Basic HTML Version
12
Oysters impact the environment and their feeding proc
esses are thought to influence ecosystem structure
and function. In his two-year, $280,000 research proj-
ect
Influence of Oysters in Sediment Nitrogen Cycling:
An Ecosystem Approach
funded by NSF, Professor
Zarnoch studies oysters and their impact on water
quality in Jamaica Bay. After placing oyster boxes at
4 sites in Jamaica Bay throughout a 1.5-year period,
preliminary findings showed that the oysters did not
enhance sediment nitrogen cycling. He did, however,
identify a disconnection from the oyster’s feeding and
the influence on nitrification due to high concentrations
of nutrients in that section of the Hudson River system
waters. “Oysters are a real connection to water quality
in NYC. As we understand the complexities of sediment
nitrogen cycling and progress in what we learned in
Jamaica Bay, we hope to see improvements in eco-
system functioning.”
Chester Zarnoch,
Assistant Professor, Natural Science
Baruch College
Principal Investigators