Operation: Recover the American Lobster Population of the Long Island SoundMonika Brzostowska, Anastasia Deda, Elissa Olivera, Jiemin Yang at Queens College

Plan of Attack

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 5 years 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

Tactics

Conclusions

Reference

Briefing

American Lobster (Homarus americanus) 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

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

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

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 Prybil Beach (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

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

 

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, . "Olafur Eliasson: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.

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.

Recover Lobster Populati

on

Increase Dissolved Oxygen

Decrease Temperatu

res

Public Awareness

Figure 2.Tactics for Recovering Lobster Population

Shell Disease

Lobster Death

Increase Greenhouse Gases (CO2)

Increased Bacterial Growth

Nonpoint Source Pollution

Eutrophication

Decreased Dissolved Oxygen

Increased Hypoxia(Suffocation)

Increase Temperatures

Figure1. Main Causes of Lobster Decline

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.

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.

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.

Figure 4. “Falling Oxygen”

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%

Aeration: Why We chose it?To add dissolved oxygen into 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

Mixing: Why we chose it?Most effective way distribute dissolved oxygen to benthic levels in LIS

Capping CO2 in NYC: Why We Chose it? In order to make sure other strategies will continue to be effective

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

Education: Why We Chose it? Without it we wouldn’t receive the necessary funding and the damage would continue to get worse

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

Get rid of PlaNYC 2013

Build social media team 2014

Rationing of CO2 emissions 2020

Install jet center New Rochelle 2022

Build CO2 capturing devices 2025

Increase efficiency of electricity 2030

Install 2nd jet center Glen Cove

2032

Construct 10 waterfalls in Western LIS 2032

Build nuclear power plant 2035

Install 3rd jet center Hell Gate 2042

Decide whether to construct more waterfalls 2042

Atmospheric CO2 levels sustained at 450 ppm 2100

2022

2012

2032

2042 ….. 2102

Implementation Timeline