Staten Island on the Web: New York Harbor

New-York. Taken from the bay near Bedlows Island. Bennett, W. J., 1836.

Harbor Bibliography

New York Harbor Books
A list of books for adults and children about New York Harbor from the collections of the Branch and Research Libraries of The New York Public Library.

Historical Harbor Images

Historical Images from the Mid-Manhattan Library Picture Collection Online
In the "Browse" menu select any of the following topics under "New York City": Castle Garden, East River, Ellis Island, Ferries, Governor's Island, Forts, Harbor, Hell Gate, Hudson River, Statue of Liberty or Wharves & Docks.

Historical images from the NYPL Digital Gallery
Over 200 images of New York Harbor.

Hudson River Portfolio
Contains rare images and texts of 19th century Hudson River art and history.

Historical Sites & Organizations

Ellis Island
Users can perform passenger searches and learn about the history of Ellis Island. A genealogy section provides tips on getting started in genealogical research and links to helpful sites.

Fireboat John J. Harvey
Users can learn about the historic fireboat, John J. Harvey, as well as support information and upcoming events.

Governor's Island
Provides a description and history of the island as well as a general management plan.

Hudson River Maritime Museum
Provides text and images detailing the maritime history of the Hudson River Valley covering topics such as lighthouses, steamboats and prominent individuals connected to the area.

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Provides detailed information about the former aircraft carrier USS Intrepid turned museum, its exhibits, programs and upcoming events.

Maritime Industry Museum
Highlights of the museum’s exhibits and collections of the maritime industry. Exhibits related to New York Harbor include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Brooklyn Naval Yard.

National Lighthouse Museum
Describes the history of and future plans for the site of the museum located in St. George, Staten Island. Users will find links to lighthouse locations throughout the world and lighthouse-related travel.

National Parks of New York Harbor
Links to National Parks in New York Harbor, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York.

New York Harbor Forts
A collection of photographs and commentary on New York Harbor Forts by Mike Casale

South Street Seaport Mueum
Learn about the museum’s current and forthcoming exhibits, public programs, and its collection of historic ships.

The Noble Maritime Collection
A maritime museum and education center with galleries, children's programs, a library, archives and a working lithography studio. The collection focuses on the history of Sailor's Snug Harbor and maritime artist John A. Noble.

The Statue of Liberty
Provides information on tours, education programs, exhibits and the history of the monument.

The Waterfront Museum
Provides information on the history of the museum and the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, links to ongoing programs and a bibliography of Brooklyn-related books.

Timeline of Maritime New York 1524-1860
Important events in the history of New York Harbor and vicinity.

Tug Pegasus Preservation Project
Users can learn about the history of the tugboat Pegasus, built in 1907, current programs for children and teens, view photographs of the boat and link to tugboat related sites.

Working Harbor Committee
Educational information about harbor history and industry. The group sponsors boat tours of the harbor that are open to the public.

Environmental Issues & Organizations

Bronx River Alliance
Learn about the organization’s efforts to preserve the Bronx River corridor and greenway through links to its Ecological Restoration & Management team, special programs, outreach, events, meetings and an online newsletter. Users can also learn about the river’s natural and social history.

Clean Ocean Action
Users can learn about the organization’s goal to improve the quality of marine waters off the New Jersey/New York coast through legislative action alerts, issues & campaigns, education programs and featured articles.

Clean Ocean And Shore Trust
COAST, a New York/New Jersey legislative committee created for the conservation of the marine resources of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary and New York Bight. Contains links to major projects, issues, and regional organizations that impact the marine and coastal waters of NY and NJ, a virtual estuary with real time data, charts, maps and images of the NY/NJ Estuary and NY Bight.

Friends of Hudson River Park
Provides updates on the development status of the four sections of Hudson River Park with links to news, events & programs, a photo gallery and a virtual tour.

Gateway National Recreation Area
Users can learn about the 26,000-acre recreation area which covers three New York City boroughs and parts of Northern New Jersey through links to activities, education programs, news and updates.

Geology & Geography of New York Bight Beaches
A collection of short reports and image libraries about the natural history of the New York Bight region.

Hudson River Fisherman's Association:New Jersey Chapter
A wealth of information for recreational fishermen in the New York Bight area and surrounding water systems including fishing reports, trips and contests, charter boats, launch ramp locations, water conditions, tackle shop locations and a striper size calculator.

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
Covers the issues surrounding the New York Metropolitan area waterfronts through the organizations current projects and news articles. Users can also learn about working waterfronts, world waterfronts and neighborhood waterfronts.

Natural Resources Protective Association
Links to articles and reports on Protecting Marine Resources, Clamming in Raritan Bay, The Importance of Wetlands, Mercury In The Lakes, Coastal Issues and Fish Consumption Advisories.

New York New Jersey Baykeeper
Learn about NY/NJ Baykeeper and its efforts to preserve, protect and restore the ecological integrity of the Hudson/Raritan Estuary through current issues, news, programs, action alerts, events and recommended resources.

New York New-Jersey Harbor Estuary Program
A conservation program for the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary with links to reports, fact sheets, newsletters, slide presentations and a teachers' guide to lessons, activities and field trips in the region.

New York Waterfront Blueprint
Descriptions of proposed waterfront revitalization and park projects in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.

Riverkeeper
An advocacy group that monitors the Hudson River's ecosystem and the NYC watershed.

USGS Studies in the New York Bight
Includes information from the US Geological Survey's studies on Geologic Background, Sea Floor Maps, Fate of Pollutants, Sand Resources, Circulation, Coastal Vulnerability, and the Historic Area Remediation Site in the New York Bight Area.

Boating Organizations

Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club
Provides in-depth information on the Gowanus Canal located in Brooklyn, including its history, the neighborhood, wildlife and a canal map. Users can learn about upcoming activities some of which include canoeing and bicycle tours on the waterfront.

New York City Downtown Boathouse
Users can learn about the organization’s programs that give everyone free access to the Hudson River including walk-up public kayaking, kayaking trips on the harbor and a winter swimming pool program.

New York Harbor Sailing Foundation
Learn about sailing events and races sponsored by the organization in New York Harbor. There is also information about an ongoing teen summer sailing program.

New York Sail and Power Squadron
Provides the organization’s public boating course listings, a calendar of events, an online newsletter and useful nautical links.

SailNY: New York's Community Sailing Association
Describes the organization’s sailing course offerings and sponsored races in New York Harbor. Users can also view photos, check the weather conditions and sign up to receive a newsletter.

Sebago Canoe Club
Provides information on the club located in Canarsie, Brooklyn including becoming a member, boating activities and instruction, and upcoming events.

New York City Ferries

Ferry Information from the NYC Department of Transportation
Learn about ferry service throughout the New York Metropolitan area: between Manhattan and Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey, Manhattan and Staten Island and to Yankees and Mets games.

Staten Island Ferry History and Operations
A general history and overview of Staten Island Ferry operations.

The Port Authority's Map of Ferry Routes
Provides a map of New York Harbor Commuter Ferry Routes.

Administrative Agencies

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
New York & New Jersey seaport information including ferry routes, marine terminals and transportation, port redevelopment, statistics, industry links, and operations and tariff.

Sandy Hook Pilots
Learn about the history, operations, services, training and job opportunities of the Sandy Hook Pilots

US Army Corps of Engineers: New York District
Learn about the history, mission, and current projects of the army corps. The site also provides information on geospatial data systems and activities in the New York District

US Coast Guard: Activities New York
Activities New York is the largest operational field command in the Coast Guard. Its area of responsibility stretches from Long Branch New Jersey to New York City, and up the Hudson River to the US / Canadian border.

Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor
"Under statutory mandate, the mission of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor is to investigate, deter, combat, and remedy criminal activity and influence in the Port of New York-New Jersey and to ensure fair hiring and employment practices, so the Port and region can grow and prosper."

Lighthouses

Lighthouses of New York Harbor
Photos and histories from the National Lighthouse Museum

Commercial Shipping

New York Shipping Association
Assists association members in maximizing the efficiency, cost competitiveness, safety and quality of marine cargo operations in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Users can also find the latest Port Economic Impact Study, a brochure of New York Harbor and other maritime issues related to the harbor.

World Ship Society: Port of New York Branch
Provides annual schedules of passenger ship arrivals and departures in New York Harbor and information about ships visiting the port. Users can also get current port news, events that celebrate its history, what to see along the waterfront and how to explore the harbor

Navigation, Weather, Currents & Tides

Ambrose Light Weather
Ambrose light is located at the entrance to New York Harbor in the lower bay between Sandy Hook and Long Island. Wind Direction, Wind Speed, Wind Gust, Atmospheric Pressure, Pressure Tendency, Air Temperature, Dew Point and Wind Chill.

Current New York Harbor conditions and chart
Weather forecasts, tides, charts for New York harbor from boatersbox.com

Current Velocity in the Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay
Information from NOAA, National Ocean Service, New York Harbor Operational Forecast System.

Electronic Coast Pilot
Download current and historical charts of New York Harbor (1800s to present) along with full text navigational information and photos from Coast Pilot 2. Also includes charts and information for all U.S. coastal waters.

Harbor Currents "Nowcast" from NOAA
This near surface current velocity vector plot was created from the latest NYOFS nowcast for the New York Harbor.

Harbor Currents Forecast from NOAA
Current Velocity Forecast in the Harbor: An animated chart of each day's currents, hour by hour.

Local Notice To Mariners
The 1st District Local Notice to Mariners is issued monthly, with weekly updates, announcing changes in harbor navigation due to dredging, movement of buoys, ice conditions, special events, etc. The 1st District spans New England to New Jersey.

New York / New Jersey Harbor PORTS Data Products
New York / New Jersey Harbor Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS) data for Bayonne Bridge, Bergen Point, Sandy Hook, The Battery, Robbins Reef, the Narrows and Kings Point. Includes currents, water levels, winds, air and water temperatures and salinity. Also available by telephone at 866-21-PORTS

New York Harbor Web Cams
Web cam links provided by the World Ship Society of the Port of New York.

NYHOPS at the Stevens Maritime Center: Urban Ocean Observatory
The New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (NYHOPS) was established to permit an assessment of ocean, weather, environmental, and vessel traffic conditions throughout the New York Harbor region

saltwatertides.com: New York/New Jersey
You will find predictions at over 2500 locations for: Tide heights and times, sunrise and sunset times, moonrise and moonset times, and moon phase.

Maritime Education

Rocking the Boat
Rocking the Boat is a boatbuilding and environmental education program based out of the southwest Bronx, New York City. Through a hands-on alternative approach to education and youth development, Rocking the Boat addresses the need for inner city youth to achieve practical and tangible goals, relevant to both everyday life and future aspirations.

Seaman's Church Institute of NY & NJ Center for Maritime Education
The Center for Maritime Education, located at 241 Water St. in Manhattan, enhances the professional competency of merchant mariners and improves safety through advanced training. Training is based on a computerized simulator system that features interactive vessel bridges/pilothouses.

SUNY Maritime College
The Maritime College of the State University of New York offers undergraduate and graduate programs in international business, engineering, science, and technology, with particular emphasis on the maritime industry. The campus is located near the Throgs Neck Bridge where the East River meets Long Island Sound.

The New York Harbor School
"New York Harbor School was borne of the belief that the youth and maritime experience of New York City combine to form an untapped potential for excellence in secondary school public education." The School has a campus in Bushwick, Brooklyn and at the South Street Seaport, Manhattan.

United States Merchant Marine Academy
The mission of the United States Merchant Marine Academy is: "To educate and graduate professional officers and leaders of honor and integrity, who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States in our Armed Forces and Merchant Marine...." Located at King's Point, New York, the Academy has an extensive museum of maritime art and artifacts.