Rutgers Scientist Talks About Balancing Piers and Fish

WHO: Ken Able, professor of marine science at Rutgers University and director of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station in Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

WHAT: Talk by Able on “The Association of Piers and Fishes in the Lower Hudson: Historical and Current Perspectives”

WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 3

WHERE: The Hudson River Foundation, Suite 915, 17 Battery Place, New York City

BACKGROUND: In 2008, Ken Able and colleague Thomas Grothues used sophisticated sonar mounted in the hull of a small kayak to study fishes under and near certain piers on the Hudson River waterfront in New York City. Their work, funded by the Hudson River Foundation, was intended to increase the understanding of how fish and piers interact. His preliminary results indicate that there are trade-offs involved in building piers between economic and social benefits and ecological consequences for some species of fish.