The Gowanus Canal, plagued by over a century of industrial pollution and sewage overflow, hosts a surprising ecosystem of microbes that are gradually cleaning the toxic sediment. Led by NYU Professor Elizabeth Hénaff, research reveals that while the canal appears devastated, these microbes not only survive but actively degrade harmful substances. This finding, which emerges amid a federal cleanup effort, suggests that microbial life may offer valuable insights for improving environmental remediation strategies, emphasizing the potential for unexpected resilience in damaged ecosystems.
"From a human perspective, this environment is totally forsaken and we need to make it go away in any way possible. But from a microbial perspective, it's an environment where they're not only surviving, but also thriving and also doing really good work degrading these toxic compounds."
"The study started years ago, when co-authors Matthew Seibert and Ian Quoate learned the Superfund cleanup would include dredging almost 600,000 cubic yards of sediment out of the water. It felt like a 'violent intervention' for an ecosystem, Hénaff said, even one as damaged as the Gowanus Canal."
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