Take a Voyage to the Depths of the Hudson, and Stay Dry

POSTED September 1, 2007

There are river views and then there are river views, the kinds that can be captured only with the aid of scuba gear and underwater camera. On Saturday, Sept. 15, the River Project presents “Live! From the Bottom of New York Harbor,” a real-time, real-life look at what is churning down deep in the Hudson.
As divers explore that watery underworld around Pier 40, near Houston Street, viewers on land will see what they see and hear them describe it, too. Oysters, crabs, sponges and a variety of fish and flora may come into view.
Clay Hiles, executive director of the Hudson River Foundation, will be master of ceremonies for the free evening of events, which also will include recent footage from other explorations of the health and diversity of underwater populations around Manhattan. Scientists will discuss the sounds of local fish species and the return of oysters to the Lower Manhattan waterfront.
Millions of federal dollars will be funding the restoration of habitats in New York harbor and dives like this one can provide important observations, said Cathy Drew, executive director of the River Project. (Housed for nearly 20 years on Pier 26 in Tribeca, the River Project is temporarily headquartered at Pier 40.)
“One question is, what kind of habitats do we want to restore?” she said. “What are some of the degraded habitats that we could encourage to be more productive?”
If scientists find small groups of oysters reproducing and doing well over a number of years, for example, Drew said they may want to seed new, nascent oyster reefs around the harbor. “But if we don’t find that, there’s no point in pouring money into it.”
“Live! From the Bottom of New York Harbor” takes place rain or shine from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Pier 40 Picnic House.

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