It's a question. It's not clear why dolphins are being spotted more frequently and for longer periods in and around New York Harbor, the giant estuary where salty ocean tides mix with fresh water from the Hudson River.
A lot of people have seen the New York Marine Rescue Center. During the summer months, when more tourist and pleasure craft ply the busy waters, there is increased overlap with humans.
The dolphin revival around metropolitan New York, which has the nation's most developed coastline, stands in stark contrast to grim periods of disease and soaring death rates on the East Coast. There were dolphin carcasses washing up in New Jersey, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. The bodies fell in the surf. There was a suspected killer.
Like humans flocking to New York despite the bidding wars for apartment rentals, the marine mammals are enjoying the city. Climate change and the recovery of menhaden stocks are possible explanations. The dolphins eat up to 20 pounds a day.
The East River separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens. A pair of people showed up in the water off Greenpoint, Brooklyn, last year.
According to Howard C. Rosenbaum, a senior scientist at the Wildlife Conservancy, this is not normally where they are seen. He said that the pair showed no signs of distress.
Six scientists at the society studied the behavior of dolphins in New York Harbor to better understand their rebound and threats. The team focused on bottlenose dolphins, which are known for their wide grin and energetic leaps. They use sound waves to communicate and hunt food.
The feeding buzzes dolphins emit help them track their prey. The team set up underwater microphones and recorders at six locations off Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and New Jersey.
There is a hot spot two miles south of Rockaway Beach, Queens, where one sensor was placed. The other was set up in an area of high shipping traffic. The main goal was to document when and where the dolphins fed.
The dolphins predatory activity was highest in the Lower Bay off Staten Island, which is near the entrance to outer New York Harbor and the mouth of the estuary. The Upper Bay site had lower levels. The hunting peaked in the fall.
More focused research is needed to better manage potential human-wildlife conflict, according to the authors of a marine ecology journal.
The underwater ears did a great job of establishing a wealth of information about the animals, but there are gaps that need to be filled.
The importance of acoustic research has been increased by the population rise. He said that learning about bottlenose dolphins in our own backyard would help establish the most rigorous understanding on how to minimize harm.
Joe Reynolds, a nature writer and wildlife photographer, wrote about an increase in dolphin Sightings in New York Harbor. He saw a rising abundance of sea life as the most important factor in their return. Humans don't like dolphins and prefer the oily fish. Improvements in the management of the East Coast fishery are believed to be behind the fish's resurgence.
Mr. Reynolds said bottlenose dolphins were seen feeding in Sandy Hook Bay and the Atlantic Ocean near towns on the Jersey Shore.
He asked, "How could we tell the dolphins were in pursuit of the Bunker?" They were part of a larger group. Crowds of hungry gulls, terns, cormorants and other seabirds came.
According to Ms. Montello of the New York Marine Rescue Center, the surge of humans trying to escape the coronaviruses epidemic by flocking to New York's waterways, quays, piers, riverfront parks and fishing venues is an overlooked factor in recent reports.
There are more animals and more public awareness. Wildlife experts were concerned about accidental run-ins.
She noted that a lot of people tested their boat driving skills during the Pandemic. It can be frightening outside.
The rescue center had an increase in dead dolphins and live strandings last year. She said necropsies and other studies were needed to figure out what was happening.
Ms. Montello said they haven't seen a big increase. We just got into the season.
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