Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Science

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Abstract

This paper addresses how modern policy and an extensive history of unsustainable environmental practices in New York have led to the destruction of the Oyster Reef of New York Harbor and the extreme flooding and pollution in the water system that came from it. The Oyster Reef was seen as a valuable food source going back to the Lenape tribe. Over time, this has served to the detriment of the reef as its resources have been overestimated and depleted. Chapters 1 and 2 use mainly quantitative data to connect the reef's decline to the decline in the quality of seawater and the increase in flooding. Some examples of the quantitative data used in the paper include the Atlantic Oyster population numbers, the amount of oysters consumed per year within the century, and annual flooding rates. Qualitative data is also used in Chapters 1 and 2 to analyze why people viewed the reef as such a valuable and limitless resource and to prove how that led to the exploitation of the reef and its resources. Some examples of the qualitative data used in these chapters include historical sources explaining the cultural importance of the oysters and modern views of the animal. Chapter 2 discusses the problem from a historical angle. It looks at the history of fishing and polluting practices in New York and how that caused the inevitable downfall of the reef. Chapter 3 examines the economic policies currently in place and how they are affecting the state of the reef. Chapter 4 analyzes the political layout of New York. Politics is looked at in this chapter because it is a complicated field that affects the well-being of the city and the city's aquatic environmental health in both beneficial and harmful ways. Chapter 5 discusses solutions to this problem. Many of the solutions relate to the point that replacing the reef is a necessity. Some ways to achieve that include reducing pollution and rebuilding the reef with human intervention. Chapter 5 also discussed how those solutions are the most effective based on the above-mentioned data.

Key Words:

reef , pollution, policy, flooding, estuaries, oyster, climate, water, bay

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