Project Description
Mariners Marsh is a 107 acre complex of freshwater emergent wetlands and pine/oak swamp in the Howland Hook (Port Ivory) section of Staten Island, NY. It is hydrologically connected to Newark Bay through Arlington Marsh. Mariners Marsh was used as an industrial property in the early 1900s. The Milliken Brothers Structural Iron Works and Rolling Mill operated on the site from 1903 until 1917, and the Townsend-Downey Shipbuilding Company operated a foundry from 1917 until 1931. New York City acquired the property in 1974 with the intention of expanding the Howland Hook Marine Terminal but that plan never came to fruition. The property was transferred to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) in 1997 and became Mariners Marsh Park. The 10 man-made freshwater ponds and adjacent wetlands at Mariners Marsh Park are used for foraging and cover by migratory waterfowl and the "Harbor Herons", including great egrets, green herons, and yellow-crowned night herons.
In 1999 and 2000, the NY/NJ Harbor Oil Spill Restoration Committee funded a project to enhance the shoreline around the 3 acre Monument Pond. Common reeds (Phragmites), an invasive and prolific species of grass, were removed by hand pulling, mowing, and herbicide treatments by the NYC Parks Natural Resources Group (NRG). Approximately a quarter of an acre of emergent pond habitat was enhanced by planting over 1,000 seedlings comprised of 25 native species of emergent aquatic plants. Additionally, several hundred saplings were planted along the shoreline to reintroduce 10 species of facultative wetland shrubs and trees. This project enhanced the shoreline habitat around Monument Pond by increasing plant biodiversity and improving aquatic habitat for fish, invertebrates, amphibians, and turtles.
Parties Implementing Restoration
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service