The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proud to present the latest episode of “On the Front Lines,” the agency’s video series profiling staff and their work to conserve the environment, protect New York’s natural resources, and serve the public.

“We are proud of this series, which gives the public a behind-the-scenes look at the great work our dedicated employees do every day across the state to preserve and protect the environment for generations to come,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said.  “It’s an opportunity for New Yorkers to learn more about the issues we tackle in their communities so that we can all reap the benefits of a healthy environment.  A special thanks to DEC Fish & Wildlife Biologist Kristen Dieterle for her work identifying potential contaminants in New York’s waterbodies.”

The latest episode featuring Kristen Dieterle can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZJMWJA6czs.

Kristen Dieterle and a team of her coworkers from the Bureau of Ecosystem Health use a process called Electrofishing to collect fish from the Hudson River in order to monitor potential contaminants in the water. It’s all part of DEC’s mission to protect, maintain, enhance, and restore ecosystem health to support a diverse and productive fish and wildlife resources that allows a wide array of uses.

Once collected, the fish are processed and then sent to a lab to be tested for potential contaminants. Results that show contamination can lead to fish consumption advisories, the clean up of contaminated sites, or other actions.

On the Front Lines is posted monthly on DEC's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/nysdecvideos and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NYSDEC and Twitter https://twitter.com/NYSDEC pages. Watch past episodes on DEC's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnBbYubhbH1Xl9vDnioaZO1bSrTOLNNmw.