River Ecology

Investigating the Effects of Zebra Mussels on the Hudson River

New York State's Hudson River has seen many changes, but perhaps none more dramatic than the arrival of the zebra mussel in 1991 and its rapid spread. To fully understand environmental changes like this one, you must consider the whole ecosystem: the web of interactions among organisms and their physical environment. Biologists at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies have been studying the Hudson's freshwater tidal ecosystem since 1987. They look for patterns in their data in order to understand how the river is changing, and might change in the future. This website gives you access to decades of actual data these scientists have collected about the river. It is divided into four sections. You can:

 

This project is a collaboration between the American Museum of Natural History and The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

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Funding for this website provided by the National Science Foundation. Grant # DRL-0918560

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Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.