Browsing by Author "Bilinski, Joseph"
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Item Damage Assessment Report on the Effects of Hurricane Sandy on the State of New Jersey's Natural Resources: Final Report(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Science, 2015-05) Bilinski, Joseph; Buchanan, Gary; Frizzera, Dorina; Hazen, Robert; Lippincott, Lee; Procopio, Nick; Ruppel, Bruce; Tucker, Terri; New Jersey. Department of Environmental Protection. Office of ScienceIn coordination with efforts to restore coastal and lowland communities, and to rebuild New Jersey’s infrastructure following Hurricane Sandy, damage to specific natural resources was inventoried and rapidly assessed for degree of impact by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).Item Ecological Evaluation of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Area in Barnegat Bay : Final Report, 2013(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013-08-21) Jivoff, Paul; Bilinski, Joseph; Belton, Thomas; Ferko, MarcConservation zones are important for maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems and populations of economically important species. The relative ecological value, especially for economically important species, of the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone (SIMCZ) in Barnegat Bay, NJ was assessed by comparing the following inside the SIMCZ with areas outside the conservation zone: (1) abundance and species diversity of fish and select decapod crustaceans in three habitats (seagrass, macroalgae, and unvegetated) using throw traps, (2) population structure of adult blue crabs using commercial-style traps, and (3) brood production of adult female blue crabs. Throw trap sampling indicates that blue crabs are most abundant in seagrass as compared to unvegetated habitats. Overall, blue crabs are more abundant outside the SIMCZ than inside but the difference does not apply to each habitat, suggesting the habitats inside and outside the SIMCZ are at least equivalent. Inside and outside the conservation area, species diversity is enhanced in both structured habitats as compared to unvegetated areas and is similar inside the SIMCZ as compared to outside. Again, this suggests the SIMCZ is at least equivalent to a comparative area outside the conservation zone. The SIMCZ has greater abundance of adult blue crabs, a sex ratio that is more skewed towards males, and a greater proportion of ovigerous females that are about to spawn and show signs of recent spawning. This suggests that the SIMCZ may provide refuge from fishing, particularly for male blue crabs, and may be an important area for spawning females.Item Ecological evaluation of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Area in Barnegat Bay : Final Report, 2014(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2014-08-29) Jivoff, Paul; Bilinski, Joseph; Belton, Thomas; Ferko, MarcConservation zones are important for maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems and populations of economically important species. The relative ecological value, especially for economically important species, of the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone (SIMCZ) in Barnegat Bay, NJ was assessed by comparing the following inside the SIMCZ with areas outside the conservation zone: (1) population structure of adult blue crabs using commercial-style traps, (2) reproductive potential of both sexes and brood production of adult female blue crabs, and (3) species diversity and abundance of fish and select decapod crustaceans, particularly blue crabs, in three habitats (seagrass, macroalgae, and unvegetated) using throw traps. Commercial-style trap sampling indicates that the SIMCZ had greater abundance of male blue crabs, a sex ratio that is more skewed towards males, and a greater proportion of ovigerous females than mid and western-bay locations outside the SIMCZ. There was no evidence that reproductive potential (e.g., sperm stores) or female brood production differed among the locations. Using a complementary data set from a co-occurring project; as compared with physically similar areas, the SIMCZ contained: (1) more adult blue crabs than other SAV-dominated areas along the north-south axis of Barnegat Bay, (2) more adult females, especially egg-bearing females, than adjacent, SAV-dominated areas with similar access to Barnegat Inlet, and (3) more male blue crabs than open bay habitats within an east-west zone of the Bay. Taken together, these results suggest that the SIMCZ is an important area for both male and female blue crabs, particularly females that are spawning. Throw trap sampling indicates that species diversity, the total abundance of organisms and the abundance of juvenile blue crabs were similar inside the SIMCZ as compared to outside the SIMCZ. In contrast, juveniles of two economically important fish species (winter and summer flounder) were more abundant inside the SIMCZ than outside the SIMCZ. Habitat was far more important than location in accounting for the variation in species diversity, total abundance and the abundance of blue crabs. In general, structured habitats (SAV and algae) contained more species, individual organisms and blue crabs than open areas. Sampling for this project occurred before and after “Superstorm” Sandy, thus annual differences may reflect potential Sandy effects. Annual differences in blue crab abundance between and within locations suggest that the SIMCZ provided a buffer against the potentially negative effects of Sandy. Throw trap sampling suggests that the SIMCZ contains habitats that are ecologically valuable and are helping to sustain valuable species.Item Ecological Evaluation of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Area in Barnegat Bay : Final Report, 2017(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2017-06-09) Jivoff, Paul; Bilinski, Joseph; Ferko, MarcConservation zones are important for maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems and populations of economically important species. In the third year of a three year study, the relative ecological value of the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone (SIMCZ) in Barnegat Bay, NJ was again assessed by comparing species diversity and abundance of fish and selected decapod crustaceans in three habitats (seagrass, algae, and unvegetated) inside the SIMCZ with an area outside the conservation zone. Long-term data sets are required to adequately assess the ecological value of conservation zones, thus, NJ-DEP staff and volunteers were trained in the field techniques to insure continued data collection in the future. Finally, based on results from previous years, the relative importance of the SIMCZ as a refuge against fishing pressure for adult blue crabs was tested using tag-recapture techniques. As in previous years, cylinder (i.e., throw trap) sampling indicates that species diversity, the total abundance of organisms and the abundance of juvenile blue crabs were similar inside the SIMCZ as compared to outside the SIMCZ. The few differences in abundance between the SIMCZ and outside the conservation zone may be attributed in part to relative proximity to the inlet. Habitat was far more important than location in accounting for the differences in species diversity and total abundance of organisms. In general, vegetated habitats (SAV and algae) contained more species, total organisms and several individual species than unvegetated areas. Evidence suggests that the SIMCZ contains habitats that are ecologically valuable and are helping to sustain valuable species. Finally, tagged crabs in the SIMCZ exhibited recapture rates higher than expected and days-at-large times shorter than expected suggesting the recreational fishing effort inside the SIMCZ may be higher than a comparable area with very little recreational (or commercial) fishing. Thus it may be prudent to collect information on recreational fishing activities occurring in the SIMCZ.Item Pinelands Biodiversity Study: Survey of Flora and Fauna in Managed vs. Unmanaged Forests in Two Pinelands Habitats: Research Project Summary(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Science, 2009-07) Hernandez, Daniel; Hutchison, Ron; Sedia, Ekaterina; Bilinski, JosephPast land use and natural history in the New Jersey Pinelands have lead to the unique biodiversity of this ecosystem. Forestry management practices both past and present have shaped preserved State lands, and the specific effects of these practices with respect to changes in flora and fauna temporally have warranted investigation. Surveys by Richard Stockton College of New Jersey were conducted in eight, 20-acre plots located at four sites in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest and in Ocean County during the summer of 2007. Within each site, two plots were examined: a study plot which had undergone recent forest management (e.g. thinning), and a control plot which had not undergone any recent (e.g. at least 10 yrs.) forest management. Sites shown to be the most highly diverse (i.e. highest biodiversity value) with respect to birds and plants were the Woodpecker and Plantation sites (Shannon Indices of 3.01 and 2.92, respectively), where the theoretical maximum (H’ max)is 3.66. These sites have been managed such that habitat complexity has been retained (e.g. creation of open areas with snags). Continual reintroduction of the early successional state through management and disturbance has contributed to the high biodiversity in managed areas. We hypothesize that the habitat type (e.g. a relatively closed canopy in the plantation) and proximity (e.g. adjacent, across the road) of the surrounding areas (the “habitat complexes”) were important factors contributing to the increased biodiversity of these sites.However, areas in close proximity to infrastructure and suburban development can cause the opposite effect. The least diverse site, the Parkway Site, was adjacent to many suburban structures (e.g. the Garden State Parkway, homes, other roads, etc.) and was highly fragmented which may offer some insight. Renewal of open areas for species establishment greatly increases opportunities for colonization. We recommend that future studies focus on the landscape ecology of these habitat complexes on a larger scale (e.g. > 100 acres).Item Review of the Impacts to Marine Fauna from Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMF) Generated by Energy Transmitted through Undersea Electric Transmission Cables(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2021-03) Bilinski, JosephAs part of New Jersey’s overall renewable energy goals, Governor Murphy announced on November 19th, 2019 the State’s plan to produce 7,500 MW of electricity from offshore wind (OSW) turbines by 2035 (Executive Order No. 92). As a result, high-efficiency transmission cables will be required to connect each turbine in series, whereas each OSW farm would afterwards be connected to a larger common conduit, or export cable travelling to a mainland connection point and electrical substation. The installation and operation of submarine transmission cables can affect marine benthic organisms and habitats in a variety of ways, some of which can include sediment disturbance, reef effects, thermal emission, and notably the distortion of the natural geomagnetic field via emission of electromagnetic frequencies. Electromagnetic Frequencies, or EMFs are generated by electric current flowing through undersea transmission cables that can be associated with onshore or offshore renewable energy projects (wind or hydrokinetic resources) or other power-generating sources (traditional power plants). Based on empirical evidence and laboratory investigations, the observed impacts to marine biota and ecosystems are considered to be minor or short-term. Electrosensitive species such as elasmobranchs and benthic species have been shown to sense EMFs more acutely than marine mammals and pelagic fishes, although only minor responses such as lingering near or attraction to cabled areas have been noted. However, uncertainties do remain as to whether physiological impacts occur and what life stage is most affected, and or if any long-term impacts will develop. Herein, a review of the current scientific literature is provided summarizing the observed, in situ effects of EMF on marine fauna from interactions with and proximity to undersea transmission cables.