River Herring & Eel Survey
About the Long Island Volunteer
River Herring & Eel Survey
The annual Long Island Volunteer River Herring & Eel Survey is one of Long Island’s longest running community science projects. Started in 2006, the survey engages community volunteer scientists to monitor runs of migratory river herring and American eels in rivers and streams across Long Island. The survey, organized by Seatuck and our partners at the Long Island Sound Study, Peconic Estuary Program and South Shore Estuary Reserve – aims to find the waterways where “remnant” runs of river herring still exist and then to monitor the size and timing of those runs. This information is vital to improve access and restore local populations of these ecologically important fish. Learn more about Diadromous Fish across Long Island here.
Participants in the survey are asked to commit to surveying a local waterway from mid-March through mid-May. The survey protocol involves visiting a neighborhood river or stream and spending 15 minutes looking for river herring or signs of their presence. The visits can occur daily, weekly or as often as possible. All data is good data – the more trained eyes we have on the water, the better! Observations and information from the survey visit are then submitted through an easy-to-use on-line application on your computer or mobile device and automatically becomes part of our study. The online app helps you to geo-locate your survey location and even submit photos.
2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Resources
- 2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Protocol
- 2024 East End Survey Sites
- 2024 South Shore Survey Sites
- 2024 North Shore/Long Island Sound Survey Sites
- 2024 Westchester Survey Sites
- 2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Link (All of Long Island)
- 2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Link (Westchester)
- River Revival Map
- East End Breakout Room
- North Shore/Westchester Breakout Room
2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Training
Accessing the Survey 1-2-3 Mobile Field App
- First, you must download the free Survey 123 mobile app on your mobile device
- Scan the QR code on the left using your phone’s camera. If you are currently on your mobile device, click here to download the River Herring & American Eel survey and proceed with steps 4 & 5
- After scanning the QR code, click the top banner notification to open ArcGIS
- Choose “Open in the Survey 123 field app”, and “Open this page in Survey 123”
- Choose “Continue without signing in”
Please Note: Clickable data points (shown in red) do not reflect confirmed sightings of wildlife. Each red dot indicates a survey submission.
Related Information
West Brook
The only dam on West Brook, a major tributary of the Connetquot River, failed in 2019 and allowed the artificial pond behind it to drain. For the first time in over 100 years, the brook could once again flow naturally from its headwaters in Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park down to the tidal reaches of the Great South Bay. It is now one of a only a few free-flowing streams on Long Island. It has great ecological potential as a place where migratory fish can return and other native riverine species can once again find a home.
Vernal Pools
The Long Island Vernal Pool Project is an island-wide effort to identify, map and safeguard these rare habitats and the unique assemblage of wildlife they support.
Other Streams
In addition to our work at Penataquit Creek, Bellmore Creek and West Brook, Seatuck has been involved in connectivity and restoration efforts across Long Island over the past decade as part of the River Revival Project. The following are some examples highlight the extent of this work.