| Confronted with the potential threat
of brown tide blooms to the state's coastal waters,
the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Science, Research and Technology (NJDEP/DSRT)
established the Brown Tide Assessment Project and funded
a systematic monitoring program (2000-2003). The objective
was to assess the spatial/temporal extent of brown tide
blooms in selected coastal bays and identify environmental
factors that may contribute to the blooms. The NJDEP's
partners on this project include the NJ Marine Sciences
Consortium/NJ Sea Grant (NJMSC/NJSG), Rutgers University
Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA),
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 (USEPA),
and the University of Southern California. |
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The NJDEP's Division of Science, Research and Technology
established the Brown Tide Assessment Project in 1999 and
is responsible for overall management of the project. In
addition, the NJDEP develops the goals/objectives and sampling
design of the project and is responsible for the overall
evaluation of data and reporting relating to the project.
As part of the project, the NJDEP provides funding to several
groups to implement the project including: 1) NJ Marine
Sciences Consortium and NJ Sea Grant to conduct water monitoring,
with a sub-contract with Rutgers Center for Remote for Remote
Sensing and Spatial Analysis to conduct spatial analysis;
2) Dr. David Caron (Aquatic Ecotechnologies) at the University
of Southern California for the enumeration (counting) of
the brown tide; and 3) NJDEP's Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring
to analyze water samples for nutrients. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the NJDEP's Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring
and for questions on the NJDEP's Brown Tide Assessment Project
and/or questions related to the data on brown tide and environmental
factors,
Contact the NJDEP:
Project Manager, Dr. Mary Downes Gastrich, at (609)
292-1895 or email: Mary.Downes-Gastrich@dep.state.nj.us. |
NEW JERSEY MARINE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM AND NJ SEA GRANT
The NJMSC/NJSG receives funding from the NJDEP's Division
of Science, Research and Technology to conduct water sampling
at selected NJDEP water quality network stations. Water
sampling is conducted at eleven stations during April (1X),
May (2X), June (4X), July (2X), August (1X), and September
(1X). Water samples are preserved in fixative and shipped
to Dr. David Caron for monoclonal analysis. In addition,
the NJMSC/NJSG collects water samples for NJDEP as part
of the Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
ECOHAB grant. The NJMSC/NJSG also coordinates the sampling
program with the U.S. EPA Region 2 who collected additional
water samples through the helicopter monitoring program.
For information about the NJMSC/NJSG program, please contact
Dr. Michael Weinstein at (732) 872-1300 or email: mweinstein@njmsc.org.
Contact the NJMSC/NJSG:
Dr. Michael Weinstein at (732) 872-1300 or email: mweinstein@njmsc.org. |
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR REMOTE SENSING AND SPATIAL
ANALYSIS
The CRSSA is a subcontractor to the NJMSC/NJSG contract
with the NJDEP and receives funding to conduct mapping and
spatial analysis of the data sent by the NJDEP. In addition,
CRSSA conducts some statistical analysis of the brown tide
data with respect to environmental factors that may promote
brown tide blooms as well as analysis of the occurrence
of brown tide blooms with respect to the location of submerged
aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds. For questions about the website
maps and/or SAV data, please contact Dr. Rick Lathrop (732)
932-1582 or email at Lathrop@crssa.rutgers.edu.
Contact the CRSSA/Rutgers
University:
Dr. Rick Lathrop (732) 932-1580 or email: lathrop@crssa.rutgers.edu. |
AQUATIC ECOTECHNOLOGIES: DR. DAVID CARON
If you are interested in having samples enumerated for brown
tide using the monoclonal antibody methods and/or specific
questions about the method, please contact Dr. David Caron
at USC at dcaron@usc.edu.
Contact the Aquatic Ecotechnologies
Dr. David Caron email; dcaron@uscs.edu |
JACQUES COUSTEAU NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH
RESERVE: SCOTT M. HAAG
The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
(JCNERR) is part of a system of 26 reserves around county
developed to protect the biologically, ecologically, economically,
and aesthetically important areas along our coasts known
as estuaries. Estuaries occur where oceans merge with freshwater,
a highly dynamic and critically important habitat. The JCNERR
is located in southern New Jersey and encompasses over 110,000
acres of relatively unaltered land. If you would like to
learn more about the reserve JCNERR go to http://jcnerr.org.
|
Contact the JCNERR/Rutgers University:
Scott Haag (609) 812-0648 or email: scotth@crssa.rutgers.edu
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