, called Lhe Parbor Plll
Moralne. 1he glacler pushed rocks and dlrL and deposlLed Lhe debrls when lL began Lo Lhaw. 1hlnk of a
snowplow pushlng everyLhlng ln fronL of lL. 1he modern esLuary Look shape almosL 18,000 years ago
when Lhe lce sLarLed Lo reLreaL. As Lhe glacler melLed, sea level rose ln Lhe upper 8ay ln Llme bursLlng
Lhrough 1he narrows, openlng Lhe passage LhaL ls Lhe gaLeway" Lo Lhe harbor and formlng Lhe presenL
paLh of Lhe Pudson 8lver.

ln prehlsLorlc Llmes, LlberLy (8edloe) and Lllls lslands were small hllls on Lhe malnland. now, less Lhan
2,000 feeL away, LlberLy LnllghLenlng Lhe World" welcomed over 12 mllllon lmmlgranLs beLween 1892
and 1934 Lo Lhe processlng sLaLlon on Lllls lsland. MosL of Lhe lmmlgranLs' boarded ferrles for Lhe
CenLral 8allroad of new !ersey 1ermlnal Lo geL Lo Lhelr new homes ln Amerlca. vlslLors can explore Lhe
hlsLory of resLored C88n! 1ermlnal aL Lhe norLhern end of LlberLy SLaLe ark and Lake ferrles LhaL sall Lo
Lhe SLaLue of LlberLy and Lllls lsland lmmlgraLlon Museum.

1he Pudson ls a 313-mlle rlver LhaL flows souLheasL from lLs headwaLers aL Lake 1ear of Lhe Clouds ln
Lhe Adlrondack MounLalns Lo meeL Lhe LasL 8lver and form Lhe upper new ?ork 8ay. 1he dlrecLlon of
Lhe Pudson 8lver's flow ls conLrolled by ocean Lldes. As Lhe Llde rlses, ocean currenLs push norLh abouL
130 mlles upsLream ln Lhe Pudson 8lver Lo 1roy uam. Low Lldes reverse Lhese currenLs. 1he Lldes sLop
and reverse dlrecLlon four Llmes durlng a Lldal day, whlch ls 24 hours and 30 mlnuLes. 8ecause of Lhls
Lldal flow, Lhe rlver ls sald Lo flow Lwo ways."

1|da| currents are Lhe esLuarles llquld LransporL for organlsms, sedlmenLs, clrculaLlng and renewlng
nuLrlenLs and oxygen, and removlng wasLes. 1ldes are Lhe up and down movemenLs of waLer, Lhe rlse
and fall Lrlggered by Lhe gravlLaLlonal pull of Lhe moon prlmarlly, and much less by Lhe sun. 1|da|
currents are Lhe horlzonLal movemenL of Lhe waLer. lL ls a f|ood t|de currenL when Lhe Llde ls rlslng and
ebb t|de currenL when Lhe Llde ls falllng. When Lhe Llde ls aL lLs hlghesL or lowesL polnL Lhe currenL sLops
brlefly before lL reverses, Lhls ls called s|ack t|de.

ln addlLlon Lo Lldes and currenLs, Lhe Parbor LsLuary has a very unlque waLer clrculaLlon paLLern called a
sa|t wedge. A wedge-shaped layer of denser salLwaLer flows along Lhe boLLom, under Lhe llghLer fresh
waLer floaLlng on Lhe surface. 1hls makes for a moderaLely strat|f|ed estuary, meanlng salL waLer and
fresh waLer are only parLlally mlxed. ?ou can Lell how well Lhe seawaLer and rlver waLer are mlxlng by
measurlng Lhe sa||n|ty (level of salL) ln Lhe waLer. 1he esLuary's sallnlLy level varles dependlng on Lhe
season and weaLher, sprlng ralns and snowmelL lncrease fresh waLer flow. 1he dally mlxlng leads Lo
dynamlc blochemlcal condlLlons ln Lhe esLuary.

now, see how clear Lhe waLer looks. When Lhere ls a loL of sLuff llke dlrL and sand floaLlng ln Lhe waLer lL
makes Lhe waLer turb|d. 1hls ls from suspended sedlmenLs of erodlng rocks and mlnerals are
LransporLed by Lhe Pudson 8lver and Lhe ocean Lldal currenLs carry sllL and clay. Murky waLer prevenLs
sunllghL from plerclng Lhe waLer depLhs, lnhlblLlng phoLosynLhesls and maklng lL dlfflculL for planLs and
anlmals Lo llve here. 1he sedlmenLs wlll slowly seLLle Lo Lhe sandy boLLom of Lhe bay.

ln addlLlon Lo sallnlLy and LurbldlLy, good waLer quallLy relles on sLable LemperaLures, dlssolved oxygen,
and pP. WaLer LemperaLure ls for swlmmlng and marlne llfe. D|sso|ved oxygen (uC) ls a byproducL of
phoLosynLhesls crlLlcal Lo aquaLlc llfe. P ls Lhe measure of how acldlc or alkallne Lhe waLer ls. ure
waLer has a neuLral pP of 7.0. Marlne organlsms can sLand a pP of beLween 6.3 and 9.0. SeawaLer
provldes a comforLable pP of 7.3. Measurlng Lhese dynamlcs Lo undersLand how human acLlvlLles and
naLural evenLs lmpacL Lhe ecosysLem monlLors Lhe healLh of Lhe esLuary.

Act|v|t|es:
1. name Lhe glaclal feaLure vlslble on Lhe horlzon?
2. Look closely aL Lhe movemenL of Lhe waLer. ls lL hlgh or low Llde? ls Lhe currenL flowlng up Lhe
rlver or comlng down lnLo Lhe bay? noLe daLe and Llme of your vlslL.
3. (CpLlonal) Puman acLlvlLles and naLural evenLs conLlnue Lo change Lhls ecosysLem. name one
human acLlvlLy LhaL changed Lhls ecosysLem. name one acLlon you can Lake Lo help lmprove esLuary
healLh.
4. (CpLlonal) 1ake a plcLure wlLh Lady LlberLy ln Lhe background and posL Lo your log.

Data Sources:
LsLuarles Llve - hLLp://www.esLuarles.gov/
Parbor LsLuary rogram - hLLp://www.harboresLuary.org/
nCAA - hLLp://oceanservlce.noaa.gov/educaLlon/pd/esLuarles/welcome.hLml
u.S. LA - hLLp://waLer.epa.gov/learn/klds/esLuarles/
kemnant Sa|t Marsh

Coord|nates: 40 41 449 -74 03 296

woypolot 7 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache ls where llfe beglns ln Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary. lL ls one of Lhe few remalnlng
Lldal salL marsh hablLaLs. ?ou should be sLandlng near Lhe wayslde slgn deplcLlng ducks faclng wesL. 1he
salL marsh ls a remnanL of Lhe vasL marshlands LhaL once llned Lhe esLuary.

Mud ls Lhe base soll LhaL supporLs llfe ln Lhe salL marsh. 8oLh salL and fresh waLer sedlmenL bulldup ln
Lhe mud, whlch produces healLhy rlch vegeLaLlon. 1he mud ls made of sllL and sand carrled by Lhe
Pudson 8lver or conveyed by ocean Lldes. 1ldal currenLs cause new waLer Lo clrculaLe lnslde Lhe cove
Lwlce each day. 1he mud and planL llfe becomes fully covered by Lhe rlslng Llde glvlng Lhe planLs
valuable nuLrlenLs.

1he salL marsh provldes crlLlcal hablLaL for a varleLy of resldenL and mlgraLory blrds. Many cormoranLs
and gulls reslde here year round whlle ducks, grebe and oLher blrds are mlgraLory, whlch means Lhey
sLop here Lo resL and feed durlng Lhelr seasonal [ourneys Lo breed. 1he blrd mlgraLlon rouLe ls named
Lhe At|ant|c I|yway - whlch sLreLches along Lhe ALlanLlc coasL from llorlda Lo nova ScoLla. Many of Lhe
blrds here Loday are on Lhelr way Lo norLhern Canada (ln Lhe sprlng) or Lo Lhe Culf of Mexlco (ln Lhe fall).

1he waLer ln Lhe marsh ls noL all salLwaLer or all freshwaLer, buL a bracklsh mlx. Many aquaLlc anlmals
llve ln Lhe cove because Lhe salL marsh ls well shelLered from sLorms and heavy wave acLlon. SalL
LoleranL smooLh cordgrass ls one of Lhe few planLs capable of survlval ln Lhe marshlands. lL can handle
dally drownlng and droughL, hlgh sallnlLy waLer and oxygen poor soll.

Cordgrass ls Lhe cenLer of a complex food web. 1he cordgrass dles aL Lhe end of each season releaslng
nuLrlenLs lnLo Lhe Lldal waLers. MosL of Lhe anlmals here are very small, llvlng ln Lhe mud or underwaLer.
1hey feed on algae or dead leaves and cordgrass, called deLrlLus.

Cnce cordgrass Lakes rooL lLs
underground sLems (called rhlzomes)
spread aL Lhe edge of Lhe marsh. 1he
sLalks caLch sedlmenLs and over Llme
bulld up Lhe level of Lhe salL marsh.
?oung crabs and flsh llve ln and around
lLs sLalks where mud snalls burrow and
perlwlnkles and sea horses cllng. 1he
marsh ls a producLlve nursery for sLrlped
bass, flounder, Amerlcan shad and many
oLher Lypes of local flsh. 1he salL marsh
helps proLecL Lhe Parbor LsLuary. lL
malnLalns waLer quallLy ln Lhe cove and
Lhe esLuary. 1he marsh grasses slow
sLormwaLer runoff and capLure
sedlmenLs. 1he planLs remove excess nuLrlenLs as well as carbons Lhrough phoLosynLhesls. 1he salL
marsh proLecLs human developmenL by provldlng a buffer agalnsL floods and helplng reduce shore
eroslon.

1he salL marsh ls a fully susLalnable ecosysLem. 1he sllghLesL dlsLurbance ln Lhe cycle can lmpede Lhe
enLlre way of llfe, causlng a chaln reacLlon LhaL affecLs all llfe ln Lhe salL marsh. 1hlnk of lL llke Lhls: Lhe
blrds feed on Lhe flsh, Lhe flsh feed on Lhe plankLon and planLs, Lhe planLs feed on Lhe waLer and Lhe
soll, lf any parL ln Lhe chaln becomes alLered, Lhe enLlre sysLem falls. When Lhe waLer becomes polluLed,
Lhe planLs sLop growlng and Lhe flsh wlll noL spawn here, when Lhe flsh do noL spawn Lhen Lhe blrds wlll
noL come because Lhe blrds wlll have noLhlng Lo eaL. 1hls wlll cause a deLour ln Lhe ALlanLlc llyway for
hundred of Lhousand of blrds.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es:
1. SalL marshes develop only ln proLecLed waLers. WhaL feaLure ln Lhls landscape ls keeplng Lhe waLer
calm?
2. (CpLlonal) WhaL mlgraLory blrds do you see on Lhe marsh? Are Lhe blrds headed, norLh or souLh?
noLe Lhe daLe and Llme of your vlslL, posL a phoLo lf you llke.
3. (CpLlonal) CreaLe a blrd's eye vlew map of Lhls salL marsh and naLural areas, lnclude feaLures and
creaLures, landmarks and waLermarks. 8e sure Lo lnclude a norLh arrow. (CS1 1C ?Cu8 LCC)

Data Sources
ALlanLlc llyway - hLLp://www.blrdnaLure.com/flyways.hLml
n?-n! Parbor LsLuary - hLLp://oceanservlce.noaa.gov
SalL Marsh - hLLp://www.eoearLh.org/arLlcle/SalL_marsh
SalL Marsh lood Web - hLLp://www.allenLeacher.com
Commun|paw Cove

Coord|nates: 40 32.382 -73 33.296

woypolot 9 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo
llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo
offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote
wotet lollotloo coottol commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache ls aL Lhe wayslde map aL Lhe edge of Cverlook lleld. 1he ground here ls all made-land. 1here
ls no naLural landscape. 1he rallroads creaLed Lhls wlde expanse of land now known as LlberLy SLaLe ark
from 1860 Lo 1928, fllllng ln marshland and lnLerLldal flaLs.

1he Packensack Lrlbe of Lhe Lenape naLlves used Lhe area as a summer encampmenL called
Communlpaw, whlch means blq looJloq ploce ot tbe slJe of o tlvet. Communlpaw Cove sLreLched from
Lhe area of whaL ls now Morrls Canal on Lhe norLh Lo Caven olnL on Lhe souLh. WashlngLon lrvlng
refers Lo Lhe early uuLch seLLlemenL here as "Lhe egg from whlch Lhe greaL clLy of new ?ork was
haLched."

1he shallow marshes and waLers of Communlpaw Cove were fllled wlLh debrls maLerlal, new ?ork ClLy
garbage, and shlp ballasL (heavy lLems placed ln Lhe hull Lo balance shlps). 1he surroundlng waLers were
dredged, Lhe boLLom of Lhe marshes dug-up Lo make Lhe waLer deep enough for boaLs Lo dock. ln some
areas canal boaLs were dellberaLely sunk as reLalnlng walls Lo hold Lhe flll," whlch came from dredged
spoll (sllL scooped from Lhe boLLom from deepenlng Lhe waLerway), and refuse. LvenLually, rallroad
landfllllng exLended Lhe ground from Morrls Canal ln Lhe norLh Lo 8lack 1om Channel ln Lhe souLh.

Ceologlcal forces shaped Lhls landscape long before Lhe anLhropogenlc or human lmpacL on Lhe
envlronmenL. 1he naLural subsLraLe aL LlberLy SLaLe ark ls aL leasL 30 feeL below Lhe surface, bedrock of
1rlasslc-!urasslc sedlmenLary formaLlon. 1he earLh floor has many layers. 1he , Lhe underlylng
layer, was formed ln prehlsLorlc Llmes by Lhe colllslon of LecLonlc plaLes and glaclers slldlng across Lhe
landscape. LlberLy SLaLe ark ls locaLed aL Lhe souLh end of a glaclal rldge formed by Lhe debrls of a
glacler, called a moralne. lL separaLes newark 8ay 8asln from Lhe lower Pudson 8asln, along Lhe easLern
edge of Lhe ledmonL rovlnce (a physlographlc classlflcaLlon wlLh Lhe larger Appalachlan Plghland
group). uurlng !ersey ClLy's formaLlve years, abouL 10,000 years ago, glaclal Llll and glaclal melL waLer
formed a marshy hablLaL.

Mllllons of years ago Lhe deep Pudson 8lver channel
dldn'L exlsL, lL was noLhlng more Lhan a sLream. A clue
Lo whaL changed lL can be found all over new !ersey
and new ?ork. 1he clue ls boulders whlch are found ouL
of place and LhaL are dlfferenL from Lhe rocks, whlch
surrounds Lhem. Many of Lhese boulders may conLaln
deep grooves and some may be pollshed, whlch
lndlcaLes a force sLrong enough Lo move Lhese boulders
over huge dlsLances. 1he forces responslble are glaclers.
Claclers are huge lce sheeLs LhaL forms when wlnLery
condlLlons perslsL year round and snow accumulaLes on
Lop of pasL snow evenLs formlng Lowerlng sheeLs of lce.
1hey are noL sLagnanL however, Lhey move and when
Lhey do Lhey grlnd Lhelr way across Lhe landscape
breaklng off rock from formaLlons and carrylng Lhem ln
Lhelr base. 1hese rocks behave llke abraslves and
scraLch grooves ln oLher rock formaLlon Lhey flow over.
When Lhe glaclers reLreaL or melL, Lhey leave Lhese
boulders behlnd where we see Lhem Loday ln CenLral
ark and parLs on new !ersey. Cver mllllons of years
Lhese advances and reLreaL of Lhe lce sheeLs changed
Lhe landscape.

1he crescenL gouges call chaLLer marks ln rock
formaLlons more Lhan a mlle above sea level LhaL
surrounds LlberLy ark lndlcaLe LhaL Lhe glacler was over
a mlle Lhlck. 1he glacler LhaL mosL llkely formed Lhe area
of LlberLy SLaLe ark, advanced SL from Canada, whlch ls lndlcaLed when you compare Lhe orlenLaLlon or
dlrecLlon ln space, of Lhese grooves ln upsLaLe new ?ork Lo Lhe ones ln CenLral park.

8efore Lhe glaclers Lhe waLer of Lhe Pudson had slowly eroded Lhe landscape and formed a v-shaped
channel lndlcaLlve of a rlver channel buL afLer Lhe glacler, Lhe Pudson was craved lnLo a deep u-shaped
valley lndlcaLlve Lo glaclal acLlvlLy. 1he sldes and boLLom of Lhe sLream channel was gouged ouL Lo whaL
we see now Loday. lL was Lhe glaclers LhaL made new ?ork- new !ersey Parbor LsLuary.

Powever when Lhe glacler reLreaLed lL lefL an enormous amounL of glaclal debrls behlnd whlch blocked
Lhe Pudson narrows where Lhe verrazano-narrows 8rldge ls Loday from Lhe ALlanLlc Ccean. 1he rldge
called a glaclal moralne connecLed Long lsland Lo SLaLen lsland and forced Lhe Pudson Lo devlaLe Lo Lhe
wesL and exlLlng ln Lhe ALlanLlc Lhrough Lhe 8arlLan 8ay. WhaL broke Lhe rldge ls belleved Lo be a flash
flood. 1he source of Lhls flash flood ls belleved be Lhe waLers from Lake lroquols, a huge glaclal lake
formed nexL Lo Lake CnLarlo aL Lhe end of Lhe lce age. 1he glacler lLself dammed Lhe lake buL over Llme
lL melLed and weakened, evenLually causlng a serve flash flood LhaL flowed down Lhe Pudson and broke
Lhrough Lhe moralne aL Lhe verrazano narrows.

ln SouLh Cverlook lleld Lhe llbetotloo Mooomeot by sculpLor naLhan 8appaporL sLands LwenLy-fooL
sLaLue Lall. 1he sLaLue commemoraLes Lhe llberaLlon of PolocausL vlcLlms wlLh lLs deplcLlon of a WWll
concenLraLlon camp survlvor belng carrled Lo freedom by an unarmed Amerlcan soldler.

1oday, Lhe ground here ls all man-made. 1here ls no naLural landscape. 1he physlcal alLeraLlon began
wlLh Lhe rallroads LhaL creaLed Lhls wlde expanse of land now known as LlberLy SLaLe ark from 1880 Lo
1916, fllllng ln marshland and lnLerLldal flaLs. 1he shallow marshes and waLers of Communlpaw Cove
were fllled wlLh debrls maLerlal, new ?ork ClLy garbage, and shlp ballasL (heavy lLems placed ln Lhe hull
Lo balance shlps).

Act|v|t|es:
1. ?ou are currenLly ln an area where glaclers had once been. Cbserve Lhe area and sLaLe all Lhe clues of
glaclal acLlvlLy.
2. When Lhe glacler advanced from Lhe norLh lnLo Lhls area lL grlnd along Lhe land surface and eroded
Lhe land.
3. Looklng over Pudson 8ay lnLo ManhaLLan explaln why boLh Lhe bay and ManhaLLan were noL evenly
eroded Lo Lhe same depLh.

Data Sources:
Ceologlc Map of new !ersey: hLLp://www.n[geology.org
LlberLy SLaLe ark - hLLp://www.llberLysLaLepark.org
hLLp://www.sLaLe.n[.us/dep/parksandforesLs/parks/llberLy_sLaLe_park/llberLy_hlsLory.hLml
1he Apex of the New ork 8|ght

Coord|nates: 40 41 449 -74 03 296

woypolot 8 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
uo you know whaL a blghL" ls? A b|ght ls an lndenL ln Lhe coasLllne shaped by geologlcal processes. 1he
new ?ork 8lghL ls Lhe spaLlal arrangemenL of Lhe coasL of new !ersey (Lo Lhe souLh and wesL) formlng a
rlghL angle Lo Lhe coasL of Long lsland (Lo Lhe norLh and easL) ln Lhe ALlanLlc Ccean, wlLh lLs peak or apex
aL Lhe mouLh of Lhe Pudson 8lver.

1he mosL noLable unLouched geologlc feaLure of Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary lles beneaLh
Lhe waLer. SLop for a momenL and lmaglne whaL Lhe
submarlne world looks llke, whaL lL sounds llke and how lL was
creaLed. lf you look closely, Lhe benth|c zone (boLLom hablLaL)
and Lhe bathymetry (boLLom Lopography) are revealed ln Lhe
shallow waLers of Lhe esLuary. 1he esLuarles greaLesL naLural
aLLrlbuLe ls lLs glacler-carved deep harborage LhaL led Lo lL
belng one of Lhe world's foremosL economlc porLs.

1he new ?ork 8lghL ls a Polocene Lpoch phenomenon havlng
formed ln Lhe lasL 11,000 years ln Lhe currenL lnLerglaclal
perlod. uurlng Lhe lce Ages (Lhe lelsLocene Lpoch) LhaL
preceded lL, sea levels dropped by as much 400 feeL. 1he
mouLh of Lhe ancesLral Pudson 8lver was over 130 mlles
furLher easL. 1he submarlne areas of Lhe harbor were dry land
all Lhe way Lo Lhe edge of Lhe conLlnenLal shelf. When Lhe lce
sheeL melLed, an avalanche of waLer loaded wlLh glaclal
deposlL made of rocks and soll poured across Lhe exposed
shelf of land. Cver Llme, dense rlver currenLs carved ouL a
deep gorge ln Lhe flood plaln LhaL ls Lhe nudson k|ver Canyon
- as blg as Crand Canyon.

1he Parbor LsLuary ls a ma[or Lhoroughfare of Lhe orL of new ?ork and new !ersey, Lhe Lhlrd largesL
porL ln Lhe counLry. Puge conLalner shlps, barges, oll Lankers, cargo vessels, LugboaLs, and many oLher
merchanL shlps operaLe wlLhln Lhese waLers. 1here are nauLlcal hlghways, called channels LhaL crlsscross
Lhe Parbor LsLuary and upper 8ay marklng safe passages and danger zones where noL Lo go. 1he
navlgaLlonal channels have been dredged from Lhe naLural 17 feeL depLh Lo 43-30 feeL. ln some places
channel deepenlng has blasLed Lhrough Lhe bedrock or down Lo Lhe lelsLocene glaclal sedlmenLs.
Figure 1: Batbymetric maps sbow deptbs
of landforms below sea level.


1here are Lhree enLrances Lo Lhe Parbor from Lhe ALlanLlc Ccean. vessels enLer from Lhe ALlanLlc Ccean
Lo Lhe Lower 8ay by 1he narrows under Lhe verrazano 8rldge. Smaller oll barges enLer by Lhe klll van
kull on Lhe wesLern slde of SLaLen lsland Lo faclllLles on newark 8ay, whlle local barges come from Lhe
Long lsland Sound by Lhe LasL 8lver. 1he maln passage across Lhe upper 8ay Lo Lhe Pudson 8lver ls
called Lhe Anchorage Channel, where small barges Lowed or pushed by LugboaLs make dellverles Lo
upsLaLe new ?ork by way of Lhe Pudson 8lver. 1o Lhe souLh are Lhe shlpplng derrlcks of Lhe Clobal
Marlne 1ermlnal aL 8ayonne, new !ersey.

1he upper 8ay ls a very busy commerclal and recreaLlonal harbor. SallboaLs, powerboaLs, personal
waLercrafL and kayaks share Lhe waLers wlLh commerclal vessels. Shlps and barges aL anchor slL ln Lhe
cenLer of Lhe harbor walLlng for Lhe Llde Lo change Lo enLer Lhe porL Lermlnals or [ourney ouL Lo sea.
WlLh all Lhese boaLs sharlng Lhe waLerways, lL ls lmporLanL LhaL everyone know Lhe navlgaLlon rules.

SouLh of LlberLy Walk are Lwo waLer markers, one ls red and Lhe oLher green. 1hls lndlcaLes Lhe channel
where Lhere are safe navlgable waLers. All waLer buoys are shown on Lhe navlgaLlonal charL and
capLalns and boaLers allke navlgaLe uslng Lhese charLs Lo flnd Lhe channels, anchorage areas and depLh
of Lhe represenLed aL low Llde. 1hls wlll assure a safe waLerway and conLlnue Lhe mulLl-use waLerway of
upper new ?ork 8ay.

All sLorm dralns lead Lo Lhe esLuary. LlLLer on Lhe sLreeLs Lravels and flnds lLs way lnLo Lhe waLerways.
WlLh each ralnfall, sLormwaLer runs over Lhe surface of Lhe land carrylng sLreeL llLLer, lawn ferLlllzers,
spllled oll, and oLher land runoff, whlch ls washed down sLorm dralns LhaL flow rlghL lnLo esLuary waLers.
known as nonpo|nt source po||ut|on, Lhls process degrades waLer quallLy and has a negaLlve lmpacL on
hablLaL and aquaLlc llfe wlLhln Lhe ecosysLem. LvenLs far upsLream ln Lhe waLershed can evenLually
make Lhelr way lnLo esLuary waLer. 1he dralnage basln or waLershed of Lhe LsLuary encompasses abouL
16,300 square mlles, lncludlng much of easLern new ?ork, norLhern new !ersey, and small parLs of
wesLern ConnecLlcuL, MassachuseLLs, and vermonL.

1he waLer dlrecLly surroundlng Lhe seawall ls deep enough LhaL healLhy flsh can grow Lo conslderable
slzes and because Lhe harbor ls proLecLed from Lhe ocean by SLaLen lsland, Lhese flsh have greaL
maneuverablllLy ln relaLlvely calm waLers. 1he wayslde slgn shows some of Lhe flsh specles LhaL llve ln
Lhe esLuary for all or parL of Lhelr llfe. 1he shelLered waLers are spawnlng and nursery grounds for
sLrlpped bass, fluke and blueflsh. ulfferenL slze flsh feed on dlfferenL Lhlngs - Lhe largesL flsh feed on
smaller flsh, and Lhose smaller flsh feed on plankLon, seaweed and fauna. llshlng ls allowed anywhere ln
LlberLy SLaLe ark. 1he new !ersey ueparLmenL of LnvlronmenLal roLecLlon releases flsh consumpLlon
advlsorles abouL posslble envlronmenLal conLamlnanLs and healLh rlsks for people eaLlng locally caughL
seafood (see: www.flshsmarLeaLsmarLn[.org).

Act|v|t|es:
1. WhaL effecL does Lhe Pudson Canyon have on Lhe flow of waLer ln harbor esLuary?
2. WhaL's llvlng ln Lhe waLer?
3. WhaL ways do people make a llvlng on Lhe waLer?
4. name one Lhlng you can do Lo keep Lhe esLuary healLhy and clean.
3. use your CS Lo navlgaLe Lo Lhe nexL naLural area feaLure.

Data Sources
new ?ork 8lghL - hLLp://web2.uconn.edu/seagranLnyblghL/
u.S. LA - hLLp://waLer.epa.gov/learn/klds/esLuarles/
u.S. Ceologlcal Survey - hLLp://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/pro[ecL-pages/newyork/

Name and 1ype of Land
LlberLy SLaLe ark
200 Morrls esln urlve, !ersey ClLy, n! 07303
hone: (201) 913-3404
www.llberLysLaLepark.org
CWnL8: n! ueparLmenL of LnvlronmenLal roLecLlon
8|ack 1om Is|and

Coord|nates: 40 41 339 -74 03 438

woypolot 10 of 10 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes
JevelopeJ by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ
soppott ftom tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol
commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
8lack 1om was orlglnally a small offshore lsland. lL was one of four glaclal moralne lslands, made of dlrL
and rocks deposlLed by Lhe lasL glacler. 8lack 1om was abouL 1,200 feeL from Lhe shorefronL. lL
comprlsed abouL 20 acres, dlmenslons of abouL 800 feeL norLh and souLh and 1,200 feeL easL and wesL.

1he four lslands of low uplands wlLh creeks flowlng beLween Lhem were once surrounded by over 3,000
acres of low-lylng Lldal flaLs known as Lhe !ersey llaLs, made of mud and sedlmenL deposlLed by Lhe
Pudson 8lver as lL empLled lnLo upper new ?ork 8ay.

1he !ersey llaLs were hlsLorlcally home Lo Lhe largesL oysLer bed ln Lhe world largely caused by Lhe
proLecLlon of 8obblns 8eef sand bar. 1he reefs formlng Lhe hard foundaLlon of Lhe !ersey llaLs exLended
from 8lack 1om Lo 8obblns 8eef and were made of gnelss rock carrled from Lhe 8ergen Pllls. 1he
sedlmenL ls characLerlzed by mlxed deLrlLus eroded from older glaclal maLerlal. 1he greaL expanse of
oysLer beds exLended all Lhe way from Lhe Llp of SLaLen lsland up Lhe Pudson 8lver Lo newburgh.
CaLherlng oysLers and shad flshlng was Lhe area's earllesL lndusLrles. Larly uuLch seLLlers called Lhe
group of lsleLs lncludlng 8lack 1om, 8edloe and Lllls lslands Lhe CysLer lslands. 1he oysLer beds however,
were desLroyed by Lhe laLe 1800s due Lo Lhe arrlval of rallroads and lndusLry LhaL polluLed and
conLamlnaLed Lhe waLerways.

1he consLrucLlon of Lhe plers aL Lhe rall depoL caused changes ln Lhe Lldal currenLs. dumplng of clnders,
ash and sLreeL refuse lnLo Lhe norLh 8lver (Pudson 8lver) and harbor dlmlnlshed Lhe veloclLy of Lhe
currenLs and caused Lhe formaLlon of shoals around Lhe !ersey plers whlch acLed as breakwaLers. 8y
1873, refuse and sedlmenL lncreased Lhe slze of Lhe !ersey llaLs and began encroachlng on Lhe maln
shlpplng channels. 1he llaLs were a dumplng ground. 8edloe and CysLer lslands were enlarged by clLy
refuse.

naLlonal SLorage Company purchased Lhe lsland for $330,000 and wenL Lo work maklng bulkheads,
plers, and deep waLer berLhs ouL of 8lack 1om. Lehlgh valley 8allroad made a causeway Lo 8lack 1om
lsland from 1860 Lo 1880. (vlslL llnk) 1hen Lhe rallway dredged a 20-fooL deep channel Lhrough Lhe
shallow shoals Lo docks where coal was LransporLed from Lhe Lehlgh valley coalmlnes ln ennsylvanla
and barged Lo Lhe new ?ork harbor markeLs. 1hey laLer landfllled Lhe lsland maklng lL parL of Lhe
malnland, shaplng a mlle-long wharf [usL opposlLe Lhe SLaLue of LlberLy. (vlslL llnk)

8efore Lhe unlLed SLaLes enLered World War l, Cerman saboLeurs blew up Lhe 8lack 1om depoL. 8lack
1om depoL conveyed munlLlons Lo boLh Cermany and 8rlLaln. Amerlca had declared lLs neuLrallLy. When
Lhe 8rlLlsh navy sLarLed a blockade Lo cuL off shlpmenLs. 1he saboLage aL 8lack 1om was dlrecLed aL
hlnderlng shlpmenLs Lo Allled owers. ln Lhe mornlng of !uly 30, 1916, Lwo mllllon pounds of
ammunlLlon exploded, lncludlng 1n1, black powder and dynamlLe. (vlslL llnk)

1he exploslon was earLh shaLLerlng, breaklng Lhousands of wlndows ln lower ManhaLLan. Shrapnel
pockmarked Lhe SLaLue of LlberLy. lmmlgranLs walLlng processlng on Lllls lsland had Lo be evacuaLed.
1he 8lack 1om depoL wlLh lLs frelghL cars, warehouses, barges, LugboaLs and plers was compleLely
desLroyed. WlLhln a year of Lhe 8lack 1om exploslon, Amerlca enLered Lhe war on Lhe slde of Lhe Allles.

CeologlsLs esLlmaLe a susLalned earLhquake wlLh equlvalenL force would have reglsLered a 3.3 on Lhe
8lchLer scale. lnlLlally, Lehlgh valley 8allroad was held responslble for Lhe exploslon. lL wasn'L unLll 1924,
when Lhe rallroad sued Lhe Cerman governmenL for damages LhaL lL was revealed Lo have been Lhe
work of Cerman sples. 1he Wllson admlnlsLraLlon wlLhheld Lhe lnformaLlon ln an efforL Lo keep Lhe u.S.
ouL of WWl. Cermany flnally pald Amerlca reparaLlons ln Lhe amounL of 30 mllllon dollars ln 1979.

noLhlng remalns Loday of Lhe 8lack 1om faclllLy. Powever, Lhe souLhern border of Lhe park Lraces Lhe
orlglnal shore. 1here ls a plaque marklng Lhe spoL of Lhe lncldenL aL 8lack 1om. 1he bulkhead and cove
here are now popular waLer access spoLs where people flsh, launch kayaks and plcnlc on Lhe [eLLles,
former rall spurs. 1he !ersey llaLs are popular sporL flshlng grounds.

1he 8lack 1om exploslon was one of Lhe worsL acLs of saboLage ln Amerlcan hlsLory. Cn SepLember 11,
2001, Lhe landfllled penlnsula was wlLness Lo even greaLer Lerrorlsm - Lhe aLLack on Lhe World 1rade
CenLer ln new ?ork ClLy. ln Lhe days and weeks afLer Lhe aLLack, LlberLy SLaLe ark became a sLaglng
ground, playlng a vlLal parL ln rescue and recovery efforLs. 1he Crove of 8emembrance was dedlcaLed ln
2002 ln memory of Lhe llves losL on LhaL Lraglc day.

CysLers have been relnLroduced Lo new ?ork Parbor waLers. Shellflsh are fllLer feeders. 1hls means Lhey
clean waLer by feedlng on plankLon and waLerborne deLrlLus. Cne oysLer can fllLer up Lo 30 gallons of
waLer a day. Many clLlzen groups and governmenL agencles work acLlvely Lo resLore and proLecL Lhe
esLuary's naLural resources.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es:
1. LlsL Lwo ways humans have modlfled Lhe landscape.
2. (CpLlonal) PlsLorlcal land cover and land use paLLerns ln Lhls area conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe degradaLlon of
Lhe soll and waLer. Look around for human efforLs aL land re[uvenaLlon and sLewardshlp here. lanLlng
Lrees and Lhe flshlng llne recycllng bln are Lwo. Can you flnd Lwo more?
3. (CpLlonal) name some ways you and your famlly en[oy Lhe Parbor LsLuary. uo you flsh, boaL, swlm,
shorewalk, kayak, blrd waLch, eLc.? (CS1 1C ?Cu8 LCC)

Data Sources
Army Corp of Lnglneers - www.nan.usace.army.mll/pro[ecL/new[ers/facLsh/
lederal 8ureau of lnvesLlgaLlon - hLLp://www.fbl.gov/news/sLorles/2004/[uly/blackLom_073004
LlberLy SLaLe ark - hLLp://www.llberLysLaLepark.org
Wlklpedla - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/8lack_1om_exploslon
Muddy Waters
CoordlnaLes: 40 41 622 -74 03 437

woypolot 11 oo Coloq coostols N-NI notbot stooty co-ulscovety 1toll lo llbetty 5tote lotk, cocbes JevelopeJ
by Coloq coostol, loc. (www.qoloqcoostol.otq) os o speclol ptoject lo offlllotloo wltb CtoooJspeok ooJ soppott ftom
tbe N-NI notbot stooty ltoqtom ooJ tbe New oqlooJ lotetstote wotet lollotloo coottol commlssloo.

Descr|pt|on:
1he cache ls near Lhe sLreeL llghL posL Lagged wlLh Lhe word wOMlNC, face norLh aL Lhe fence. 1he
cache ls an exploraLlon of Lhe geology and ecology of a Lldal mudflaL.

lnLerLldal mudflaLs are lmporLanL ln Lhe funcLlonlng of Lhe new ?ork-new !ersey Parbor LsLuary
ecosysLemsPudson 8lver sllL conLlnuously deposlLs and bullds Lhe mudflaL weLland.

1he mudflaL ls nesLled ln a shelLered nook LhaL ls proLecLed from wave acLlon, called a cove. 1he
lack of energy from Lhe ocean waves enLerlng Lhe cove ls Lhe reason why Lhe mud ls allowed Lo
bulld up and form Lhe mudflaL. 1he sedlmenLs whlch consLlLuLes as mud are so small LhaL lf
waves were able Lo reach Lhe mudflaLs Lhey would slmply wash lL ouL Lo sea. Mud requlres a
low energy envlronmenL ln order Lo seLLle from suspenslon and form Lhe mudflaLs we see.

1he mud ls dark and rlch wlLh nuLrlenLs LhaL floaL ln wlLh Lhe Llde Lwlce a day. lor sedlmenLs Lo be called
mud, Lhe parLlcle slze musL be less Lhan 1/16mm (sllL slze ls 1/16 -1/123mm, clay ls less Lhan 1/123mm).
Cver Llme as more sedlmenLs accumulaLe on Lop of Lhe mud, lL exudes pressure on Lhe mud whlch
compacLs lL and force ouL any alr and waLer Lrapped beLween lLs pore spaces. CemenLaLlon may Lhen
occur and Lhe mud would be Lransformed from sofL sedlmenLs Lo a hard mudrock.

Mudrocks make up 63 of all sedlmenLary rocks because of Lhe parenL mlneral Lhey are made from. 1he
clay ln mudrocks are alLered from Lhe mosL abundanL mlneral feldspar, whlch ls unsLable aL surface
condlLlon. 8lack organlc-rlch mudrocks are someLlmes referred Lo as "source rocks" for oll and gas.
1haL's because some of Lhe organlc maLLer Lrapped lnslde Lhe mud Lransformed lnLo oll and gas as Lhe
mud was burled and warmed by Lhe earLh.

1hough Lhere ls no oll and gas aL Lhls locaLlon, Lhe mud over Llme wlLh lncrease burlal by oLher
sedlmenLs can from many dlfferenL rock Lypes. 1he flrsL ls a sedlmenLary rock called a
mudsLone/mudrock. Mudrocks may or may noL conLaln flsslle shale lamlnaLed beds. LamlnaLed means
Lhe rock has many Lhln layers and flsslle means Lhe rock can be spllL lnLo Lhln pleces along Lhese
lamlnaLlons. lf Lhe mudrock does conLaln flsslle shale lamlnaLed beds, lLs commonly referred Lo as a
shale. WlLh lncreaslng heaL and pressure Lhe mudrock wlll begln Lo meLamorphose or change forms
wlLhouL melLlng. lL wlll flrsL become Lhe meLamorphlc rock slaLe, Lhen phylllLe, Lhen schlsL, and flnally
gnelss wlLh pressure and LemperaLure lncreaslng wlLh each rock-form.


1he mudflaL Loday ls a place were fresh waLer from Lhe Pudson 8lver mlxes wlLh salL waLer from Lhe
ALlanLlc Ccean. 1hls area were fresh waLer mlxes wlLh salL waLer ls called an esLuary. ln Lhe n?-n!
Parbor LsLuary Lhe mudflaL ls noL Lhe only place sedlmenLs are bullL up. SedlmenLs are also deposlLed ln
channels and Lhe salL marsh. When Lhe rlse ln sea level ouLpaces a marsh's maxlmum susLalnable raLe of
accreLlon (speed of sedlmenL bulld up), Lhe marsh gradually submerges unLll lL can no longer susLaln
vegeLaLlon and becomes mudflaL, a faLe referred Lo as ecologlcal drownlng." 1he process of Lhe
mudflaL formaLlon conslsLs of Lhree sLages: deposlLlon-consolldaLlon, sweep-ouL and evaporaLlon
processes.
Pudson 8lver sllL conLlnuously deposlLs and bullds Lhe lnLerLldal mudflaL weLland. 1he mudflaLs are
devold of vegeLaLlon, meanlng Lhere ls no planL llfe growlng ln Lhe mud. uesplLe lLs empLy appearance,
Lhe mudflaL ls valuable as a hablLaL and feedlng grounds for many specles of wlldllfe.

1he mudflaLs are devold of vegeLaLlon, meanlng Lhere ls no planL llfe growlng ln Lhe mud. 1he mud ls
made of very flne sedlmenL. A sheen of mlcroalgae covers Lhe surface and helps Lo Lrap sedlmenL. 1he
mud lLself ls home Lo bacLerla, mlcroscoplc algae and a varleLy of lnverLebraLes (sofL bodled), such as
clams, mussels, snalls, flddler crabs and worms LhaL burrow lnLo Lhe muck. Shoreblrds and waLerfowl go
here Lo feed.

lf lL ls low Llde, you wlll see Lhe exposed layer of mud and narrow sLreams of waLer LhaL flow Lhrough lL.
1he surface ls a muddy qulcksand. MudflaLs draw ln polluLanLs and remove heavy meLals from waLer,
and Lherefore conLaln large concenLraLlons of heavy meLals. lf you look aL Lhe surface of Lhe mud you
wlll see holes. under Lhe mud, burrowlng crusLaceans breaLhe oxygen Lhrough Lubes aL Lhe surface.

Can you smell LhaL smell? 1he smell ls noL sewage or polluLlon. 1he smell ls gas from anaerobes, a
bacLerlum LhaL llves ln Lhe oxygen poor mud. 1he mlcrobe geLs gassy from dlgesLlng decaylng organlc
maLLer and releases hydrogen sulflde, a polsonous gas LhaL smells of roLLen eggs.

lf lL ls hlgh Llde, Lhe mudflaL wlll be underwaLer buL you wlll sLlll see phragmlLes, also called common
reeds. 1here are naLlve sLralns, buL exoLlc lnvaslve phragmlLes esLabllshes a monoculLure (low dlverslLy
ecosysLem) and crowd-ouL naLlve weLland grasses and planLs. lLs seeds were carrled Lo Lhe mudflaL by
wlnd and Llde and Lhe Lall reed rapldly colonlzed Lhe edge of Lhe mudflaL. LlberLy SLaLe ark's naLural
area has been lnvaded by oLher exoLlc specles.

lnLerLldal mudflaLs are an lmporLanL hablLaL ln Lhe new ?ork-new
!ersey Parbor LsLuary ecosysLems. 1he mudflaLs proLecL Lhe waLer
quallLy ln Lhe esLuary and keep Lhe shorellne from erodlng.
Shallow bracklsh waLer floods Lhe mudflaL wlLh each Llde.
SLormwaLer runoff supplles freshwaLer Lo Lhe mudflaL. lL ls Lhe
over flow or runoff waLer from raln downpours or snowmelL.
WlLhouL Lhe buffer of Lhe mudflaLs, sLorm waLer can carry
conLamlnanLs lnLo Lhe esLuary, cause floods and affecL
groundwaLer. MudflaLs are fraglle hablLaLs LhreaLened by
polluLlon, eroslon and belng submerged by rlslng sea levels.

leaLures llke dlnosaur fooLprlnLs, skeleLal remalns, wave lmpresslon, and sea shells are found fosslllzed
ln rocks LhaL were once sofL sedlmenLs llke Lhe ones ln Lhe mudflaLs. 1hese fosslls can unlock whaL
occurred ln Lhe pasL such as volcanlsm and even lndlcaLe envlronmenLs.

Logg|ng Act|v|t|es:
1. Why does Lhe sedlmenL from Lhe bay seLLle Lhere?
2. What would happen to the mudflat if it was subjected to prolong periods of turbulent waters?

Data Sources:
Army Corp of Lnglneers - hLLp://www.nan.usace.army.mll/pro[ecL/new[ers/facLsh/pdf/lsp/shpo.pdf
u.S. Ceologlcal Survey - hLLp://Lln.er.usgs.gov/geology/sLaLe/sgmc-llLh.php?code=1.2.2
Wlklpedla - hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/MudflaL
MudflaL lmage - oregoncoasL.com