Under Liberty’s Torch
From a little island just off the tip of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty keeps watch over one of the largest cities in the world—New York. New York is a watery place. It sits on three large islands at a spot where several rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean.
In the naturally muddy water around Liberty’s feet, lobsters, snails, and blue crabs scuttle. Huge spiny sturgeon and swarms of eels swim past on their way to the Hudson River. Seahorses cling to the seaweed around piers and bridges. Bluefish and bass stake out rocks and old tires on the harbor floor.
Twice a day, when the tide comes in, salt water rushes up the rivers. When the tide goes out, fresh water and mud pour into the salty sea. Sea creatures love this muddy mixing zone, which is called an estuary.
Four hundred years ago, millions of oysters also filled the bay. As the city grew, people harvested them by the boatload to eat or ship to other
