Browsing by Author "Ren, Ling"

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Barnegat Bay Phytoplankton Year 3 : Phytoplankton Reference Communities and Index of Biotic Integrity Final Report
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-07) Ren, Ling; Belton, Thomas
Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB-LEH) is very susceptible to human-induced eutrophication due to its shallow depth, relatively long flushing time and highly developed surrounding watershed. The Estuary has been classified as a highly eutrophic system (Nixon 1995, Bricker et al. 2007), experiencing episodic recurrences of brown tides and other microalgal blooms, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, and decline of hard clam stock and harvest. We carried out a three-year research on the phytoplankton community in BB-LEH estuary in coordination with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)’s Bureau of Marine Monitoring from 2012 to 2015. In the first two years of study we investigated phytoplankton community in BB-LEH from August 2011 to August 2013, characterized species composition and spatial and temporal distribution of phytoplankton, including bloom patterns, dominant species succession, and occurrence of Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) species. In addition, multivariate analyses were conducted to understand the temporal changes of phytoplankton between Year-one and Year-two, and the relationship between the phytoplankton changes and environmental conditions. More details can be found in the project reports (Ren 2013, 2015).
Baseline Characterization of Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Blooms in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary, New Jersey (Year Two) : Final Report
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-06) Ren, Ling
Baseline Characterization of Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Blooms in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey (Year One) : Final Report, Revised
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013-08) Ren, Ling
We carried out a two-year survey on the phytoplankton community in Barnegat BayLittle Egg Harbor (BB-LEH) estuary in New Jersey through coordination with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)’s Bureau of Marine Monitoring during 2011-2013. The study aims to characterize species composition and spatial and temporal trends in the BB-LEH phytoplankton community, and to document bloom patterns and dominant species succession as well as Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) species over time. This report presents the major results from year one of the study, including species composition, seasonal changes of dominant/abundant species, and species succession at the study sites, as well as biovolume calculation and carbon biomass estimation based on cell density. Several major HAB species and their occurrences and abundance are documented. We compare present results with those from previous surveys.
Characterization of Phytoplankton Community Changes in Barnegat Bay Related to the Closure of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Combining Next Generation Sequencing and Microscopic Analyses : Final Report
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2024-05) Ren, Ling; Gillevet, Patrick M.; Sikaroodi, Masoumeh
Following Exelon Inc.’s announcement that the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) would cease operation ahead of planned decommissioning in 2029, the NJDEP engaged with researchers to begin an investigation to determine what impacts to marine biota (i.e., phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, fish, and crabs) may occur because of the plant shutdown. Our project was designed specifically to examine the influence on phytoplankton community composition and dynamics. This report comprises a comprehensive analysis comparing all three years of OCNGS post-closure (2018-2021) phytoplankton data to baseline data collected between 2012-2017 as part of the Barnegat Bay Comprehensive Research Initiative, thus in effect the “final report” for this study (see NJDEP| Division of Science and Research | Barnegat Bay). This report also contains the analysis and interpretation of data generated in Year 3 (2020-2021) of the OCNGS project effort.
Salt Marsh Ponds as Harmful Algae Reservoirs
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2025-03-27) Ren, Ling; Gillevet, Patrick M.; Sikaroodi, Masoumeh; Yepsen, Metthea; O'Neill, Heidi; Enache Mihaela D.; Grothues, Thomas
Salt marsh ponds (SMPs) make up a vital component of coastal marshes. The ponds provide unique microhabitats for diverse aquatic organisms, including algae, snails, fish, crustacea, and insects; thus, they function as year-round food sources and shelters for many birds and animals that are dependent on marshes. We carried out a two-year study from May 2022 to November 2024 to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of microalgae, with a focus on harmful algae blooms (HABs) and algal/bacterial toxins in the SMPs of the marsh on the Sheepshead Meadow peninsula in Tuckerton, New Jersey. The study is based on a one-year monthly samplings for microalgae and water quality field measurements performed between May 2022 and June 2023, and three additional samplings performed July-August 2023 for HABs toxin detection. The objective of the study was to determine the presence and extent of HABs and related toxins in the SMPs. We hypothesized that the tidal SMPs can serve as inoculants of HABs and potentially function as harmful algae reservoirs and HAB sources for coastal waters.