Water Sampling – Coney Island Creek

Water Sampling at Coney Island Creek

For the last few years, nearly every Thursday morning from May through September, I head to a sheltered spot along the Coney Island Creek. It’s a ritual now, one that I inherited from others, and which I appreciate that I’m able to continue.

I bring a little cooler and an empty, sterilized bottle fastened to the end of a grabber tool (like the ones you use to reach high shelves). Reaching forward, I scoop some Creek water into the bottle, cap it, and place it in the cooler with some ice. A little while later, I drop the sample off at a Brooklyn lab to be analyzed for bacteria levels.

This is my weekly foray into citizen science. Both citizen science, and the Coney Island Creek, will be recurring themes I aim for in this blog. Volunteer water sampling and testing on Thursdays occurs throughout many sites in New York City. Originally, it began under the auspices of the NYC WaterTrail Association. Now, it’s coordinated by the Billion Oyster Project.

In later posts, I plan to go into further detail about the science and lab results, as well as the long family connections I have to Coney Island. In this post, I just wanted to introduce my volunteer ecology efforts with the Creek — an activity I started while getting a master’s degree that mainly focused on urban waterways. Hope you enjoyed reading and will visit again! Now for some photos!

But First! Some Important Links! (I said I inherited my participation from the great work of others!)

• Read about Pamela Pettyjohn at the Coney Island Beautification Project. See also CIBP’s Facebook page.

• Charles Denson has done amazing work on the history and restoration of Coney Island Creek. Check out his Coney Island Creek website and Coney Island History Project.