Hangout with American Eels on the Bronx River | WCS

#WCSEels Join us for a Google Hangout to experience what it’s like researching American eels along New York’s Bronx River. The American eel is a mystery to those who study it. A migratory fish with an extremely large range and fascinating life cycle. American eels are born in the Sargasso Sea and enter North American estuaries as transparent glass eels, where they live in freshwater rivers and streams, before returning to the Atlantic Ocean years later to spawn and die. A team of of scientists, students, and educators led by WCS is collecting data at sites along the Bronx River, New York City’s only true river. Using eel mops and other techniques, data is collected from the mouth, at the East River, and 15-miles north along its course to the Kensico Reservoir located in Westchester County, NY. Data is shared with partners to inform statewide conservation decisions. As they gather environmental data and count, measure, and release eels, WCS scientists are learning about the health of the wildlife and an important urban ecosystem.   Meet the expert – Jake LaBelle, Science Research Coordinator, WCS  Jake LaBelle is a Science Research Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Having worked at the world renowned Bimini Biological Field Station (or Sharklab) in the Bahamas, Jake first joined WCS in as a graduate intern working with WCS scientists on acoustic and satellite tagging of sharks in New York waters. After receiving a M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy from Stony Brook University, Jake expanded his role with WCS to include projects such as, American eel monitoring along the Bronx River and a historical retrospective exploring the relationship between New Yorkers and the marine fauna inhabiting New York waters over the past 400 years. Now a Research Coordinator for the WCS New York Seascape Program, Jake coordinates the collection and analysis of data from all New York Seascape projects, in addition to supporting the Seascape's many outreach initiatives. We hope you can tune-in. You can ask us about American eels and Jake LaBelle’s work as a marine scientist via the Q&A app or using the hashtag #WCSEels . #WCSEels   #HoA   #HangoutsonAir   #WildlifeConservationSociety   #WCS   #AmericanEelProject   #AmericanEels   #Eels   #WildlifeWednesday   #ConnectedClassrooms   #GoogleforEducation   #VirtualFieldTrips