By Suzanne Ma
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — If you want to know how the fish are doing in two New York City rivers, you can send them a text message.
And, they'll text you right back.
Floating sensors have been installed at Pier 35 in the East River and at East Tremont Ave. in the Bronx River. They are designed to tell New Yorkers how many fish are nearby while also measuring the water quality.
The experiment — dubbed "Amphibious Architecture" — hopes to increase awareness about the city's ecosystems and involves scientists, artists and architects from New York University's Environmental Health Clinic and the Living Architecture Lab at Columbia University.
"This comes out of a need and desire to reinvent our relationship with natural systems," said Natalie Jeremijenko, a professor of visual arts at New York University who is leading the project.
"Our relationship with natural systems is very much 'don't touch, don't interfere,'" said Jeremijenko. "This is not about abstaining, this is an interactive model."
The sensors, which light up at night, have been built into a network of plastic tubes floating vertically in the water. They detect how many creatures are swimming below the buoys while a sonar device identifies what type of creature it is.
The sensors also monitor the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water — a key indicator of water quality — and how healthy the fish are.
On Tuesday, DNAinfo texted the anchovies at 12:49 p.m. and got this response: "Hey what's up? It's busy and beautiful here right now. The Dissolved Oxygen is perfect."
Jeremijenko said she hoped the experiment will highlight how the health of the city's aquatic ecosystems directly affect the health of "homo-citizens," or humans.
She used the example of how high mercury levels in the water can affect the fish we eat, which in turn can affect a mother's breast milk.
"There's really a direct, bodily and visceral connection between our friendly neighborhood fish and our own health," she said.
Text the rivers by sending "EastRiver" or "BronxRiver" or "AhoyAnchovie" or "HeyHerring" to 41411.
