{"id":80410,"date":"2025-12-24T19:29:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T19:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/80410\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T19:29:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T19:29:14","slug":"a-unique-marine-haven-remains-unprotected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/80410\/","title":{"rendered":"A unique marine haven remains unprotected"},"content":{"rendered":"

How close is Hudson Canyon? 99 miles north of Manhattan puts you in popular weekend retreats in the Catskills<\/p>\n

A map displaying Hudson Canyon\u2019s location off the coasts of New York and New Jersey. Photo: NOAA<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW YORK \u2014 On a warm September evening, scientists and crew members aboard the Nancy Foster research vessel dropped what they were doing and rushed to the deck. Dozens of pilot whales surrounded the ship. The moment stunned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees on board.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to explain how impactful it was,\u201d said Cait Clemmer, NOAA community engagement specialist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ship was on a research expedition in Hudson Canyon, a biodiversity hotspot just 99 miles east of New York City where 200 species of fish and 17 marine mammals live within a complex, fragile ecosystem.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe refer to it as the sea that never sleeps,\u201d said Noah Chesnin, associate director for the Wildlife Conservation Society\u2019s New York Seascape program.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A proposed National Marine Sanctuary designation could protect Hudson Canyon from overfishing and potential oil, gas and mineral extraction, but political turmoil, shifting federal priorities and the recent government shutdown stalled the process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the Trump Administration pushes for expanded offshore drilling and deprioritizes sustainability initiatives, scientists, conservation groups and local businesses warn that a lack of protections for Hudson Canyon could permanently shape its future.<\/p>\n

Hudson Canyon is a seven-hour boat ride from the coast and comparable in depth to the Grand Canyon, but most New Yorkers have never heard of it.\u200b<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a marine person like myself, it\u2019s kind of like going on safari,\u201d said Carl LoBue, senior marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy. He cited the presence of North Atlantic right whales, one of the world\u2019s most endangered whale species with fewer than 100 breeding females left. \u201cAt one point, there were 55 right whales in the canyon \u2014 about 15% of the entire population on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A squid photographed in Hudson Canyon. Photo: NOAA<\/p>\n

The Nature Conservancy has advocated for the canyon\u2019s designation as a National Marine Sanctuary. Currently, \u201cthere are no special protections for Hudson Canyon,\u201d LoBue said. \u201cIt just fits in as one of many places within the region being reconsidered for oil and gas exploration. It was put to rest in the last administration and now, that\u2019s back on the table again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly before leaving office, former President Joe Biden announced he would withdraw major offshore areas<\/a> from future oil and natural-gas leasing, including the entire East Coast. It would have been one of the largest withdrawals of federal waters from potential drilling in U.S. history, but once sworn in, Trump immediately issued an executive order<\/a> revoking Biden\u2019s withdrawal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a legal back-and-forth, a federal district court judge in Louisiana ruled on Oct. 2<\/a> that Biden\u2019s withdrawal exceeded his authority, siding with states and industry groups seeking new offshore leases. It remains to be seen what this could mean for places like Hudson Canyon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a critical juncture,\u201d said Chesnin from the Wildlife Conservation Society\u2019s New York Seascape program. \u201cMarine sanctuaries typically \u2014 not always, but most of them \u2014 close areas to oil and gas and mineral exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We want those documents released\u2019<\/p>\n

NOAA\u2019s National Marine Sanctuary System<\/a> protects 18 underwater parks that span 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters throughout the U.S. In 2016, the Wildlife Conservation Society nominated Hudson Canyon for sanctuary status, and a year later, NOAA determined that the site met all national significance criteria.<\/p>\n

After a five-year review, NOAA announced in June 2022 that it would begin the formal designation process, prompting over 17,000 public comments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was more than any other sanctuary had received in a long time,\u201d Clemmer said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>During World Ocean Month, seafood markets wrapped their fish in butcher paper informing customers about proposed protections for Hudson Canyon. Photo: WCS<\/p>\n

As part of that process, NOAA established a Sanctuary Advisory Committee (SAC) with representatives from fishing, shipping, business, science, education and tribal communities. The SAC\u2019s role was to help the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries develop a sanctuary proposal, including a draft environmental impact statement and management plan for Hudson Canyon.<\/p>\n

From May 2023 through January 2025, the SAC met regularly to ensure local priorities helped shape the proposal and consulted with the Shinnecock and Unkechaug Nations. Trump\u2019s second administration ordered all sanctuary-related work to pause indefinitely.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil we receive direction, all related activities, including council meetings, are paused,\u201d Clemmer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that the administration will decide to release the draft designation documents,\u201d said Chesnin. \u201cWe\u2019re hopeful that we can build local support and keep the process moving, but we want those documents released.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale spotted at Hudson Canyon. There are approximately 370 right whales remaining on Earth. In 2024, 45 of them were seen feeding in Hudson Canyon. Photo: NOAA
\nImplications of sanctuary designation<\/p>\n

Designating the canyon\u2019s ecosystem as a sanctuary would protect it from environmental harm. Beyond its ecological value, Hudson Canyon is economically vital for New York City and nearby coastal communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Commercial and recreational fisheries depend on the canyon\u2019s resources. New York\u2019s seafood industry alone supported nearly 70,000 jobs and generated more than $9.2 billion in sales in 2022, according to the most recent NOAA fisheries report<\/a>. Sanctuary status would still allow both commercial and recreational fishing, but it could introduce additional regulations that fishermen would need to navigate.<\/p>\n

The canyon also supports wildlife tourism, maritime traffic and telecommunications made possible by deep-sea cables running through the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond its economic value, sanctuary designation would also bring federal investment in research to help protect the canyon\u2019s species and habitats.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sanctuary would provide an ongoing platform for long-term research and monitoring so that we can better understand the importance of the canyon and the potential anthropogenic risks that it faces,\u201d Chesnin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Designation would also advance educational initiatives for surrounding communities to learn about Hudson Canyon, marine conservation and Indigenous connections to the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a place becomes designated, it elevates the attention it gets not only in scientific research but in communications and in collecting the kinds of images and videos that people might see at the aquarium or in New York City and realize that this place is really close,\u201d said LoBue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"On<\/a>At Hudson Canyon, an octopus, a sea star, bivalves and dozens of cup coral all share the same overhang. Photo: NOAA
\nFishing in Hudson Canyon<\/p>\n

Fisheries, local markets and restaurants rely on healthy fish populations in Hudson Canyon. Along with protecting the habitat, a National Marine Sanctuary designation would set regulations and catch limits to ensure a future for sustainable fisheries.<\/p>\n

In June, during World Oceans Month, the Wildlife Conservation Society engaged several seafood markets across New York City and New Jersey to raise awareness and grow support for the proposed designation. One of these businesses was Mermaid\u2019s Garden, a sustainable seafood market in Brooklyn led by husband and wife Bianca Piccillo, a marine biologist, and Mark Usewicz, an acclaimed chef.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Yorkers have this really amazingly biodiverse ecosystem in our backyard,\u201d Piccillo said. \u201cWe should be proud of it. I have a friend who\u2019s a fisherman, and he saw all these bluefin tuna this summer, and he was like, \u2018You have to come out, it\u2019s the most amazing thing you\u2019ll ever see.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Mermaid\u2019s Garden partners with small-boat domestic fisheries with strict regulations and non-destructive catch methods. From Hudson Canyon, the market sells large quantities of golden tilefish, but \u201cthey\u2019re fishing for an awful lot of species out there,\u201d Piccillo said. \u201cThe thing that\u2019s really important about a protected area is that you\u2019re not thinking about a species or a fishery individually, you\u2019re thinking about an ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a campaign participant, the shop wraps its seafood in butcher paper printed with information about Hudson Canyon and a QR code linked to a petition. Piccillo said it hasn\u2019t made a big impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though our customers are predisposed to be interested and engaged about that kind of stuff, everybody\u2019s really overwhelmed right now,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to process one more thing unless it\u2019s directly related to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>ROV aboard the Nancy Foster research vessel. Photo: NOAA
\nScientific discovery continues\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Research and discovery at Hudson Canyon continue despite uncertainty about the sanctuary designation status.<\/p>\n

In September, NOAA coral scientists, ecologists and ocean explorers aboard the Nancy Foster used the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Global Explorer to capture high-definition video, collect samples and gather environmental DNA. They hoped to showcase Hudson Canyon\u2019s diverse marine ecosystem<\/a> to the world, raising awareness about this remarkable place.<\/p>\n

On the final day of their two-week expedition, the ROV embarked on its last and deepest dive. Within minutes, it picked up footage that thrilled and surprised watching crew members: a coral garden. Multiple coral species covered a canyon wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of happy scientists behind me,\u201d said Clemmer on the livestream<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Paragorgia<\/a>Paragorgia Arboreia, also known as bubblegum coral. Photo: NOAA<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found one of the larger corals, Paragorgia Arboreia, which we haven\u2019t seen in other canyons,\u201d said Dave Packer, a NOAA research ecologist. Paragorgia Arboreia, also known as bubblegum coral, resembles pink tree branches. \u201cIt\u2019s huge. It\u2019s old. It\u2019s beautiful. What more can you ask for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon after, the ROV picked up footage of a massive red tree coral.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really surprised to see it here,\u201d Meredith Everett, NOAA Fisheries chief scientist for the expedition, said with a smile. \u201cI don\u2019t know how often it\u2019s been documented this far south. That makes diving this morning A-plus-plus \u2014 100% worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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