Collaborate

Clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities are everyone’s business. That’s why the Hudson River Research Reserve collaborates with communities, schools, academic institutions, resource management organizations, federal agencies, consultants, nonprofits, and others to advance the understanding and management of the Hudson River Estuary Here’s how:

  • National Network: As a member of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), the Hudson Reserve works with 29 similar sites to generate science and tools to support estuary management and education. Through a national network dedicated to professional sharing, research from one Reserve strengthens all Reserves, which in turn, benefits the communities that they serve.
  • Coordinated Research Goals: Our library of research questions brings together ideas from partners across the Estuary and is intended to inspire collaboration among researchers with similar interests. The questions are organized into four Research Focus Areas, which represent shared regional priorities for the resilience of the Estuary’s natural resources and communities.
  • Collaborative Science: Through the NERRS Science Collaborative, a nationally competitive science funding program, the Hudson Reserve facilitates research to address the most critical questions articulated by Hudson River stakeholders and scientists. Projects funded by this program directly engage local communities.
  • Community-focused Education: The Hudson Reserve engages with local schools, universities, and national education programs to provide opportunities for students of all ages to participate in community-based, environmental science.
  • Collaborative Initiatives: The Hudson Reserve leads or participates in interdisciplinary, stakeholder-engaged initiatives to address the most important natural resource challenges on the Hudson River Estuary.

Collaborative Initiatives

Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project

The Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project (HRSSP) is a long-term initiative that is dedicated to the use of nature-based management practices on the shores of New York’s Hudson River. We provide science-based information on the best options for stabilizing and protecting shorelines. This project has received funding from the NERRS Science Collaborative. 

Blue Carbon

Wetlands are thought to play a significant role in mitigate climate change because of their ability to pull carbon from the air and store it as plant biomass. Our partners are working together to study the dynamics of greenhouse gas storage and emissions in the Hudson River Estuary’s freshwater tidal wetlands, and to understand how we can manage our wetlands to favor blue carbon storage.

Hudson River Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force

It has been well established that invasive species pose a key threat to the ecological and economic resources provided by the Hudson River. The Hudson River Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force (HR AIS TF) facilitates a coordinated approach to invasive species control on the Hudson, bringing together stakeholders across the Estuary to collaborate on shared priorities and projects.

Dams & Sediment on the Hudson (DaSH)

Hundreds of tributary dams have altered the way that sediment moves through the Hudson River Estuary. This project aimed to quantify the effects of removing these dams on sediment transport and wetland sustainability. This project has received funding from the NERRS Science Collaborative. 

Protective Marshes

The Piermont Marsh Storm Protection Study (2016–2020) explored how local marshes protected the Village from storm-driven flood and waves. This project has received funding from the NERRS Science Collaborative. 

Storm Surge Barriers

Gated storm surge barriers are being considered for coastal storm risk management for the New York City metropolitan area. The Hudson River Research Reserve analyzed their potential influence on the Estuary. This project has received funding from the NERRS Science Collaborative. 

eDNA in Estuaries

The Hudson River Reserve was one of six Research Reserves to assess environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from water and sediment as a biological monitoring technique in estuaries. This project receives funding from the NERRS Science Collaborative.