Oyster Midden Along the Hudson River

June 28, 2015

MiddenDSCF1528

Photographer: Michael J. Passow
Summary Authors: Michael J. Passow; Jim Foster
 
Shown above is a several hundred year old midden or rubbish pile composed primarily of oyster shells disposed of by Native Americans following their summer feasts along the Hudson River in New York. This midden is more than 13 ft (4 m) thick. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) once thrived in the brackish waters of the Hudson River estuary, which extends approximately 150 mi (240 km) upriver from New York harbor. Overfishing and pollution here and in most all estuaries along the Atlantic seaboard have drastically reduced the native oyster population. Another midden, about 3 mi (5 km) south of this location is one of the oldest in the eastern U.S., dating to nearly 7,000 years before the present. Photo taken on May 11, 2015.
 
Photo Details: Camera: FUJI FinePix XP55; Focal Length: 5.0mm; Aperture: ƒ/3.9; Exposure Time: 0.0071 s (1/140); ISO equiv: 100.