Taghon, Gary L.Grassle, Judith P.Fuller, Charlotte M.Petrecca, Rosemarie F.Ramey, PatriciaBelton, ThomasFerko, MarcSchuster, Bob2022-11-032022-11-032015-09-08https://hdl.handle.net/10929/106868The Barnegat Bay ecosystem is potentially under stress from human impacts, which appear to have increased over the past several decades. Benthic macroinvertebrates are commonly included in studies to monitor the effects of human and natural stresses on marine and estuarine ecosystems. There are several reasons for this. Macroinvertebrates (here defined as animals retained on a 0.5-mm-mesh sieve) are abundant in most coastal and estuarine sediments, typically on the order of 103 to 104 individuals per meter squared. Benthic communities are typically composed of many taxa from different phyla, and quantitative measures of community diversity (e.g., Rosenberg et al. 2004) and the relative abundance of animals with different feeding behaviors (e.g., Pelletier et al. 2010, Weisberg et al. 1997), can be used to evaluate ecosystem health. Because most benthic invertebrates are sedentary as adults, they function as integrators, over periods of months to years, of the properties of their environment.en-USThe organization that has made the Item available reasonably believes that the Item is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.New JerseyInvertebrates - New Jersey - Barnegat BayBenthos - New Jersey - Barnegat BayBenthic ecology - New Jersey - Barnegat BayTechnical Report