What is the New York Bight?

The New York Bight is a geographic reference to a general era of the Atlantic Continental Shelf waters off of New Jersey and New York. The exact definition is arbitrary but the general area is east of Cape May, NJ and South of Montauk, NY. The geology includes a seafloor consisting of the continental shelf, the most prominent feature being the Hudson Canyon.

Even though the name also has a particular geological meaning, it is often used to describe this part of the Atlantic Ocean in wider context. When it is used in this manner it is describing all of the ocean from the seafloor to the surface. The New York Bight has always been an important fishing ground for humans and still produces significant harvested finfish and shellfish.

The apex of the New York Bight refers to the origin of the Hudson Canyon which begins in the estuaries of the Hudson and Raritan Rivers and continues offshore. Like the New York Bight itself, the apex is a general concept and the exact cutoff points vary by source.