A bight is a coastal embayment usually formed by a curved shoreline. The New York Bight forms part of the Middle Atlantic Bight, which runs along the east coast of the United States. The dimensions of the New York Bight are roughly square, encompassing an area that extends out from the New York-New Jersey shore to the eastern limit of Long Island and down to the southern tip of New Jersey. The apex of the bight, as it is known, is the northwestern corner, which includes the Hudson River estuary, the Passaic and Hackensack River estuaries, Newark Bay, Arthur Kill, Upper Bay, Lower Bay, and Raritan Bay.

The New York Bight contains a valuable and diverse ecosystem. The waters of the bight vary from relatively fresh near the shore to brackish and salty as one moves eastward, and the range of salinity, along with...