Northeast Coastal Areas Study
Significant Coastal Habitats
Site 9 (NY)
I. SITE NAME: Montauk Peninsula Complex
II. LOCATION: Located at the eastern end of Long Island's South Fork, this complex includes the easternmost point of land on Long Island, Montauk Point, as well as the surrounding nearshore waters.
TOWN: East Hampton
COUNTY: Suffolk
STATE: New York
USGS 7.5 MIN QUADS: Napeague Beach, NY 40072-81;
Gardiners Island, NY 41072-11; Montauk Point, NY 41071-18
USGS 30x60 MIN QUADS: Long Island, East
40072-E1; Block Island 41071-A1
III. GENERAL BOUNDARY: This complex extends from Napeague Harbor, including Napeague Pond and Meadows and adjacent shorelands along the western edge, eastward to Montauk Point, a distance of approximately 12 miles (19 km). Width of the land boundary varies from less than 0.25 miles (0.4 km) along the southern shore of Napeague Harbor to 3 miles (5 km). The boundary does not include the community of Montauk and developed areas to the west near the Atlantic Ocean coastline, particularly those areas south of Route 27 (Montauk Highway). The complex is bounded on the north by Block Island Sound and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The outermost, or water, boundary of this complex includes the nearshore waters of these two bodies of water along the northern and eastern shorelines out to a distance of approximately 0.5 miles (1 km) from the shoreline except around the vicinity of Montauk Point where it widens to about 2 miles (3 km) and then narrows again along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Included within the general boundary are the major embayments of Napeague Harbor and Bay, Fort Pond Bay and Lake Montauk. The accompanying map shows the general boundary outline as well as the specific significant fish, wildlife and plant habitat sites included within the complex.
Five ecological/geographical subcomplexes, or groupings, of sites can be identified within the greater complex as being of particular regional significance to fish, wildlife, plants or biological diversity: 1) Napeague Harbor (including Goff Point, Hicks Island, Napeague Pond and Napeague Meadows); 2) Hither Hills (including the Walking Dunes); 3) Montauk Moorlands (including Culloden Point, Ditch Plains, Montauk Downs and Montauk Point); 4) Embayed Aquatic Habitats (including Lake Montauk, Oyster Pond, Big and Little Reed Ponds and Fort Pond; and 5) Nearshore Open Water Aquatic Habitats. Each of these subcomplexes and the individual sites comprising them are delineated on the accompanying boundary map of the complex.
IV. OWNERSHIP/PROTECTED STATUS: More than half of this area is under public ownership, including three New York State parks and public parcels owned by Suffolk County and the Town of East Hampton. Despite this large assemblage of protected lands, there are several large tracts which are privately owned and support ecologically significant areas and species populations.
V. GENERAL HABITAT DESCRIPTION: The complex as a whole contains an impressive diversity of upland, wetland and shoreline habitats and communities of a maritime nature, including several of regional and global significance. Some upland areas, especially on Hither Hills, contain some of the largest undeveloped tracts of maritime deciduous forests in the region, including stands of the globally rare maritime oak-holly forest. This forest type is restricted in this region to the south shore barrier beaches and eastern end of Long Island and is composed of holly (Ilex opaca), black oak (Quercus velutina) or beech (Fagus grandifolia) as dominant trees, often with sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and with an abundance of vines and ericaceous shrubs in the understory. Large expanses of cordgrass-dominated (Spartina spp.) salt marshes and sparsely-vegetated, narrow sandy or pebbly beaches and spits occur on the back, or Block Island Sound side, of the peninsula, especially in the vicinity of Napeague Harbor. On the Atlantic Ocean side the shoreline is dominated in stretches by steep bluffs or large dunes and broad expanses of sparsely vegetated or unvegetated sandy to cobbly beach. There are several types of dune and interdunal plant communities in this area, for example, beachgrass-dominated (Ammophila breviligulata) ocean dunes, mixed associations of beach heather (Hudsonia tomentosa), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) in interdunal areas, and extensive stands of pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and oak (Quercus spp.) woodlands. One of the most characteristic, interesting and regionally significant natural communities is maritime grassland, which is well-developed on the Montauk Peninsula and often occurs as part of a mosaic of other maritime plant communities, particularly heathland and shrubland communities, comprising what are collectively referred to as moorlands. Maritime grasslands are under the influence of a maritime climate, which is characterized by moderate temperatures, long frost-free season, ocean winds and salt spray and are generally dominated by turf-forming grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), common hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa) and poverty-grass (Danthonia spicata), often with low heath shrubs and reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina).
The embayed aquatic habitats include both estuarine-brackish water and freshwater systems. Napeague Harbor, Lake Montauk and Oyster Pond are brackish, with openings into Block Island Sound; Big and Little Reed Ponds are transitional between brackish and freshwater ponds; and Fort Pond is freshwater. Lake Montauk, nearly 900 acres (365 hectares) in size, supports a substantial growth of eel grass (Zostera marina). Waters and bottom habitats in the nearshore areas here are fully exposed to storms and open ocean conditions. The mean tidal range of the open ocean waters at Montauk Point is 2.0 feet (0.6 meters).
VII. SIGNIFICANCE/UNIQUENESS OF AREA: The maritime moorlands and forest communities of the Montauk Peninsula are not only regionally significant and noteworthy for their uniqueness and restricted geographical occurrence, but because of the relatively pristine condition in which they are found here. These communities, which are in themselves rare, provide essential habitat for a number of regionally and globally rare plant species, including sandplain gerardia (Agalinis acuta), a U.S. Endangered species found here in maritime grasslands, Nantucket serviceberry (Amelanchier nantucketensis) and New England blazing-star (Liatris borealis), both candidates for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (Act), and bushy rockrose (Helianthemum dumosum). The Walking Dunes area, just east of Napeague Harbor, is of regional significance and contains outstanding examples of maritime interdunal swales. The rare curly grass fern (Schizaea pusilla) is found in this community.
Sandy and gravelly beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and Block Island Sound shorelines are important nesting areas for a diversity of colonial nesting birds of special emphasis in the region, including roseate tern (Sterna dougallii), a U.S. Endangered species, piping plover (Charadrius melodus), a U.S. Threatened species, least tern (Sterna antillarum), common tern (Sterna hirundo), black skimmer (Rynchops niger) and American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus). Sea-beach knotweed (Polygonum glaucum) and sea-beach pigweed (Amaranthus pumilis), the latter a candidate plant species for listing under the Act, have also been reported from beaches in this same area. Barrier beaches in the Napeague Harbor system have been designated under the national Coastal Barriers Resources Act.
The nearshore open waters surrounding Montauk Point provide regionally significant and critical wintering waterfowl habitat and concentration areas and contain extensive beds of blue mussel (Mytilis edulis) and kelp (Laminaria agardhii). Found here in significant numbers, particularly in winter, are several species of special emphasis in the region, such as common loon (Gavia immer), common eider (Somateria mollissima), white-winged scoter (Melanitta fusca), surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), black scoter (Melanitta nigra), bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator). Also occurring here regularly during the winter are harlequin duck (Histrionicus) and king eider (Somateria spectabilis). On the Block Island Sound side of the peninsula, in somewhat more protected areas, American black ducks (Anas rubripes) and oldsquaws (Clangula hyemalis) occur in large wintering concentrations. Peregrine falcons, a U.S. Endangered species, are common migrants during the fall and spring. Gray and harbor seals (Halichoerus grypus and Phoca vitulina, respectively) often use the rocks around Montauk Point as haulout areas. Recent studies indicate that the nearshore waters within Peconic and Gardiners Bays, Block Island and Long Island Sounds and those off Montauk Point are important feeding and nursery habitats for juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii), one of the rarest of the marine turtles and a U.S. Endangered species, and perhaps for other sea turtles as well, including loggerhead (Caretta caretta). The blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale), a rare glacial relict, is found in this region only on the Montauk Peninsula, where it may occur locally in fairly high densities.
The open waters of the embayed ponds and harbors are important waterfowl wintering areas for greater and lesser scaup (Aythya marila and A. affinis, respectively), red-breasted and common (Mergus merganser) mergansers, Canada goose (Branta canadensis), American black duck, bufflehead and common goldeneye. These same areas and associated marshes are productive nesting and feeding areas for American black duck, least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and northern harrier (Circus cyaneus). Finfish and shellfish populations in both nearshore and embayed aquatic habitats in this area are diverse and abundant, particularly bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), fluke (Paralichthys dentatus), winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), hard-shelled clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and bay scallop (Aequipecten irradians). The pond and stream system of Big and Little Reed Ponds is one of the few spawning areas on Long Island for alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus).
VII. THREATS: Although much of this area is under public ownership, there are several privately-held sites of regional significance to fish, wildlife or plant species. Poorly-planned development could result in the destruction or degradation of aquatic and terrestrial habitats of species of special emphasis. Suppression of wildfires, essential to the maintenance of regionally important maritime and pineland communities, could result in vegetation changes and consequent loss of the characteristic biota of these communities, including several rare plants dependent on fire.
Nesting populations of colonial waterbirds and piping plovers on sand or gravel beaches in this area, particularly around Napeague Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean beaches, are especially vulnerable during the nesting season (mid-April to August) to human-caused disturbances such as trampling or destruction of nests from beach-walking, picnicking, boat landings, off-road vehicle use, predation by dogs and cats, and unregulated dredge spoil disposal. The nearshore and embayed open water habitats and associated waterfowl and marine mammal populations surrounding the Montauk Peninsula are vulnerable to oil spills, contaminants, waste disposal, boat and ship traffic and dredging activities.
VIII. CONSERVATION CONSIDERATIONS: Attention needs to be directed towards the continued protection of the offshore waters around Montauk Point, particularly as regards the area's regionally significant concentrations of wintering waterfowl, especially seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals. This high-risk ocean-fronting area is subject to the full fury of winter storms and hurricanes and would be extremely vulnerable to an oil spill, ship collision or contaminant discharge that, at certain times of the year, could result in devastating impacts on fish and wildlife populations not only in the immediate vicinity, but throughout the region. Comprehensive containment and response plans and procedures should be developed and equipment placed in readiness to ensure the protection of this area and its living resources in the event of such a catastrophe.
Disturbances to wintering and nesting bird populations need to be minimized or eliminated entirely, particularly for colonial beach-nesting birds such as Federally-listed terns and piping plovers. Human intrusions into beach nesting areas during the critical nesting season (mid-April to August) should be prevented using a variety of methods, including protective fencing, posting, warden patrols and public education. When determined to be a problem, as it is at most mainland-connected nesting beaches, predator removal should be instituted. Those tasks and objectives of the piping plover and roseate tern recovery plans that might be applicable to beaches and nesting populations of these species in this area should be undertaken, including restoration or enhancement of degraded sites.
Many of the public parklands are in need of specific resource management plans directed at their long-term conservation. Perpetuation of the area's unique maritime communities and associated rare plants, particularly those in which fire has historically played an important ecological role, such as grasslands and pinelands, needs to be the primary management goal for the individual sites and the complex as a whole. Fire management plans, among others, need to be specifically developed for the full spectrum of ecologically significant sites occurring over the general area, utilizing the experiences and talents of such organizations as The Nature Conservancy and other groups in cooperation with State and County park resource managers and private landowners in the vicinity.
While more than half of the land on the Montauk Peninsula is publicly-owned, including the majority of significant sites, some of the regionally important sites are privately-owned and vulnerable to development or mismanagement of the resources occurring there. In such instances, opportunities should be sought by governmental agencies and private conservation organizations to develop cooperative agreements, secure conservation easements, develop and implement zoning restrictions or planning policies, engage in land exchanges or other options to ensure the long-term conservation and protection of these unique sites.
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