Science After Dark: Ask A Scientist (Pier 40 Wetlab)

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• More details about Siddhartha Hayes

  Siddhartha Hayes

  Siddhartha Hayes (he/him) is an aquatic ecologist, aquarist, etymology enthusiast, and fish whisperer. As Senior Research Manager at Hudson River Park, he conducts and oversees the Park’s ongoing monitoring projects, from year-round fish trapping and river condition monitoring to surveys of surface water pathogens, shoreline plastics, oysters, and more. He also manages the Pier 40 River Project Wetlab, a flow-through aquarium of native Hudson River organisms that serves as one of the Park’s primary education sites. He has worked for over 10 years to facilitate research that answers important questions about the river and its denizens and to spark a sense of wonder by connecting people with their aquatic neighbors. Siddhartha has a Bachelor’s in Biology and Greek & Roman Studies from Vassar College.

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• More details about Chris St. Lawrence

  Chris St. Lawrence

  New York-based filmmaker and naturalist using film production, environmental science, and creative and critical writing to inspire real-world change through storytelling, outreach, and education. I am an avid and curious explorer, dedicated to transdisciplinary approaches to discovery, learning, and communication. As a filmmaker, photographer, and writer, I shine a science-based spotlight on the wilder stories hidden on the outskirts of our urban communities. Raised in suburban New England, it wasn't until I began studying in Manhattan that I connected the dots: the wild world is not some far-off place but one right alongside our own, intrinsically linked. Whales are a particular focus of my work, and having spent hundreds of days on the water with Gotham Whale and American Princess Cruises, I am well-acquainted with the megafaunal makeup of the New York Bight. Both in its coastal shallows and offshore shelf and canyons, I am skilled in guiding, identification, and visual documentation. Among the highlights of this work, I submitted the first documentation of the Hudson Canyon aggregation of North Atlantic right whales in May 2024 — an unprecedented find with significant implications for the critically endangered species in the Mid-Atlantic.

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• More details about Benjamin Engle

  Benjamin Engle

  Benjamin Engle is a Mets fan, Urban Planner, and Public Administrator who focuses on ensuring that over 200,000 people can continue to cross the Hudson River daily - despite the best efforts of a rail tunnel built before the Great Depression and a baseball team that hasn’t won a World Series in his lifetime. Benjamin grew up in Westchester, NY, a northern suburb of New York City and then attended Union College in Schenectady, NY, where he earned his Bachelor’s of Science with honors as a major in Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in English. After completing his undergraduate studies, Benjamin attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation where he received his Master of Science, Urban Planning. After graduate school, Benjamin joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a Leadership Fellow, a distinguished program for leadership and public service in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan region. During the two-year rotational program, Benjamin completed a diverse set of rotations in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer – Storm Mitigation and Resilience, the PATH rail system, the Office of Continuous Improvement, and the Port Department. During his time as a Leadership Fellow, Benjamin returned to graduate school and received his Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. At the completion of the Leadership Fellow program, Benjamin became a Project Manager in the Port Authority’s Chairman's Office where, among other projects, he began to work on the Gateway Program, a strategic rail program to improve and increase capacity of the Northeast Corridor, the nation’s most traveled rail line. Since 2016, Benjamin has taken on increasingly responsible roles on the Hudson Tunnel Project, a Gateway Program Project and is currently the Senior Program Manager for Program Planning for the Gateway Development Commission (GDC), a public bi-state (New York and New Jersey) authority and a single purpose entity focused solely on implementing the Hudson Tunnel Project.

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• More details about Thomas S. Donohue

  Thomas S. Donohue

  Thomas S. Donohue is a Senior Program Manager with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, where he has spent his career working on major infrastructure and construction projects. He has worked extensively at John F. Kennedy International Airport and in Lower Manhattan. On September 11, 2001, he responded to the World Trade Center and participated in the rescue and recovery efforts. In the years that followed, he was honored to help contribute to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. He currently serves on the Hudson River Ground Stabilization project, a key component of the Gateway/Hudson Tunnel Program. Beyond his professional career, Tom has dedicated much of his life to service and mentorship. He has been a volunteer firefighter in St. James, New York for over 35 years and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners. He is also an Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor with his local Scout Troop. Tom and his wife, Theresa, have been married for 24 years and live in St. James. They have two sons, George and Matthew, both Eagle Scouts. George is currently attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Matthew hopes to follow the same path.

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