Research

With its lush greenery and protected estuarine waters, Hudson River Park serves as a vital habitat and travel corridor for numerous fishes, birds, crustaceans and insects. Monitoring the frequency with which these animals use the Park’s land and waters provides valuable information about the health and future of these populations.

Information gathered from Hudson River Park’s environmental monitoring initiatives inform decisions about Park management and operations. In addition, these environmental monitoring projects serve as opportunities for students and the public to engage with the Park’s River Project in interactive, hands-on ways. Data from these projects also supports larger research initiatives that are helping protect and restore wildlife and natural resources on local, regional and national levels.

Fish

Hudson River Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary is home to over 85 species of fish. The Park monitors the presence and diversity of fish year-round using multiple surveying methods, including a fish collection survey and environmental DNA research.

Oysters

Oysters are filter feeders that clean waterways, protect our shorelines and build habitat. The Park leads several studies to research and restore this keystone species in the Estuarine Sanctuary.

Water Quality

The Park maintains in-water devices called sondes that provide a real-time feed of river conditions such as temperature, salinity, pH, and the like.

Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution harms our local waterways and wildlife. The Park is committed to addressing this issue through microplastic research, shoreline debris surveys and the Park Over Plastic initiative.

Environmental DNA

Environmental DNA, or eDNA, sampling is a useful technique that Park scientists are using to gain a greater understanding of local fish biodiversity and population dynamics.

Report and Data Archive

Read reports and data from Hudson River Park's River Project research on topics that include Environmental DNA (eDNA), oysters, plastic pollution and more.

Historic Research

Explore a compilation of work from our partners and other agencies that has informed our understanding of the Sanctuary, its habitat and the health of its organisms.

Visiting Scholars Program

Are you an NYC scientist studying local ecology? Hudson River Park invites academic institutions, researchers, and industry scientists to make use of its resources to conduct self-driven research that further scientific understanding of the Lower Hudson Estuary.