The South Ferry station in Lower Manhattan filled with 25 meters of water from Superstorm Sandy. Researchers recently found 10 bacterial species usually found in cold aquatic environments still present in the station.
Credit: MTA
A glorious picture of the true-life story inside the New York City subway system is now a little more complete with the identification of DNA fragments swabbed from such system surfaces as benches, poles and turnstiles. Researchers identified nearly 1,700 species of bacteria, viruses and eukaryotes to create a “metagenomic” map of the city. One cluster of points on this grid offered a reminder of exactly how inundated and overwhelmed the city was more than two years ago when Superstorm Sandy hit. …
Rebecca Harrington 