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The significance of New Haven Harbor is nearly incomprehensible,
especially to current and previous residents of Connecticut. Cities
such as New Haven once prospered because of the manufacturing
and shipping of goods. For a great number of years people were
unaware of the environmental consequences of actions such as
dumping factory waste or other contaminants into the harbor or rivers
that flow into the harbor. Although at the present day there are laws
against such actions, evidence of current and past environmental
wrongdoings can be observed in the sediment. In order to determine
the level of contamination and the effect of the grain size on the
degree of contamination, and to see the connection between the level
of contaminants and what is or was once near that place (such as an
airport or a factory), sampling sites were chosen, tested, and analyzed.
Understanding the historic, economic, and environmental connections
to the various levels of contamination in the harbor is the first step
towards restoring it and taking measures to ensure its preservation for
future generations. (Full text soon to come...) |