Staten Island's glass eel migration plummets amid harsh winter conditions

Staten Island’s American eel migration has slowed sharply this winter. The unusually cold weather and heavy snow have disrupted their journey, leaving far fewer eels reaching local waters. A long-running monitoring program has tracked the decline, with numbers dropping far below previous years. Since 2008, volunteers and students have counted over a million American eels across New York State. Each spring, they gather at Richmond Creek, one of the final stops on the eels’ 2,000-mile trip from the Sargasso Sea. This year, however, the count has fallen dramatically.

Only 4,000 juvenile eels, known as glass eels, have been recorded so far. Last season saw nearly 11,000 at the same site. On one visit, the team collected just seven eels—the lowest single-day total yet. The colder-than-average winter may be to blame. Experts suggest some eels have entered a state of torpor, slowing their movement. Despite the freeze, students still spot the tiny creatures swimming around their waders on sunny days. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission already lists American eels as ‘depleted’. This year’s sharp decline adds to concerns about their recovery.

The drop in glass eel numbers raises questions about the species’ future in the region. With migration patterns disrupted, researchers will keep monitoring the situation. The data collected by students remains vital for understanding the eels’ survival.