Barnegat Bay - Plan 9 Research
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On December 9, 2010, the administration of NJ Governor Chris Christie announced a plan to address the health of Barnegat Bay. As part of that plan, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Science, working with the NJDEP Science Advisory Board, state universities, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the Barnegat Bay (National Estuary Program) Partnership, developed and funded ten research projects designed to fill in data gaps, address the improvement of water quality, and advance habitat restoration on the bay. These studies were designed to collect data for three years in order to address year-to-year natural variability in the bay’s ecosystem (e.g., Superstorm Sandy came ashore at Barnegat Bay in the fall of 2012 between year 1 and 2 data collections). The studies were also designed to address the multiple stressors impacting the bay for the development of targeted and appropriate regulatory management strategies. The ten projects started in January of 2012 and continued in 2013 and 2014.
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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 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, 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 Final report, phosphorus dynamics in the Barnegat Bay, New Jersey (year 3)(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2016-02) Velinsky, David; Weston, Nathaniel; Paudel, BhanuItem Final report, tidal wetlands studies of ecological function : denitrification in Barnegat Bay, NJ (year 2)(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-11) Velinsky, David; Quirk, Tracy; Cornwell, Jeffery; Owens, MichaelItem Ecosystem Services of Tidal Wetlands in Barnegat Bay : Nitrogen removal(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013-09-18) Velinsky, David; Quirk, Tracy; Piehler, Michael; Smythe, AshleyItem Ecosystem Modeling of Barnegat Bay Year 3 : Final Report(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2016-02) Vasslides, Jim; McCann, Michael; Jensen, OlafItem Year 2 Project Report for “Multi-Trophic Level Modeling of Barnegat Bay”(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-06) Jensen, Olaf; Fuchs, Heidi; Vasslides, JimItem Year 1 Project Report for : "Multi-Trophic Level Modeling of Barnegat Bay"(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013-06-10) Jensen, Olaf; Fuchs, Heidi; Vasslides, JimItem Baseline Survey of Zooplankton of Barnegat Bay : Final Project Report, June 2014-May 2015(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2016-01) Nickels, James; Howson, Ursula; Noji, Thomas; Samson, JenniferItem Baseline Survey of Zooplankton of Barnegat Bay : Final Report, June 2013-May 2014(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-06) Nickels, James; Howson, Ursula; Noji, Thomas; Samson, JenniferItem Baseline Survey of Zooplankton of Barnegat Bay : Final Report, February 2012-May 2013(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013) Nickels, James; Howson, Ursula; Noji, Thomas; Samson, JenniferItem 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, ThomasBarnegat 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).Item 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, LingItem 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, LingWe 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.Item Impacts of Invasive Sea Nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) and Ctenophores on Planktonic Community Structure and Bloom Prediction of Sea Nettles Using Molecular Techniques : Final Project Report(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2016-02) Bologna, Paul; Gaynor, John; Meredith, RobertItem Impacts of Invasive Sea Nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) and Ctenophores on Planktonic Community Structure and Bloom Prediction of Sea Nettles Using Molecular Techniques : Final Report 2013(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-06) Bologna, Paul; Gaynor, John; Meredith, RobertItem Assessment of the Distribution and Abundance of Stinging Sea Nettles (Jellyfish) in Barnegat Bay(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2013) Bologna, Paul; Gaynor, JohnDuring the 2012 field season, we collected samples from 16 sites in Barnegat Bay to assess the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton, with emphasis on all life history stages of sea nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) and potential impacts on the pelagic zooplankton communities. During the research, 384 plankton tow samples were collected, 1152 filtered water samples were collected, and approximately 1394 lift net samples were collected during eight sampling events commencing in May and concluding in September.Item Assessment of Fish and Crab Responses to Human Alteration in Barnegat Bay : Barnegat Bay Final Report(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2015-09-29) Able, Ken; Jivoff, Paul; Grothues, Thomas M.; Hagan, Roland; Belton, Thomas; Ferko, Marc; Ruppel, Bruce; Buchanan, Gary; Muffley, BrandonItem Assessment of Fish and Crab Responses to Human Alteration in Barnegat Bay(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health, 2014-03-28) Able, Ken; Jivoff, Paul; Grothues, Thomas M.; Hagan, Roland; Belton, Thomas; Ferko, Marc; Ruppel, Bruce; Buchanan, Gary; Muffley, Brandon