Jamaica Bay ( English Jamaica Bay ) - a lagoon in the south-western tip of Long Island within the city of New York ( Brooklyn and Queens ). The territory of Nassau County, New York, also adjoins the bay from the east. Jamaica Bay is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Rockaway Beach peninsula. The Strait of Rockaway Inlet (Rockaway Strait) connects the bay with the Lower New York Bay (Lower Bay). At the beginning of the 20th century, the bay was called Grassy Bay (Grassy Bay). The modern name comes from the Indian "Yameco". The territory of Jamaika Bay since 1972 is part of the Reserve Gateway National Recreation Area.
Jameica | |
---|---|
English Jamaica bay | |
Specifications | |
Bay type | bay |
Square | 101 km² |
Average depth | 4 m |
Salinity | 20.5-26 ‰ |
Location | |
Upstream water area | Atlantic Ocean |
A country |
|
State | New York |
Counties | Brooklyn , Queens , Nassau |
Description
Jamaika Bay is a shallow, sometimes heavily swampy lagoon with an area of 101 square kilometers. The average depth is 4 meters. Salinity of water in various places ranges from 20.5 to 26 grams of salt per 1 kilogram of water. The average annual temperature ranges from + 1 to 26 ° C. The tides are semi-diurnal with an average rise in the water level of 1.5 meters. The bay is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a strait, the width of which in the narrowest place is 970 meters. In the water area of the bay there are more than two dozen small and large islands, which are sand dunes covered with bushes, with rare brackish water sources. The shores of the bay are sandy. The northwestern coast is occupied by the brooklyn forest park zone. From the northeast and south, residential and industrial facilities of Queens, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, adjoin the bay.
The location of Jamaica Bay on the migration routes of migratory birds and the abundance of food resources make the bay attractive for a large number of birds. Ebb tides, on average, expose about 1.4 square kilometers of muddy banks, rich in various invertebrates and algae. 330 species of living organisms inhabit the ecosystem of the bay, including 120 species of birds and 48 species of fish. On the sandy beaches of Jamaica Bay, lumpy turtles and horseshoe crabs lay eggs. Flora of the bay is represented mainly by cereals of the genus Spartina ( Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens ). Schizachirium paniculata (Schizachyrium scoparium), millet (Panicum virgatum), goldenrod (Solidago sempivirens) grow on the islands of the bay. The shrubs are represented by the Pennsylvanian salmon (Myrica pensylvanica), the marine plum (Prunus maritima), several types of sumach (Rhus), including poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). On the shores of Jamaika Bay there are beautiful parks, in which the western frame (Celtis occidentalis), late cherry tree (Prunus serotina), ailant highest (Ailanthus altissima), as well as various species of willow trees grow .
Ecology
Environmental protection activities carried out by the US National Park Service and the New York Department of Environmental Protection in the Gateway National Recreation Area reserve have significantly improved the ecological situation in Jamaika Bay. However, a number of problems still remain. One of the pollution factors is still the neighborhood with the John F. Kennedy Airport. Another important problem is the annual reduction of the area of the wetlands of the bay. The reason for this phenomenon has not yet been precisely established. Some ecologists associate this with a general rise in ocean level . But most experts are of the opinion that this is due to increased nitrogen emissions from the treatment plant operating in the bay area.
Jamaika Bay Landscape | Jamaika Bay View from the plane | Jamaika Bay New York Wildlife |
See also
- Upper New York Bay
- Newark (cove)
- Bay of new york
Links
- New York. Encyclopedia Krugosvet . Archived October 3, 2012.
- Long marches . Archived October 3, 2012.
- Keys, CM: The Sea Of The Continent: ... And The Brooklyn The Ultimate Solution Of The Problem (Eng.) // World's Work: journal. - 1910. - November ( vol. XXI ). - P. 13655-13673 . A c. 1910 plea to develop a harbor at Jamaica Bay.
- Hartig, Ellen K. and Gornitz, Vivien (1981). “The Vanishing Marshes of Jamaica Bay: Sea Level Rise or Environmental Degradation?” (New York: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Institute for Space Studies)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Charlestown, RI (1997). New York Bight Coastal Ecosystems Program. Significant Habitats and Habitat Complexes of the New York Bight Wathershed: Jamaica Bay and Breezy Point
- Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge - New York City Harbor Conservancy
- Gateway National Recreation Area - Official site
- Jamaica Bay Research & Management Information Network - Jamaica Bay