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David Ansel

David Ansel, vice president for the Center for Water Protection, presenting the report’s results at a press conference on May 20. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

On May 20, Save the Sound, an environmental organization that analyzes the water quality of the Long Island Sound, compiled data revealing updated scores of beaches along Long Island’s coastline. The biennial report focuses on beach water quality, bacteria levels and swimming safety. 

The report was launched at a conference at Centerport Beach, with Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R) and Cornell Cooperative representatives present as Save the Sound Vice President of the Center for Water Protection David Ansel presented the grades, challenges and solutions for the Long Island Sound water quality. 

Using data collected by the departments of health that conduct the beach monitoring,  the beach report department of health, the beach report revealed an increase in wet weather that led to a decline in water quality. Consistently, samples collected within 48 hours of a quarter-inch or more of rainfall revealed diminished water quality. Indeed, there was an overall increase in samples that failed to meet state standards for bacteria concentration (including beaches in Connecticut). 

The grades, ranging from an F to an A+, are determined based on the presence of enterococcus bacteria. Swimmers can become sick if they swim in waters with unsafe concentrations of this fecal indicator bacteria. A failing sample contains 104 colony forming units per 100 ml. 

New York City and other areas surrounding the part of the Long Island Sound known as “the narrows” continue to receive low grades as the water is less often flushed out as opposed to beaches in eastern Suffolk County. 

Samples taken after precipitation contained higher levels of the bacteria suggest that pollutants are getting washed into the water. Ansel said “green infrastructure” can help. Paved areas do not allow for storm water absorption, instead leading runoff, and all the pollutants like oil and debris it picks up on the way, to run straight to the water. 

“We have seen high incidents of wet weather in the last number of years and we believe it is having a negative effect on the scores for the beaches. In our last beach report 78% of the beaches received As and Bs. In this year’s report 72% of the beaches are receiving As and Bs,” Ansel said, adding that we are coming off the wettest two-year stretch with 44 inches of rain. 

Animal waste is a big contributor to the presence of the bacteria in the water. Cleaning garbage, maintaining sewers and planting native plants can help minimize fecal-bacteria contamination. 

Ansel is active in advocating for solutions that would improve the Sound. The same day of the conference, he traveled to Albany to testify that more data is needed regarding algal blooms in saline water. 

“We are hopeful that there will be a conversion of Rikers Island to a water treatment facility that would have a materially positive impact on the Western Narrows of New York City and New York Sound.”

Smyth said the town began harvesting sugar kelp in 2022 and implemented a program for spawning oysters, which help filter the water. Huntington even supplies other municipalities with oysters shell stock to grow. 

“The sugar kelp is native to Long Island and requires little to no effort to grow in Long Island’s bays and harbors. The benefit is it improves water quality by removing harmful nitrogen which causes algae blooms,” Smyth said. 

Deputy Supervisor John McCarron said they harvest the kelp and grind it to a powder, which is then used as fertilizer. 

Although the town has only been harvesting sugar kelp for three years, McCarron said he has noticed  positive growth with marine wildlife diversity, with various species of fish dwelling by the kelp. The presence of wildlife seemed like a good sign. “This means it is doing something to clean up the area,” he said. 

High scoring beaches include Port Jefferson beach and Cedar Beach West, which had an A- and A+ respectively. 

By Sabrina Artusa

The past two years in Suffolk County had the warmest average mean temperature and the warmest average low temperature of any two consecutive years on record.

According to data recorded by the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), January 2023 to January 2025 were the hottest 730 days of the past 42 years. 

The data, recorded at a station in Islip, reported the area’s average mean temperature as 55.1 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the third warmest year following 2023 and 2012, which both experienced an average mean temperature of 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The average low temperature was 47.1 degrees Fahrenheit, tying with 2012 as the warmest average low temperature, followed by 2023 with an average low temp of 47.0, only .1 degrees cooler. 

The years 2023 and 2024 rank high in most of the temperature charts, although 2024 was not among the top five highest average temperatures.

Long Island’s higher than normal temperatures are not unique; according to data obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average temperature of the continental U.S. was the warmest to date. 

Compared to the baseline–the temperature from 1900 to 2000– the average temp of the U.S. in 2024 was almost 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. The base is 52.01 degrees Fahrenheit while 2024 experienced an average of 54.94.

Dr. Elizabeth Watson, an associate professor at Stony Brook University’s Department of Ecology and Evolution, specializes in climate change and its effects on coastal environments. 

According to Watson, global warming is generally felt more intensely in the winter months. As greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane continue to trap heat within our atmosphere, the Earth isn’t releasing heat as rapidly as it has in the past. 

The warming Earth doesn’t reach freezing temperatures as often, resulting in less snow to reflect the solar energy away from the Earth’s surface. 

“Snow affects the seasonal energy balance, so if you have more snow it reflects the light,” Watson said. 

This positive feedback loop has exacerbated warming and explains why there is such a noticeable change of temperature in winter months. 

The temperature increase is an indication of a change that is impacting Long Island weather and ecology. Extreme weather events like storm surges impose a threat not only to the coastal environment, but also infrastructure. 

In December 2023 and January 2024, Long Island experienced a storm surge–when a storm pushes water inland. Watson observed its effects in Patchogue, as water flowed out from the drains, blocks away from the Patchogue Bay. 

“When I think about climate change in this area I think about flooding and high sea levels,” Watson said. “If you have high temperatures that lead to more energetic storms that can lead to more storm surges.” She emphasized the danger flooding would have on Long Island communities, especially coastal towns like Port Jefferson, Northport, and Huntington. 

David Ansel, the vice president of the center for water protection at Save the Sound, interpreted the data in the context of what it means for the Long Island Sound. 

“As it is getting warmer and warmer, that is negatively impacting a number of things,” Ansel said.”One is water pollution and also the actual warming of the water itself, which makes the water less healthy for biodiversity and plant life.”

A warming climate correlates with severe single-day precipitation events, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Heavy rainfall in itself is cause for alarm–it can erode land and damage crops–but the potential for it to cause flooding is among the most detrimental to our community. 

Currently, Watson is studying the causes of forest dieback–a condition that leads trees and plants to weaken or die. Watson said. “Episodic storms seem to play a role. It seems [forest dieback] has accelerated a lot more in the past 10 years. It is not something that has started with Hurricane Sandy.” 

Long Island infrastructure is ill-suited to deal with the mass amount of rainfall that data shows is becoming increasingly common as temperature rises. The data secured from SERCC did not reveal abnormal rain in recent years, but national studies suggest an increase. 

“When it rains a lot in a short amount of time it overwhelms water treatment and for communities,” said Ansel, who is advocating for the replacement of outdated septic tanks and more efficient wastewater facilities. 

The Central and Western Basins of the Long Island Sound are healthy, according to a study released by Save the Sound in 2023 that tested the dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll levels, dissolved organic carbon, and water quality. Port Jefferson, Stony Brook, Old Field, and Nissequogue neighbor border this portion of the sound

The Eastern Narrows, which extend from New York City to Eaton’s Neck, is rated lower.

Increasingly, town officials are approaching Ansel for advice on how to improve their stormwater management and prepare for flooding.