Alive! See what creatures lurk in the East River

May 18, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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By Mary Frost

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

DUMBO — Believe it or not, crabs, shrimp, northern pipefish, seahorses, puffer fish, jellyfish and more live in the East River.

This Saturday in DUMBO, you can watch scientists use a 20-foot seining net to catch and release these sea creatures.

“The variety of marine life we continue to find here in the cove is just extraordinary,” said Nancy Webster, Executive Director, Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. The group sponsors educational programming, such as the summertime Cove Camp, at the waterfront park.

Seining opportunities take place several times throughout the summer. At a past event, some participants expressed amazement that anything lived in the river, which one girl called “our local sewage” — an outmoded concept as the river has become cleaner with each passing year.

Scientists with nets will be on the Main Street waterfront this Saturday (May 19) from 1:30–3 p.m. The event is free, but to attend RSVP by emailing [email protected].