>>> NOW THAT THE MARIO COUPLE

CUOMO BRIDGE STANDS THERE WILL

BE NEW LIFE FOR THE TAPPEN ZEE

BRIDGE THAT LIFE WILL BE

UNDERWATER.

>> GOVERNOR CUOMO NOUNLZ DS THAT

THE BRIDGE WILL BE SENT TO THE

SOUTH SIDE OF LONG ISLAND TO

CREATE ARTIFICIAL REEF AS A BOON

TO THE ECOSYSTEM AS PART OF OUR

REPORTING ON THE HUMAN IMPACT OF

CLIMATE CHANGE WE'RE LOOKING AT

HOW WE ALL WILL BENEFIT FROM

THIS INCREDIBLE WIN/WIN FOR THE

ENVIRONMENT.

HERE WITH THE DETAILS IS NEW

YORK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE

NATURE CONSERVANCY OUR GOOD

FRIEND BILL AL PHILADELPHIAER

WELCOME BACK AS ALWAYS.

>> GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> THIS SOUNDS LIKE A

FASCINATING IDEA.

WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM.

>> I MEAN, THE GOVERNOR'S TEAM.

AND I WAS SPEAKING AT THE EVENT

WITH THE GOVERNOR.

AND THE STORY HE TOLD WHICH I

LOVE SO MUCH WAS, YOU KNOW,

WHERE AFTER THIS LONG USEFUL

LIFE WHERE IS BRIDGE HEAVEN?

HE SAID WELL IT'S UNDER WATER.

THIS BRIDGE THAT SPENT THE LIFE,

THE ICONIC TAPPEN ZEE IS HEADED

OFF THE SHORES OF LONG ISLAND

AND THEY'LL COMBINE THE BRIDGES

WITH OTHER BARGES AND TUG BOATS

THAT USED TO WORK ON THE CANAL.

SOME OTHER MATERIAL.

SORT OF A MIXED MATERIAL.

AND THEY'LL ADD THIS.

-- THERE ARE ABOUT 12 LOCATIONS

AROUND LONG ISLAND IN THE SOUND

AND ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE WHERE

THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

ALLOWS FOR THE ARTIFICIAL

REEVES.

THEY'RE USING THESE AS CLOSE AS

THE RACK AWAYS AND AS FARROW AT

SHINNICOCK.

>> MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING WAIT A

MINUTE ARE YOU JUST DROPPING

JUNK NOTICE OCEAN FLOOR.

>> RIGHT.

>> WHY IS THAT GOOD FOR THE

ECOSYSTEM.

>> IT'S GOOD BECAUSE IT'S

STRUCTURE.

AND NATURE LOVES VARIABILITY AND

DIVERSITY.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS ONCE THESE

PORTIONS OF THE BRIDGE AND THE

OTHER FORMER BOATS AND THINGS

LIKE THAT GO UNDER WATER THEY

GET COATED REALLY FAST IN

UNDERSEA VEGETATION, SPONGES,

CORALS.

I THINK A LOT OF NEW YORKERS

DON'T REALIZE WE HAVE NATIVE

SPECIES OF CORAL HERE.

ONE SPECIES THE HARD CORAL, A

FEW SPECIES OF SOFT CORAL.

ALL OF THIS STUFF, THE SHELL

FISH.

AND FISH SHOW YOU THEN YOU GET

THE MEDIUM SHOWING UP TO EAT THE

SMALL FISH.

AND ON AND ON.

IT'S A WAY OF BRINGING BACK

HABIT AT.

BUT THE STATE IS CAREFUL TO MAKE

SURE IT'S PUTTING IT IN THE

RIGHT PLACE.

AND EVERYTHING GETS CLEANED OUT.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY INERT AND NO

NEGATIVE AFFECTS ON THE OCEAN

ENVIRONMENT ZPL THERE IS NO

DESTRUCTIVE JUNK.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

>> OIL DEPOSITS OR THOSE THINGS

THAT COULD CREATE HAZARDOUS

CIRCUMSTANCES.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> THE ARTIFICIAL REEF HAVE

BECOME THE DESTINATION FOR

FISHING AS A CONSEQUENCE.

AND SOME OF THE IDEA IS

PROTECTING THE SHORELINE AS A

CONSEQUENCE.

>> BOTH ARE TRUE.

AND I'M A SKUBA DIVER.

AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I'M ALSO

A CONSERVATIONIST.

I LOVE THE NATURAL WORLD.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING EXHIRL

EIGHTING ABOUT SKUBA DIVING ON A

WRECK AND WONDERING ABOUT THE

HISTORY AND MAYBE DOING RESEARCH

ON IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND YOU'RE RIGHT.

I MEAN, FISHING IS A REALLY

IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COASTAL

OCEAN ECONOMY HERE IN.

I MEAN OBVIOUSLY COMMERCIAL

FISHING BUT RECREATIONAL

FISHING.

THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE HALF A

MILLION PEOPLE ENGAGED IN

RECREATIONAL FISHING OFF LONG

ISLAND AND EVEN IN NEW YORK

CITY, NEW YORK HARBOR.

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND WE'RE ALSO BUILDING REEF OFF

STATEN ISLAND IN THE COMING

YEARS.

THERE IS A NEW SET ALMOST A HALF

MILE TOTAL OF ESSENTIALLY REEF

OUT THERE THAT WILL BE DESIGNED

FOR SLOWING WAVE ENERGY AND

STORM SURGE DURING FUTURE

HURRICANES.

THESE ARE KIND OF LIKE NATURAL

BUILT SOLUTIONS THAT MIMIC THE

NATURAL WORLD BUT KIND OF GET A

HUMAN BOOST TO MAKE OUR WILDLIFE

HAS BEEN AT THAT TIME BETTER.

BETTER PROTECT US IN THE CLIMATE

CHANGING WORLD AND BOOST THE

ECONOMY AT THE SAME TIME.

>> THESE ARE VERY NUANCED WHEN

YOU THINK OF THE SHORELINE AND

THE VAST EXPANSE OF WERT.

HOW ARE WE ABLE TO GAUGE OR ARE

WE ABLE TO GAUGE HOW SUCCESSFUL

THEY ARE AT SOME POINT?

>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE

CONDITION.

AND OF COURSE REEF GLOBALLY ARE

IN TRIBUNAL.

>> THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IN

AUSTRALIA ICON BE, ALL SORTS OF

REPORTS OF THE DAMAGE BEING

DONE.

AND IN MANY INSTANCES

IRRETRIEVABLE DAMAGE.

>> THIS IS THE KEY POINT.

BACK TO THE POINT ABOUT HOW WE

MONITOR.

AND WE HAVE TO CHECK AND SEE

WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE LIVING

CORALS, IF THE CORAL REEF ARE

HERE IN NEW YORK.

WE HAVE THE NATIVE CORAL.

WHAT SPECIES ARE SHOWING UP?

IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO THE

MONITORING.

BUT WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW

AND SEE WHILE THE OCEANS ARE

WARMING AND AKRID FIEING AS A

RESULT OF CLIMATE CANING, IF WE

CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF

SEDIMENTATION -- ONE OF THE BIG

PROBLEMS WITH THE GREAT BARRIER

REEF IS ALL THE ALL THE

AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF PUTS ANOTHER

LAYER OF STRESS WHICH MEANS IT

DOESN'T ADJUST AS WELL TO THE

AKRID AND THE WARMER WATER.

HERE IN NEW YORK WHAT'S

IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO IS

IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY.

IT WOULD BE DUMPING JUNK IN THE

OCEAN IF WE DON'T CLEAN UP THE

WATER.

THEN YOU HAVE THE STRUCTURE WITH

LOUSY WATER QUALITY AND NOTHING

INHABITS.

BUT AS LONG AS WE IMPROVE THE

WATER QUALITY THEN WE CAN SEE

THE NATURAL COMMUNITIES, MARINE

COMMUNITIES COME BACK WHICH THEN

HELPS FOR A MORE VIBRANT COASTAL

COMMUNITIES.

THAT'S KEY FOR RESILIENCE IN A

CLAIMANT CHANGING WORLD.

>> EVERY TIME WE GET A CHANCE TO

TALK I FEEL LIKE I'M SMARTER.

I LEARNED MORE THINGS IMPORTANT

FOR US TO ALL KNOW ABOUT.

BILL IT'S A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU

JOIPG US.

AND WE'LL TALK WITH YOU AGAIN

SOON.

>> THANKS, JACK.

IT'S TRULY ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.

>> TAKE CARE.