Jamaica Bay in Queens was once planned to be a massive seaport (like the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Newark Bay), but Robert Moses instead supported turning the estuary into mostly protected parkland with parkways and public beaches. The LIRR would have needed to be extended to the bay and a freight tunnel to Staten Island would also have been needed to connect to the country's rail network in New Jersey. Jamaica Bay is not without severe environmental problems, however. Sewage plants, JFK Airport, and other development, dredging, and filling have damaged the bay, part of one of the world's largest natural harbors. #jamaicabay #jfkairport #jfk #floydbennettfield #estuary #longisland #newyorkbay #queens #nyc #coastline #gatewaynationalpark #gatewaynationalrecreationarea #waterfront #biodiversity #fish #wildlife #plants #geography #wetland #environmentalconservation #wastewatertreatment #seaport #port #robertmoses #sustainabledevelopment #birdseyeview #rockaways #beach #climatechange #ocean https://www.instagram.com/p/CRw77uwsSgc/?utm_medium=tumblr