Browsing by Author "Weinstein, Michael P."

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Brown Tide Bloom Assessment Project in NJ Coastal Waters: 2000-2002: Research Project Summary
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2003-10) Downes Gastrich, Mary; Lathrop, Richard; Haag, Scott; Weinstein, Michael P.; Danko, Michael; Caron, David A.; Shaffner, Rebecca
Brown tide blooms, caused by the rapid growth of a minute alga, Aureococcus anophagefferens, caused the demise of the scallop industry in coastal bays of Long Island, NY, in the mid-1980s. These blooms were also suspected in Barnegat Bay, NJ, at the same time but were not confirmed until 1995. Because of limited data, and to determine whether these blooms were a threat to coastal waters in NJ, the Division of Science Research and Technology (DSRT) established the Brown Tide Assessment Project to assess brown tide blooms in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB/LEH) from 2000-2002 through 1) mapping the abundances of the brown tide using the Brown Tide Bloom Index; 2) assessing the relationship between the brown tide abundances and environmental factors (e.g., salinity, temperature, nitrogen species); and 3) analyzing of the risk of brown tide blooms to submerged aquatic vegetation communities. Brown tide abundances were detected at all stations; the most severe brown tide blooms (Category 3), as well as less severe (Category 2) blooms, recurred during each of the three years of sampling and covered significant geographic areas of the BB/LEH. While the highest abundances of brown tide are positively associated with warmer water temperatures and higher salinity, these factors are not sufficient to promote blooms. Extended drought conditions with corresponding low freshwater inputs and elevated bay water salinities occurred during this time, possibly contributing to these blooms. Abundances of brown tide in New Jersey coastal bays are high enough to cause potentially harmful effects on juvenile hard clams. Results of the analysis of the risk of brown tide blooms to submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat indicated that 35% of the state’s SAV habitat in BB/LEH is at significant risk of negative impacts due to brown tide blooms. Over 70% of the state’s SAV habitat is located in BB/LEH. Graphic displays of the spatial patterns of the brown tide blooms and environmental factors can be viewed at: http://crssa.rutgers.edu/projects/btide/index.html.
Developing a Watershed-scale Baseline for Tidal Wetlands
(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2020-12) Procopio, Nicholas A.; Hazen, Robert; Weinstein, Michael P.; Wu, Meiyin; Yu, Danlin
Tidal wetlands are critical habitat for the maintenance of secondary production of nekton. This study addresses two key factors: the specific structural and functional traits of coastal wetlands that make them conducive to supporting the secondary production of nekton and how individual components of the marsh are inter-connected to form a functional whole. Structural characteristics of relatively undisturbed tidal wetlands have been determined by meta-analysis from more than 500 papers and in-situ measurements and remote sensing of New Jersey wetland sites. Meta-analysis (Hedges’ d values and 95% confidence intervals) has shown that restored sites compare favorably with undisturbed sites in catch per unit effort (CPUE) for forage and predatory species but the average size of nekton captured at Phragmites-dominated sites was generally smaller than those of comparable species at reference sites. In-situ ecological data collected within the Wading River Complex show that quadrats along Transects A and B, situated in the upper part of the estuary and reflecting lower saline conditions, were dominated by Phragmites australis, Spartina cynosuroides, and Typha augustifolia. The quadrats along the lower Transect C in more saline conditions were dominated by Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens. Water level readings from two transects on a single day showed that the marsh may flood up to 4.75 inches and flood stage over the marsh can last upwards of 7 hours. High resolution satellite images for a 20 km2 area of the Wading River Complex were used to determine the landscape composition of the area and model future trends. Remote sensing analysis by a Grey System Series coupled system dynamic simulative model has shown in a 2019 to 2033 simulation that an increase in Phragmites australis will pose a severe threat to local fauna and flora. We present an underlying framework for restoration success criteria that optimize secondary production and connectivity to adjacent habitats including the open waters of the estuary.
A Forum on Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) and Allied Topics
(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2014-03-26) Weinstein, Michael P.; Buchanan, Gary A.; Saleh, Firas