Purpose

The primary purpose of this website is to facilitate the distribution of the spatial extent of brown tide blooms in as near real time as possible for coastal outreach. This project is made possible by funding provided by the NJDEP/DSRT to the Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Rutgers University. Funding for this website was also provided by the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR).

The information contained within this website is a subset of a larger research project being administered by the NJDEP with the following goals: 1) assess the spatial and temporal extent of the brown tide blooms in the Barnegat Bay, Little Egg Harbor, Great Bay and Great Egg Inlet; 2) identify potential contributing factors/causes of these blooms; 3) identify coastal protection areas at risk for brown tide blooms; 4) provide accurate information about potential ecological and aesthetic risks to the public to minimize potential negative impacts on the economy of the coastal area; and 4) based on this information, develop control strategies for these blooms

Project Overview

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.

Partners

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Site maintained by the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA), Cook College, Rutgers University. Web site created by Scott Haag Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. Site last updated June,22 2005.