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Researchers are still trying to pinpoint the precise number of lobster pots, pictured above, abandoned on the Long Island Sound floor. Still active, these traps pose numerous ecological and environmental risks. Photo by Gerald England/Lobster Pots/CC BY-SA 2.0
By Aidan Johnson

Potentially over a million abandoned lobster pots and fishing gear lay on the Long Island Sound floor.

This gear has been left in the Sound for multiple decades, but its impact on marine life is still felt today. [See story, “Ghost fishing,” TBR News Media website, June 4].

While the pots may be old, some still function and can trap lobsters and other aquatic animals, often killing them due to no way to escape. 

Some of the lobster pots, partially made of plastic, are beginning to break down, polluting the water and compounding the environmental and ecological risks posed to marine life.

To stop this maritime mess, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is getting to work. CCE first got involved with ghost fishing after the issue was raised with them by their commercial fishing partners in 2010.

“They had let us know that after the lobster industry crashed in about 1999, they were encountering a lot of derelict lobster pots during their normal operations and that they knew where some of these were,” said Scott Curatolo-Wagemann, senior educator at CCE Suffolk in Riverhead.

“We were able to put together a grant proposal, working with the commercial fishing industry — they had knowledge of where these traps were — to work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to work out a letter that would allow us to do this work,” he added.

‘Right now, we’ve been doing this all on the local fishermen’s knowledge.’ — Scott Curatolo-Wagemann

Since New York State law prohibits anybody except the owner of a lobster trap from removing it, CCE Suffolk pays fishermen a charter fee to remove the pots.

According to a statement updated in March by CCE Suffolk, 19,000 derelict traps have already been removed from the New York waters of the Long Island Sound, equaling an estimated weight of 950,000 pounds.

While there are many more derelict traps, CCE Suffolk is still determining precisely how much longer these efforts will take.

“Right now, we’ve been doing this all on the local fishermen’s knowledge,” Curatolo-Wagemann said. “We are trying to expand it. We’ve applied for some funds to start using side-scan sonar to map out areas that may have high concentrations of traps so that we can kind of [make] a coordinated effort to remove traps,” adding that efforts are underway “to get an estimated amount that may still be out there.” 

State Assemblyman Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor) is working on drafting legislation allowing the state to remove the ghost gear after a designated period, but declined to comment for this updated story.

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One of over a dozen derelict buildings that remain on the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station. File photo by Raymond Janis

UPDATE: The June 29 community availability session at the Port Jefferson Village Center for the Lawrence Aviation Industries Site is postponed. DEC will notify the public once a new community meeting date is scheduled.

To ensure careful and thorough cleanup efforts at the former Lawrence Aviation Industries Superfund Site in Port Jefferson Station, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation scheduled a community availability session at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101 East Broadway, tonight, June 29, from 6-8:30 p.m. This event has been postponed to a later date.

Experts from NYSDEC, the state Department of Health, NYSDEC-contracted engineering and demolition firms, the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services will be available for one-on-one interactions with community members. Multiple stations will be set up at the Village Center, with representatives available to discuss specific areas of interest. 

Participants can attend any time during the session.

The community availability session will present information about the planned demolition, cleanup activities and future use at the LAI Site. Handouts of the presentation materials will be made available during the session.

Eliminating possible exposure to site-related contamination in the local community will be a point of emphasis. The updates include the latest information regarding the planned demolition of derelict buildings and provide progress to address contaminated soils and groundwater on the property.

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A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher
A scene from the 2023 Wet Paint Festival. Photo by Julianne Mosher

By Julianne Mosher

On June 17 and 18, visitors from across Long Island headed to Old Field Farm in Setauket for Gallery North’s 19th annual Wet Paint Festival, a fun-filled weekend to not only admire local artists practicing their craft en plein air, but to see the excitement of a derby. According to Sally Lynch, owner and farm operator, the festival couldn’t have come during a better weekend.

The 2023 Seaside Hunter Derby took place on June 18 on the campus and as the riders competed, over 40 artists took to their canvases to paint and sketch the local scenery and content. 

“All the horse people are thrilled to see their horses painted,” said Lynch. “There’s a reason why the horse remains a constant subject of the arts.”

She added that the day before, the farm hosted vintage riders (ones who ride side saddle) in full old-school costume who also modeled for the artists on-site. 

The two-day festival also featured nature walks courtesy of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, live music by Tom Killourhy and the Keenan Zach Trio, plein air art tours with Jim Molloy and Nancy Bueti-Randall, a history tour with Margo Arceri of Tri-Spy Tours and an animal presentation by Sweetbriar Nature Center.

The event was sponsored by bld Architecture, Jefferson’s Ferry and Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning.

All of the artwork created at the festival will be on display at the Reboli Center for Art and History, 64 Main St., Stony Brook on July 5 through August 27. The public is invited to an opening reception on July 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

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Anthony Masaitis. Photo from Smithtown Central School District

Like most middle school students, Anthony Masaitis, of St. James, went to school to take his final exams. But the week of June 14 was anything but normal for the Nesaquake Middle School sixth grader.

Anthony went “viral” for rescuing a newborn fawn after she fell in his backyard pool on June 11. 

He has since been interviewed by CNN, NBC, CBS and News 12.

“When it fell in the pool, I’m like, ‘She’s not going to make it out,’” Anthony said. “If she goes to the deep end, I’m going to have to jump in.”

He had heard encouraging words from his father, who was recording the encounter. “Just get her out. Just pull her out,” Gregory Masaitis, Anthony’s father, is heard saying on video.

Anthony pulled the baby fawn out, and hours later the Masaitis family said they saw doe and fawn together again in their backyard woods. 

As for Anthony’s newfound fame, he’s taking it in stride. “My friends are like, ‘You’re famous. Can I have your autograph?’”

See video of Anthony’s rescue here.

 

 

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Due to its low-lying topography, the Port Jefferson Fire Department’s station is frequently inundated. Former Mayor Mike Lee suggests this location is inadequate for effectively servicing the public.

Downtown Port Jefferson is coping with longstanding flood concerns, which could intensify in coming years.

During an April 5 climate resilience forum at Village Hall, local architect Michael Schwarting reported that the village’s blend of low-lying topography, subsurface water bodies and rising tides will likely produce even greater flooding risks. [See story TBR News Media website, April 13.]

“Those three things interact with one another to cause the problems that we’ve been having in the past, are still having and will have in a worse way, according to predictions,” Schwarting said.

— Photos by Aidan Johnson

Mike Lee, former mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson, chronicles the past, present and future of Port Jeff’s water challenges.

Mike Lee, former mayor of Port Jefferson who served from 2005 to 2007, is now ringing the alarm over the village’s flooding problems. In an exclusive interview, Lee chronicled the area’s historic water challenges.

Drowned Meadow

Before the 19th century, nearly all of the existing downtown was a salt marsh. The tides would flood the marsh twice daily, giving the area its name, Drowned Meadow.

Lee considers the waters running in and around Port Jefferson an inherent feature of the area’s natural character. And while the land was eventually renamed Port Jefferson, its natural essence remains unaltered. 

“It’s easy to change the name, but it’s hard to change the terrain,” Lee noted.

One of the few remaining patches of unfilled marshland in downtown Port Jefferson, above.

Infrastructure

An elaborate underground stormwater drainage network serves the area, Lee explained, describing the covert system built around the 1930s as “one big tunnel” channeling stormwater from all directions toward Port Jefferson Harbor.

The area’s patchwork of hills exacerbates the flooding problems downtown as the stormwater flows downward into the low-lying areas. 

As downtown developed over time, the impermeable surface area multiplied exponentially. For a place originally named for its flooding issues, development slowly removed vital escape routes for floodwaters to discharge naturally.

“There’s too much restriction” now within the drainage system, Lee said. “So much of the area that would have the normal penetration of water has been [converted] to roofs, parking lots, driveways, roads.”

He added, “It doesn’t have the natural absorption.”

One central covert, seen above, channels the bulk of the area’s floodwaters into Old Mill Creek.

During major flood events, the stress on the stormwater network is most pronounced near Port Jeff’s fire station on Maple Avenue, one of the lowest elevations.

“This is what we’ve come to,” Lee said in the Port Jefferson Fire Department’s garage, pointing to an amphibious high-water rescue vehicle the department requires to leave its station. “I call it ‘The Drowned Meadow Express.’”

“If you’re going to serve the public, you have to be able to get through the puddle,” he added.

Coined ‘The Drowned Meadow Express,’ PJFD requires this high-water rescue vehicle to leave the fire station during flood events.

Possible solutions

Lee indicated that while the fire department has coped with the flooding challenges over time, its current headquarters building is becoming increasingly untenable.

During a May 1 public hearing on code possible changes for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue, multiple residents proposed relocating the fire station to higher ground. 

Lee, an ex-chief of PJFD, concurred with this assessment. “As an emergency service, how can we not be capable of serving the public,” he said.

Lee suggests there are other ways to help resolve the water challenges. He proposed that developers “stop doing what you’re doing,” in terms of increasing impermeable surfaces.

Up the easterly hill at Port Jefferson Country Club, the village recently received a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency in hazard mitigation funds to help stabilize the East Beach bluff. 

Lee suggested policymakers explore similar grant opportunities to address flooding.

“I think if FEMA is going to put money into infrastructure, it should do it where it affects everybody,” the former mayor said.

Despite centuries of water troubles, Lee maintained the village could overcome some of its challenges with proper governmental initiative. 

He encouraged officials to give flooding the appropriate attention, concluding that on the list of local priorities, “It should be right on the top.”

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The SCWA Board is exploring a third billing tier targeting excessive water consumption

Last month, Charlie Lefkowitz, above, took over as chair of the Suffolk County Water Authority Board. He says the SCWA Board is exploring a third billing tier targeting excessive water consumption. Photo courtesy SCWA

By Raymond Janis & Aidan Johnson

As the county enters the hottest and driest months of the year, the Suffolk County Water Authority is urging residents to take preemptive measures to help mitigate potential water shortages.

Last month, commercial real estate developer, Three Village Chamber of Commerce president and former Town of Brookhaven Councilman Charlie Lefkowitz, a Setauket resident, took the helm of the SCWA Board. He takes the reins of the public benefit corporation at a critical juncture in its history.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracked record lows in rainfall throughout the region in 2022, with the county experiencing its sixth driest July on record.

In an exclusive interview, the newly installed SCWA chair maintained that while clean water is essential, the county is facing growing water quality and quantity issues. And with summer weather approaching, he said the water authority’s existing infrastructure would also be feeling the heat.

“Being on the board for the last year, I got some really good insight on how important protecting our groundwater and the constitutional right of everyone in Suffolk County to have clean drinking water,” he said.

Lefkowitz described the county’s water situation as being “very unique,” as it’s one of the largest water districts with a sole-source aquifer, whereby ratepayers receive 100% of their water from the ground.

“We have 1.2 million customers,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of the residents of Suffolk are customers of Suffolk County Water,” adding that the rest primarily rely upon private wells or smaller water districts.

But in some areas, notably along the East End, prolonged droughts coupled with heavy water consumption can put an undue strain on SCWA’s infrastructure.

“The East End and the North Fork get very stressed this time of year,” he said. “When you have pristine lawns, gardening, pools, waterfalls and multiple geothermal” air-conditioning units, the excess strain on SCWA’s pumps can become severe, creating water shortages in some areas of the county.

To counteract these trends, Lefkowitz stressed the need for residents systemwide to limit their water use.

SCWA’s existing billing schematic is two-tiered, placing an upcharge upon customers who exceed 75,000 gallons in a single billing cycle. Given the severity of water quantity challenges as of late, Lefkowitz said the SCWA board is now exploring creating a third tier.

“This is for excessive use of water,” he said. “When you look at someone who has a single-family home of 20-40,000 square feet, but they’re using millions of gallons of water, we have to really look at” disincentivizing overconsumption of water.

Lefkowitz said he is often asked why he promotes water conservation, as the initiative could likely diminish revenues. Given the environmental and financial realities, he maintained the environmental pluses still outweigh the economic minuses.

“We’re in that season now,” he said. “At the end of the day, water conservation is really important.”

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Afternoon winners: Arabella Siegel, Ryan Liebold, Hunter O’Brien. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Tommy Biddle with the sunfish that he caught. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Morning winners, from left, Dominick Ferrentino, Easton Hodge, and Christian McFarland. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Kevy Doring and his grandfather John Mikkelson. Photo by Carol Tokosh
Birdseye view of fishing. Photo by Carol Tokosh

By Carole Paquette

Forty-six junior anglers caught a total of 182 fish at the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve’s 19th annual catch-and-release Junior Fishing Tournament held on Saturday, June 10, at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown.

It was a clear day and the Park’s Willow Pond was active with geese, cormorants, turtles and a loud rapping woodpecker as the 46 jubilant young anglers pulled in all types of fish, examined, then released, them. A large colorful Rainbow Trout brought shouts of surprise and a winning trophy for its angler Hunter O’Brien, who had won a prize last year for catching the most fish.

Kevy Doring, 6, of Northport who was one of the morning anglers, was with his grandfather John Mikkelson. Within five minutes of the start of the tournament Kevy had caught two Panfish, one 7-1/4 inches, the other 8 inches. He eventually caught a third.

Co-chairperson Carol Tokosh said “The Junior Angler Tournament is a wonderful event to teach children how to fish and enjoy nature. It’s such a pleasure to see the smiles and reactions of a child when they catch a fish.”

Winners of the three trophies in the morning session, for those ages five to eight, were Christian McFarland, 6, of St. James, who caught 13 fish to win for Most Fish Caught; Dominick Ferrentino, 7, of St. James who won for Largest Pan Fish Caught, for his 8-3/4 inch Pan Fish; and Easton Hodge, 5, of Smithtown, won for the Largest Other Fish Caught, a 10-1/2” Trout.

Winners in the afternoon session, for those ages nine through twelve, were Arabella Siegel, 11, of Smithtown, who caught 17 fish, and won for Most Fish Caught; Ryan Liebold, 12, of Smithtown, won the award for the Largest Pan Fish Caught for his 9-3/4-inch Pan Fish; and Hunter O’Brien, 9, of Port Washington, won for the Largest Other Fish Caught, a 12-1/2 inch Rainbow Trout.

Several lotteries were held during the afternoon. Evelyn Folandro, 6, of Commack won a fishing rod and tackle box donated by the D’Agostino Family in memory of Mike D’Agostino who was one of the co-founders of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, and a main contributor to the Junior Angler Fishing Tournament.

Carter LeHanka, 12, of Commack won the Fourth Annual Tom Troccodli Memorial Lottery and received a fishing rod and tackle   donated by the Troccoli family. The drawing was held in honor of the late Tom Troccoli of Smithtown who enjoyed fishing and accompanied his grandson at junior angler tournaments. Raffle donors included Camp-Site Sports Shop in Huntington Station, which donated two fishing rods, one for each session, and books about catching bluefish. Carmine Petrone, manager of the fishing department at Camp-Site Sports Shop is a familiar person at the tournament having been one of the judges during these years. Visors that looked like a turtle were also raffled off. Other donors included sponsor The Fisherman magazine which donated the worms, hooks and bobbers.

Robert McCormick from the Diversified Education Curriculum at Stony Brook University made up packets to be put in the goody bags that were given to each angler. The packets contained information about catching fish in New York and Long Island, as well as cards identifying fish that are caught in New York State. Caleb Smith State Park Preserve included information about the park and fishing. Also in the goody bags the Friends group included fun fish-related treats such as puzzles, and goldfish crackers

Tom Tokosh, co-chairperson of the tournament, said “It was a great day. Everyone caught a fish. See you next year.”

 

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From left, Dr. Richard Rugen, Chairman, WMHO; Gloria Rocchio, President, WMHO; Chris Richey, Trustee, WMHO; Dr. Taylor Evans, Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences; Kathleen Mich, Trustee, WMHO; Deborah Boudreau, Education Director, WMHO; Charles Napoli, Trustee, WMHO. In attendance virtually: Jamie Parker, The Fullwood Foundation; Nicole Sarno, Business Manager Director, Business Banking, Webster Bank; Jon Dilley, President, Mill River Wetland Committee. Not pictured: The Frey Family Foundation. Photo from WMHO

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) hosted its third Long  Island Sound Connections Summit last week. This virtual, hands-on collaborative learning program connects  students across Long Island Sound and allows them to conduct their own research to better understand the water  systems in their environment.  

Long Island Sound Connections is the first program to connect both shores with students from New York and  Connecticut — with virtual class check-ins, “summits” where students present their findings, an ongoing collection of  data, and an analysis on that information. The Long Island Sound Connections program was designed to help  students learn about the Long Island Sound and to inspire them to become ‘citizen scientists’ and protect their  environment. The program is offered via distance learning from the WMHO’s Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation  Center (EMCC), where students have front row seats to one of the most pristine natural resources in New York  State.  

Dr. Taylor Evans and WMHO Education Director Deborah Boudreau sharing information with classes about different species (such as horse shoe crabs) that have survived in the Long Island Sound, some for over 445 million years. Photo from WMHO.

WMHO collaborated with Stony Brook University’s Ecology and Evolution Distinguished Professor Jeffrey  Levinton, and Dr. Taylor Evans of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences to  develop a system of data collection parameters for monitoring and analyzing West Meadow Creek’s water quality  and species counts. 

Professor Levinton and Dr. Evans will continue to support WMHO in developing this  multipronged project that seeks to educate the public by providing data representing the creek’s health over time to  the public and researchers. They will also assist participating classes to in continuing to learn about the Long Island  Sound environment on an ongoing basis.  

The third “summit” of classes in this program was between Ms. Michelle Miller and Ms. Doreen Barry’s 6th grade  Science class from Selden Middle School and Ms. Jess Castoro’s 6th grade Science class from Achievement First  Bridgeport Academy Middle School, who worked in collaboration with Mill River Wetland Committee. 

The 2023  “summit” participants have been researching the Sound for six months, and with assistance from professionals in the  field, have learned the environmental impact of industrialization, recent achievements on mitigating the effects, and  how to utilize their data in the future by monitoring the Sound. 

Each class created specialized newscasts to showcase  their findings on the relationships between water quality, animal and plant species, and even with human impact. In  this cross sectional study of the Sound, students compared and contrasted their two environments (suburban and  urban) and presented it to their partner class. 

In addition, the study is longitudinal and seeks to track changes over  time. Data will be added into the WMHOs software to create a data map and timeline to assist environmental  researchers of all ages to understand and appreciate similarities and differences across the Long Island Sound.  

With grants provided by the Fullwood Foundation, the Frey Family Foundation and Webster Bank, this program  was offered to participating classes free of charge. All costs associated with the program were sponsored by these  organizations.  

For more information about the WMHO, on the Long Island Sound Connection program, other historic,  environmental and scientific programs that the WMHO offers, please call 631-751-2244 or visit wmho.org. 

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From left, Dr. Elizabeth Suter, Dominique Di Domenico, and Emily Bonacchi. Photo by Steven Rafalko.

The Gino Macchio Foundation has teamed up with Molloy University to conduct a field sampling campaign to assess the ecosystem and health of the oyster population in the Great South Bay.

The research team led by Dr. Elizabeth Suter, head of the Microbial Ecology Lab at Molloy University, is conducting two scientific studies through the end of August 2023. One aspect of the project involves assessing the ecosystem biodiversity using eDNA, comparing oyster farms, oyster reefs, and other site types. The second involves an analysis of oyster pathogen incidence among oyster populations at a particular site.

The Gino Macchio Foundation’s ongoing Oyster Project focuses their commitment to increase the oyster population to improve the health of our local waterways.

Oysters are one of nature’s most efficient filters of sediment and nitrogen, the excess of which is plaguing our waterways by causing algal blooms that kill off aquatic creatures and their habitats. One adult oyster is capable of filtering 50 gallons of water a day, so the idea is to make sure they have a lot of company!

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About The Gino Macchio Foundation: Established in 2019 as a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, the Foundation’s mission statement “Through the power of giving, ingenuity and education we are creating sustainability while transforming lives and the environment in which we all live” encompasses helping individuals in recovery maintain gainful employment, helping to clean up local waterways, and providing scholarships to graduating High School Seniors. For updates on the project visitwww.ginomacchiofoundation.com.

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A Froglog can save countless animals from drowning.
A Column Promoting a More Earth-friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

Countless numbers of wild animals, from chipmunks and mice to raccoons and skunks drown in in-ground pools every year unable to climb out of the water along the pool edge. (Two chipmunks unfortunately drowned in my pool last year the first day I uncovered the pool and before I had placed several water exiting devices I had in the shed). Smaller reptiles and amphibians drown too.   

There are products you can buy to minimize the chance of wildlife drowning in your pool. They are installed or placed on the edge of the pool and serve as a ramp to allow for animals to climb out. Two products come to mind: 1) Skamper-ramp, for larger animals such as mammals (and your pets!) and 2) Froglogs, effective for smaller animals. Even knotted nylon rope hanging into the water can help smaller mammals escape. Four to six Froglogs or rope are recommended for the average size pool (I placed eight of these to be extra safe).

With these devices in place you can have greater piece of mind knowing your pool is only a place for fun and relaxation!

A resident of Setauket, John Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

 

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