Signs of marine life growing… Let’s get a ‘move’ on cleanup!

This weekend a school of about 20 Cownose Rays were spotted in 3.5 mile-long Newtown Creek. The creek separates Maspeth and LIC in Queens from Greenpoint in Brooklyn. The idea that there was some cool buzz around the sighting should be celebrated. These Rays do their seasonal migrating in warmer waters and are sometimes seen where other marine life might not typically travel, but sources tell us that these rays might typically be the first to be seen in waterways that might be turning more habitable by marine life. Or they could have just been lost after making a left turn from the East River. Whatever the case, even though the superfund cleanup has such a long way to go, it’s a good sign for those living next to the creek, which is known as the body of water the Kosciuszko Bridge spans. Residents living near The Gowanus Canal, the 2-mile body of water in Brooklyn that is also going through a massive federal cleanup, have also be telling us that there have been marine life sightings in the waterway. We have to give thanks to organizations like The Newtown Creek Alliance and The Gowanus Canal Conservancy, which are groups who are always ‘there.’ It’s important that these civic leaders who are part of these organizations are praised for their passion. Great work.