Reason for bright color of Long Island ocean water connected to rare algae bloom

Long Island Morning Edition

The Town of Riverhead has retained an attorney to sue the Town of Southampton over its proposed sewer district for the hamlet of Riverside — a facility that is essential to developing mixed-use housing in the hamlet, as called for by a plan approved by Southampton nearly a decade ago. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Town Board at its meeting last week ratified its authorization for Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard to retain Rockland County attorney Steven Barshov to bring an action against Southampton Town to prevent it from taking any further action “in connection with the Riverside Sewer Treatment Plant and establishing the Riverside Sewer District,” according to the resolution passed by the Town Board July 2.

The lawsuit had not been filed as of yesterday.

The resolution authorizes a lawsuit “for the purpose of enjoining further action” by the neighboring town with regard to its planned sewage treatment plant in Riverside. It is not clear what Riverhead Town’s underlying claims or what the nature of the suit will be.

The Southampton Town Board voted unanimously on May 28 to establish the Riverside Sewer District and set its boundaries. The board on that date also passed a resolution appropriating $44.6 million to establish the district and construct a sewage treatment plant. Southampton has lined up financing from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, the Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Improvement Fund, the County of Suffolk, and other sources.

Riverside is in the Town of Southampton and derives its name from being on the south bank of the Peconic River.

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A Stony Brook University scientist says that a rare oceanic algae bloom is responsible for the unusual turquoise color of the ocean along most of Long Island’s Atlantic coastline since late June.

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that regular beachgoers in recent weeks remarked often at the color of the water, comparing it most often to the bright, light blue of the Caribbean. But unlike Caribbean water, which is typically crystal clear, the waters off area shores have actually been a chalky opaque with visibility of only a couple of feet. Marine science professor and renowned water quality expert Dr. Christopher Gobler said this past Tuesday that after analyzing water samples, the condition appears to be the result of an explosion of a unique but not entirely uncommon aquatic phytoplankton called Coccolithophores. The plankton is a common species in the coastal sea but is usually only present in relatively low densities. But they have been known to see population explosions when certain conditions present themselves, such as sustained winds, with very similar results to what’s been seen locally this summer. "So, why this color? The most distinct trait of Coccolithophore is that they have a shell that is made of calcium carbonate — they’re the only group of phytoplankton that has that,” Gobler said. How long it will take for the water to go back to its usual murky blue-green of summer, Gobler could not say: “I presume this is going to fade away now that the winds are not sustaining, but it’s hard to say how long the color will take to dissipate.”

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The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is providing an opportunity for Long Island museums and historical societies to offer employment and receive assistance from students through the 2024 Gardiner Young Scholars Program. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation created the Gardiner Young Scholars Program to bring youthful energy, skills and interest to local historic sites. The program enables applying historic organizations to engage students between the ages of 15 and 22 to assist them with daily operations. The program requires a selected Young Scholar to complete 100 hours of service and provides a stipend of $1,600 to be paid to the student. To apply for the program, organizations must submit a letter of request to: Gardiner Young Scholars, Terry Tirado, 30 West Main Street, Suite 309, Riverhead, N.Y. 11901. Letters of request must be received by July 31.

For more info visit the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation website at www.rdlgfoundation.org

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The three tidal gates at the Shinnecock Canal are in the midst of a months-long, $4.2 million rehabilitation by Suffolk County that includes the replacement of some components that are as much as 70 years old.

Contractors working for the county’s Department of Public Works began the painstaking process of replacing steel sheets lining the canal bulkheading in January, and the work is expected to run through the fall.

Along with replacing steel that county staff said dates to 1954, the crews are doing regular maintenance of the tidal gates, which is necessary about every 10 years.

Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that boat traffic through the 4,000-foot canal is not being impeded by the work. The canal sees an estimated 27,000 boat transits per year, according to the Atlantic Marine Academy.

To access the steel below the water level the contractors have to create a sealed cofferdam work area that can be pumped clear of water, allowing them to remove and reconstruct portions of the bulkhead that are usually submerged.

The Shinnecock Canal was constructed from 1884 to 1892 at a cost of $12,000 at the narrowest point between Shinnecock and Peconic bays — a site that had been a Native American canoe portage for centuries. The original impetus for the canal’s construction was not just the boon to boat traffic but to boost salinity levels in Shinnecock Bay, which at the time was not permanently connected to the ocean and was suffering from collapsing shellfish populations.

After several different configurations over the first seven decades of the canal’s operation, the current lock and tidal gates system was constructed in 1967.

The current rehab work is being conducted by H&L Contracting and overseen by LK McClean Associates. The project was budgeted at $4.192 million.

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Next year, New York will join California as the only two states in the country to ban the ubiquitous small plastic toiletry bottles in larger hotels beginning Jan. 1, 2025. Washington State has passed a bill to phase out plastic toiletries by Jan. 1, 2027, and other states are weighing similar measures. Claire Fahy reports in THE NY TIMES that the New York State ban will only apply to hotels with 50 or more rooms. Hotels will be fined $250 for initial violations and $500 for further infractions. The money raised will be funneled to the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

Hotels and motels with fewer than 50 rooms will need to comply with the law beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

The bill was originally introduced in the New York State Legislature in 2019 by Todd Kaminsky, a former state senator, and Steven Englebright, a former state assemblyman who is now a Suffolk County legislator. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the measure into law in 2021, but its implementation was delayed to give hotels a chance to use the small bottles they had already purchased, Mr. Englebright said.

“New York is the size of many countries, so New York’s role is watched,” Mr. Englebright said. “When we do something important, it has the potential to be looked at as a model for our sister states.”

The ban reflects a nationwide push to reduce plastic waste in the hotel industry. The InterContinental Hotels Group and Marriott are among the larger chains that have pledged to curb their reliance on plastic, starting with toiletry bottles.

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A wire mesh receptacle crafted in the form of a giant fish has been gobbling up recyclable cans and bottles at Riverhead Town’s Iron Pier Beach in Northville, helping to keep the beach — and Long Island Sound — clean. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Riverhead Town’s new receptacle was created by local sculptor Clayton Orehek, sponsored by the town’s litter committee with support from National Grid.

Inspired by Yoshi and Goby, fish-shaped wire receptacles have been helping keep beaches clean in India and Bali for several years

The creative 4-foot by 6-foot Riverhead receptacle was installed last fall and emptied for the first time yesterday. The Riverhead Town Buildings and Grounds Division did the honors, with local officials gathered around for the event. The fish held some 300 recyclable containers that might have otherwise littered the beach and wound up in the waters of the Sound, a designated estuary of national significance, where they would pose a threat to marine life.

The containers will be processed for recycling by Riverhead’s solid waste contractor Waste Management, town officials said.

Riverhead Town Litter Committee Chairperson Deborah Wetzel said the fish receptacle draws attention to the need to properly dispose of wastes, especially on the shorelines, to keep the water clean and protect fish and other marine life who live in the waters and along the shore.

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A marina owner - whose plans to build a pair of yacht storage buildings on Mattituck Inlet which faced steep public opposition - said he will downsize his project after the Suffolk County Planning Commission rejected his application. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Jeff Strong, owner of the family-run Strong’s Yacht Center, said this past Tuesday he plans to reduce the scope of the proposal, which calls for two storage warehouses totaling 101,500 square feet to store up to 88 boats.

Heated winter storage is in demand as yachts become more sophisticated, Strong said. But in a report and subsequent vote to deny the application, the planning commission validated concerns raised by neighbors and environmentalists.

“It is evident that the proposed project … will result in significant negative environmental impacts,” the report said.

The project called for clearing a forested hillside of 600 oak and beech trees and excavating nearly 135,000 cubic yards of sand that would be hauled away using an estimated 9,000 truck trips.

An environmental review found the construction would impact traffic and noise and potentially worsen flooding, since excavating would create a “bowl” on the property.

Mattituck Inlet is not wide or deep enough to remove the sand using a barge to reduce tractor trailer traffic, the report said.

The planning commission rejected the application in an 8-4 vote on June 20. But Southold’s local planning board voted 4-0 Monday to delay a final decision until Aug. 5, allowing Strong time to revise his plans.

On Wednesday, Strong did not specify what changes would be made, only that there would be “significantly less” square footage and excavation required.

Strong faces a July 22 deadline to submit revised plans ahead of the August town planning meeting.

Strong, 67, said the storage facilities must be built on site because transporting yachts larger than 60 feet by truck is “just not realistic.”

He said the company is trying to address concerns while remaining a viable shipyard.

“Working waterfront is very much under pressure, because the highest and best return for us as a family and property owner would be to sell it for development.”