Have you ever wanted to see an eel climb a ladder? Or explore a research vessel?  How about learning to fish or watch a scuba diver?  And did you ever think you could do all that in New York City?

Well, you can do all that and more with NOAA scientists and other experts at the Submerge NYC Marine Science Festival on Saturday, Sept. 16. This is the fourth year that Hudson River Park will host the event.

The free daylong science festival brings together researchers and scientists to talk to people about marine life and conservation. NOAA scientists from our Damage Assessment and Restoration Program and Marine Debris Program, as well as the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will be on hand to explain our work  protecting the coastal environment from hazardous waste, oil, and marine debris and restoring habitat and biota.

A brief power outage at last year’s event stopped the water pump that supplied an attractant water flow for our popular eel ladder. Rather than shut down the display, we asked the public to help by manually using buckets of water to simulate the river flow. The eels did not disappoint. They showed off their climbing skills, which allow them to navigate around and over natural obstacles that would be barriers to other fish species.

“The loss of power turned into an even more engaging interactive demonstration as the public eagerly played the role of the river to maintain flow and operation of the eel ladder,” said NOAA Regional Resource Coordinator Lisa Rosman. “Many visitors were also excited by the opportunity to briefly hold or touch an eel.”

Activities at the science festival will include:

• Discovery Lab
• Vessel Tours
• Big City Fishing
• Kayaking
• Live Scuba Dives
• River Ranger Kid Zones
• Research Stations

You can find our booth in the Research Stations section of the festival along with other science organizations sharing current marine research.

The Submerge NYC Marine Science Festival is Saturday, Sept.16 from 11am-4pm at Pier 26 at N. Moore St. in Lower Manhattan.