Urban resilience: In an era of climate change - Global input for local solutions

Building on past State of the Bay symposia the event will highlight recent research and restoration efforts in Jamaica Bay and discuss the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on its ecosystem and watershed. The biennial State of the Bay symposia are part of the Jamaica Bay Watershed Protection Plan, which aims to improve the ecological integrity of Jamaica Bay. The symposia provide a forum to update and inform Jamaica Bay environmental stakeholder groups, regulatory agencies, academic institutions, and interested citizens. As in previous years, the presentations will cover a wide range of topics, from the historical and social context of Jamaica Bay, efforts to improve the water quality (e.g. oyster restoration, algal turf scrubber) to the changes and responses after Hurricane Sandy (e.g. update on marsh restoration, geomorphological changes).

In addition, this year’s symposium has been expanded in scope thanks to an unprecedented partnership recently established between the National Park Service and the City of New York to restore roughly 10,000 acres of public parks, green spaces, and watershed in Jamaica Bay in Brooklyn and Queens for educational, recreational, and ecosystem purposes. The priority of this initiative was highlighted most recently in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s A Stronger, More Resilient New York, New York City’s comprehensive plan to strengthen our city’s infrastructure and protect our communities against severe weather. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has additionally recognized the importance of the Jamaica Bay partnership as an extension of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.