Operation: Recover the American Lobster Population of the Long Island Sound

1. Increase Temperatures • Increase Greenhouse Gases (CO2) Increased Bacterial Growth • Nonpoint Source • Pollution • Eutrophication Shell Disease • Decreased Dissolved Oxygen • Increased Hypoxia • (Suffocation) • Lobster Death • Operation: Recover the American Lobster Population of the Long Island Sound • Monika Brzostowska, Anastasia Deda, Elissa Olivera, Jiemin Yang at Queens College Conclusions • Mixing: • Have meeting to obtain government funding • Set up the first center with a large jet in New Rochelle and add ten smaller jets that are attached to docks and on Sound floor in Hudson Beach (New Rochelle) by the year 2022. • Set up the second center with a large jet in Glen Cove and add ten smaller jets in PrybilBeach (Glen Cove) by the year 2032. • Set up the third and final center with a large jet in Wards Island and add the final ten smaller jets in Hell Gate (Wards Island) by the year 2042. • Install mesh protection around jets Briefing Aeration: Why We chose it? To add dissolved oxygen into LIS • American Lobster (Homarusamericanus) population declined by 90% in Western LIS and 60-80% in Central LIS in 1990s • Due to 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degree F) increase in temperature between 1979-2002 • Since then LIS lobster population has not increased by more than 5% • We aim to recover LIS lobster population by 85% of current population by 2102 • Why Are Lobsters Needed: • Food/Income Source • Preserve Biodiversity in LIS • Important for flow of energy • Why Should You Care? • 2011: Cases of people dying after eating LIS lobsters • 70% of Western Long Island Sound lobsterman lost 100% of fishing income • Pros: • Similar projects have already been carried out in different locations. • Waterfall of similar design and cost on the Brooklyn Bridge funded as artistic structure without government assistance. • High chance that we will receive funding based on a previous example • Cons: • Localized effects: Damage area and environment where it’s built • Expensive: Estimated cost per waterfall is $15 million (we are building ten) • Not proven that it will generate enough oxygen to recover lobster population by 85% • Reducing Atmospheric CO2: • Get rid of PlaNYC proposed by Mayor Bloomberg by 2013 • Issue rationing for how much carbon emissions each building can produce by 2020 • Build devices that capture carbon dioxide produced 2020 • Increase the efficiency of how electricity is made by 2030 • Build a nuclear power plant to provide for 80% of NYC’s electricity by 2030 Fig. 2. This figure shows three approaches we focused on when creating strategies that most effectively assess our issue of recovering the lobster population. These approaches pinpoint the two main components of the cause and effect flow chart (Fig. 1) and incorporate the reality of solving this problem in the public world. All four of our strategies were derived from these three approaches. Mixing: Why we chose it? Most effective way distribute dissolved oxygen to benthic levels in LIS • Pros: • Effective, low cost waste treatment jet models to base our design Doesn’t take long to build • Cons: • Effects land directly around jet sites • May create too much turbulence for organisms Fig. 4. This image shows a previous model of our aeration strategy. The waterfall increases dissolved oxygen in LIS through turbulence. Increasing oxygen means more oxygen will sink to the benthic levels providing more oxygen to the bottom dwelling lobsters. This added oxygen will be mixed by installed jets on the LIS floor. Capping CO2 in NYC: Why We Chose it? In order to make sure other strategies will continue to be effective Figure1. Main Causes of Lobster Decline • Pros: • Prevents further increase of water temperature • Not solely aimed at LIS • Targets primary cause of issue • Cons: • Very unlikely strategy will work • NYC unlikely to sustain levels of 450 ppm in given time period • CO2 has very long life span • Nuclear power plant will cause increase runoff into LIS Figure 2.Tactics for Recovering Lobster Population Tactics Education: Why We Chose it? Without it we wouldn’t receive the necessary funding and the damage would continue to get worse • 1) Aeration: • Add dissolved oxygen to LIS • Construct 10 artificial waterfalls in the Western part of the LIS by 2032 similar in design to that underneath the Brooklyn Bridge (Figure 2.) • Monitor waterfall efficiency for 5years to determine whether beneficial to install more • 2) Mixing: • Mix dissolved oxygen into LIS • Install jets underneath beach docks and on Sound floor to increase mixing of water in benthic zone (where the lobsters are) by 2042 • 3) Reduce Atmospheric CO2 In NYC: • Sustain levels of atmospheric CO2 at 450ppm so there is only a 50% chance that temperatures will rise more than 2°C by 2100 • 4) Public Awareness: • Educate NYC’s public and young generation about the negative effects of climate change on the Long Island Sound lobster population • Increased knowledge about issue = More willing to donate = higher chance strategies will succeed • Pros: • Educating public decreases amount of damage done to environment • Very low cost • Receive necessary funding from donations • Cons: • Public won’t care about issue even after educated • Great chunk of donations come from public awareness Fig.3. This map shows the dissolved oxygen levels in the LIS. The lowest and most severe levels are concentrated in the Western LIS and gradually become less severe as you move eastward. This map shows the locations in which we will first start implementing our aeration/mixing strategies. The red area on map is the area that will be used to measure the effectiveness of waterfalls. It shows how severe the lack of oxygen is in the LIS. • Public Awareness: • Via Website • Create an “Operation: Save the Lobsters of the LIS” website • Upload research about issue (every 6 months) • Create Donation page • Via Social Media •  Build a social media marketing team by 2014. • Build a Facebook page where we update about lobster study in Long Island Sound • Use Social Media to promote website • Use Twitter to expand our awareness-raising campaign • Schedule and promote family and fundraising events regarding our cause • Promote contests: donate $5 and might win free snorkling session in LIS Plan of Attack Fig. 1. This figure shows the main factors that work to decrease the lobster population in the LIS. It is organized in a cause and effect flow, designating which environmental conditions lead to the death of lobsters. From this chart we focused on trying to assess increasing temperatures and decreasing dissolved oxygen. Increasing temperature is the primary cause of the lobster death. Although assessing nonpoint source pollution as opposed to decreased dissolved oxygen seems the most logical, it is not the most practical as this type of pollution does not have an identifiable origin making it very difficult to asses. • Aeration: • Estimate the cost of the waterfalls - 1 month • Find sponsors, Create a website that has a donation section • Find investors to invest in our cause, apply for grants – 5 years • Get a permit from NY state government to build the bridge - 5 months • Close off the area for construction and get base of waterfall in – 5 months • Construct waterfall with 135 feet height and 90 feet width – 1 year • Have the opening ceremony for the waterfall (get the public more aware and involved during this ceremony) – 1 Day • Run waterfalls from 7am-9pm each day Reference Figure 4. “Falling Oxygen” Barringer , Felicity. "A Market in Emissions Is Set to Open in California." New York Times. 13 2012: n. page. Web. City of New York, . "PlaNYC Report." nytelecom. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov 2012. Friedman, Robert M., and Rosina Bierbam. 58-65. Web. Public Art Fund, . "OlafurEliasson:The New York City Waterfalls." Public Art Fund , 2008. Web. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. Siemens Water Technologies Corp, . (2009): n. page. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. Implementation Timeline • Get rid of PlaNYC 2013 • Rationing of CO2 emissions 2020 • Build CO2 capturing devices 2025 • Decide whether to construct more waterfalls 2042 • Install 2nd jet center Glen Cove 2032 • Build nuclear power plant 2035 ….. 2102 2042 2032 2012 2022 • Build social media team 2014 • Increase efficiency of electricity 2030 • Atmospheric CO2 levels sustained at 450 ppm 2100 • Construct 10 waterfalls in Western LIS 2032 • Installjetcenter New Rochelle 2022 • Install 3rd jet center Hell Gate 2042