MARINE MOVEMENT SCIENCES ... RESEARCH AND CENTER QUALITY OF LONG STATE ISLAND UNIVERSITY OF SOUND NEW YORK WATERS, 1971 TECHNICAL BY REPORT C. D. HARDY SERIES :# 17 PREPARED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE NASSAU-SUFFOLK REGIONAL PLANNING BOARD '"- - I Technical Report No. 17 MOVEMENT AND QUALITY OF LONG ISLAND SOUND WATERS, 1971 C. D. Hardy November 1972 ~ Prepared with support from the Nassau-Suffolk Regional Planning Board Marine Sciences Research Center State University of New York Stony Brook, New York 11790 ABSTRACT The hydrographic features of lower New York Bay, upper New York Bay, the East River, Long Island Sound, and Block Island Sound are described. Winter-formed bottom water exhibits a seasonal lag in warming in the Central Basin of Long Island Sound. The persistence into summer of this colder and denser bottom layer indicates limited mixing. The stagnation of this bottom water is promoted by the seasonal formation of a weak to moderate thermocline and the inhibition of exchange with Block Island Sound water by the presence of a submarine ridge. A heavy biological oxygen demand is imposed upon the bottom water by the introduction of oxidizable organic matter from the New York metropolitan area. The depletion of dissolved oxygen is correlated on an annual basis in accord with the frequency and strength of winds. In summer, prolonged periods of calm intensify the vertical stratification, causing seriously lowered dissolved oxyge n concentrations in the bottom layer. Maximum concentrations of nutrients (ammonia, ure a, orthophosphate) for the region were found in the upper East River, r e flecting the fact that 43 percent of the sewage from the New York City municipal system discharges into the upper East River. Urea concentrations in the East River we re higher than previously reported. The presence of urea at these concentrations reflects the untreate d quality of sewage entering this water body. A two-layered transport system is proposed by which the n e t transport of East River water into Long Island Sound may be explained. This estuarine circulation provides a mechanism by which East River pollutants e nter Long Island Sound. CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION . 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 8 SAMPLING AND ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES . 8 WATER TEMPERATURE 9 SALINITY AND DENSITY . 16 DISSOLVED OXYGEN 24 REACTIVE PHOSPHATE . 28 AMMONIA 28 UREA 33 CHLOROPHYLL 33 TURBIDITY 41 WATER MASS TYPES . 41 MATTITUCK SILL 43 WIND 53 CIRCULATION 57 REFERENCES 63 APPENDIX - Formulas for Metric - English 65 Conversion LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Geographic Features of Long Island Sound 1 2 Geographic Features of New York Harbor and East River 2 3 Station Locations of Cruise 7101 3 4 Station Locations of Cruise 7101, New York Harbor 4 and East River 5 Station Locations of Cruise 710701 5 6 Station Locations of Cruise 7102 6 7 Station Locations of Cruise 7102, New York Harbor 7 and East River 8 Surface Temperature, Cruise 7101 10 9 Temperature Profile, Cruise 7101 11 10 Wind Data at Execution Rock, N.Y. 13 11 Surface Temperature, Cruise 7102 14 12 Temperature Profile, Cruise 7102 15 13 Surface Salinity, Cruise 7101 17 14 Salinity Profile, Cruise 7101 18 15 Temperature and Salinity Profiles, East River, 19 Cruise 7101 16 Density Profile, Cruise 7101 20 17 Surface Salinity, Cruise 7102 21 18 Salinity Profile , Cruise 7102 22 19 Density Profile, Cruise 7102 23 20 Surface Dissolved Oxygen, Cruise 7101 25 21 Surface Dissolved Oxygen Profile, Cruise 7102 26 22 Dissolved Oxygen Profile, Cruise 7102 27 23 Reactive Phosphate, Cruise 7101 29 24 Reactive Phosphate, Cruise 7102 30 25 Ammonia, Cruise 7101 31 26 Ammonia, Cruise 7102 32 27 Urea, Cruise 7101 34 28 Urea, Cruise 7102 35 29 Chlorophyll A, Long Island Sound, Cruise 7101 36 iv Figure Page 30 In Vivo Chlorophyll A, Long Island Sound, Cruise 7102 37 31 In Vivo Chlorophyll A Profile, Long Island Sound 38 Cruise 7102 32 Abundance of Urea, Ammonia, Chlorophyll A and 39 Turbidity Measured Between Lower New York Bay and Western Long Island Sound, Cruise 7101 33 Chlorophyll A, Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity and 40 Temperature Measured Between Lower New York Harbor, East River, and Western Long Island Sound, Cruise 7102 34 Temperature-Salinity Correlation and Water Mass Types 42 in Long Island Sound, Cruise 7101 35 Temperature-Salinity Correlation and Water Mass Types 42 in Long Island Sound, Cruise 7102 36 Temperature, Long Island Sound, Cruise 7102 44 37 Temperature Profile, Eastern Long Island Sound, 45 Cruise 7102 38 Temperature Profile, Central Long Island Sound, 46 Cruise 7102 39 Salinity, Cruise 7102 47 40 Salinity Profile, Eastern Long Island Sound, 48 Cruise 7102 41 Salinity Profile, Central Long Island Sound, 49 Cruise 7102 42 Dissolved Oxygen, Cruise 7102 50 43 Dissolved Oxygen Profile, Central Long Island Sound, 51 Cruise 7102 44 Dissolved Oxygen Profile, Central Long Island Sound, 52 Cruise 7102 45 Wind Data 55 46 Percentage Probability of Calm Periods During 56 July and August 47 Tidal Currents in New York Harbor and the East River, 58 Three Hours After Low Tide at the Battery 48 Tidal Excursion With Depth at Three Locations in the 60 East River 49 General Water Circulation in the East River 61 v r-----~----~----1r----~-----L----_r-----i----~-----.------L-----~----~--~,41°30· ...~ ... 25M~· "· · "···" ·"·L~"" ·· · ...... 25M r.-..... :: .. ...... .. ... 41°00' I-' KILOMETERS o !SO , ----,---- 1 o ~ STATUTE MILES --7..L..2-0--~J'40030' 74° 730 Fig . 1 . Geographic features of Long Island Sound . A. Rikers Island 1. Housatonic River Q . Stamford , Conn . B. Throgs Neck J . New Haven Harbor R. Mattituck C. Execution Rock K. Connecticut River S . Shoreham D. Hempstead Harbor L . The Race T . Roanoke Point E. Matinicock Point M. Block Island Sound U. Area of Sill Depth F. Eatons Neck N. East River Maximum (24 m) G. Cable & Anchor Reef O. Hell Gate V. Long Sand Shoal H. Port Jefferson P . Smithtown Bay W. Six Mile Reef 74'00' ·w Na.. t icol Miles . ....' . I( i lom@~~ oL 45'I, I 'Ib:',' .) , /:.:: \,1 I I :'(1 . rL_u~ml"\;J 1.1 45' .. "Y''l _" ~ . V;.r -:(J~~. .... "-">"\ ;//1¥f.c!~'f\ IA. STATEN . ·D~~ .> ":' .. V ~'?'~ , ~ eA · 8. t:) t:I C. ISLAND o ::0 ~ :. ~. '.., ~ ""'1J '" .. B N ~ 3If 30' My + + 74'00' 45' Fig . 2 . Geographic features of New York Harbor and East River. A. Upper Bay G. Rikers Island N. to Raritan Bay B. Lower Bay H. Whitestone Bridge O. Norton Point C. Narrows I. Throgs Neck t· Sewage Treatment-­ D. The Battery J . Little Neck Bay Secondary E . Hudson River K. Hewlett Point F . Hell Gate L. Execution Rock M. to Sandy Hook Bay 2 r-----~----~----._----~-----L----_r-----L----~-----.------L-----~----~-----141°30· .30 32 !~_~_3~~ 31 _ ~ ...... ....-- __ r c:? ., 3.6 37· 26 -­-- 28 - -..- • .27 41·00' w KILOMETERS o SO I , I " I ' o 30 STATUTE MILES L-----__r- ____-,r- ____~ _______.------~-------L-------r------Ir------~------,-------.-------L-----~1 40°30' 74° 73· 720 Fi g . 3. Station locations of Cruise 7101 , 6- 16 April 1971 . The line shows the location of profiles . 18 • • 19 41 ° I . j j .20 o 10 NAUTICAL MILES 50' 40' 400301 + 82• 40° 74° 50' 40' 73°30' Fig. 4 . Station locations of Cruise 7101, New York Harbor and East River . 4 ""40°50. NEW ROCHELLE WESTCHESTER tIO -5 ° ~ () EXECUTION (iJ ROCK < ~ .... ..;) - r," Ul NECK 73°50. / 40°50. • SEWAGE TREATMENT SECONDARY ~ 1 o 2 3 Fj.g . 5 . Station locati ons of Cruise 710701 , 1 July 1971 . r----L.-- --'-------,.----'---.L.----r----'---------lL----,----...L-----'-----,------,,41°30· CRUISE 7102 9-21 AUGUST 1971 27 \ \ 16\. ,38 "7 \ , 8 '" KILOMETERS o ! oI ~i ? 740 73. STATUTE MILES 30 I 400 30' 720 Fig . 6 . Station locations of Cruise 7102 , 9- 21 August 1971 . The line shows ' p r ofil e l ocati ons . o 5 10 , • , , I I, , l STATUTE MILES o 10 " , , I , KILOMETERS 41°1 . j 40030' .58 + ~7 . l I FI 40° ' 740 73030' Fi g . 7. Station locations of Cruise 7102 , 9- 21 August 1971 , New York Harbor and East River . 7 INTRODUCTION The Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC), State University of New York at St ony Brook, conducted oceanographic cruises during April (Cruise 7101) and August (Cruise 7102) of 1971. The cruise s surveyed Long Island Sound, East River, New York Harbor, New York Bight, and Block Island Sound. This report considers hydrographic features of Block Island Sound, Long Island Sound, East River, and New York Harbor. Comparable features of the New York Bight and adjoining slope water are reported elsewhere (Bowman and Weyl, 1972). Cruise 7101 (Fig. 3) took place during 9-12 April and 15-16 April, a period coinciding with seasonal spring runoff when river discharge into Long Island Sound and adjacent areas is at a maximum. Cruise 7102 (Figs. 6,7) conducted during 9-14 and lS August, surveyed the same area as the April cruise. August is a period of maximum water temperatures, when stratification of the water column is usually most pronounced. A brief cruise in July (Cruise 710701, Fig. 5) on the MSRC's R/V MICMAC, consisting of five stations between Execution Rock and Stony Point in the East River, is included b e cau s e it provides supplementary physical data prior to Cruise 7102. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cruises 7101 and 7102 we r e conducted aboard R/V UNDAUNTED operated by the Cape Fear Technical Institute, Wilmington, N.C. Appreciation is expressed to James Smith and Capt. Jordan, acting for this institution, for their assistance in planning and scheduling these cruises. Chief Scientists were P. K. Weyl for Cruise 7101 and M. Grant Gross for Cruise 7102. Faculty members and students from many institutions contributed their time and energy toward the scientific data collection and sampling: State University of New York (Binghamton, Oswe go, Maritime Colle g e at Fort Schuyler, Suffolk County Community College, Stony Brook), Adelphi University, C.