History (1974 – 2018)

The Fall Juvenile Survey (FJS), part of the Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program (HRBMP), was developed to estimate the abundance and spatiotemporal distribution of juvenile and older fishes in the Hudson River Estuary, while also serving as a complementary dataset to the HRBMP Long River Survey. Though initially focused on key species like Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis), White Perch (Morone americana), Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod), and American Shad (Alosa sapidissima), the FJS recorded data on all captured fish species. Sampling occurred biweekly from 1974 to 2018 during late summer and fall (July-August through October/November), employing a stratified random sampling design.

Sampling locations expanded over time, ranging from the Yonkers–Poughkeepsie region (1974–1978), Yonkers–Albany (1979–1995), and ultimately from the Battery to Albany (1996–2018). Multiple gear types were used across the survey years: an epibenthic sled (1974–1978), a Tucker trawl (1979–2018), and a 3-m beam trawl (1985–2018), targeting shoal, bottom, and channel strata. All specimens were identified and sorted into four length classes based on life stage, with subsamples of key species selected for laboratory analysis. The FJS offers a robust, long-term dataset critical for understanding fish community dynamics, early life history, and ecosystem change in the Hudson River Estuary.

Renewed FJS (2023 – Present)

The FJS, conducted for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Hudson River Association by Normandeau Associates, Inc. and Stony Brook University (SBU), was restarted in June 2023. This survey continues a component of the historical Hudson River Biological Monitoring Program (HRBMP) and is designed to collect data on juvenile fish in the Hudson River Estuary. The primary goal is to assess stock status and recruitment dynamics for key target species. Sampling is conducted biweekly from June through November, using a stratified random design across the Hudson River Estuary between New York City and Albany, NY, totaling approximately 11 sampling weeks each season. The Chen Lab at SBU contributes to both field sampling and subsequent laboratory work. The FJS is scheduled to continue in June 2025.