Plan 9: Research Barnegat Bay— Benthic Invertebrate Community Monitoring & Year 2 Indicator Development for the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary - Barnegat Bay Diatom Nutrient Inference Model Hard Clams as Indicators of Suspended Ecological Evaluation of Particulates in Barnegat Bay Sedge Island Marine Assessment of Fishes & Crabs Responses to Conservation Zone Human Alteration of Barnegat Bay Assessment of Stinging Sea Nettles (Jellyfishes) in Barnegat Bay Baseline Characterization Dr. Paul Jivoff, Rider University, Principal Investigator of Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Blooms Project Manager: Joe Bilinski, Division of Science, Research and Environmental Health Baseline Characterization of Zooplankton in Barnegat Bay Thomas Belton, Barnegat Bay Research Coordinator Dr. Gary Buchanan, Director—Division of Science, Research & Environmental Health Multi-Trophic Level Modeling of Barnegat Bob Martin, Commissioner, NJDEP Bay Chris Christie, Governor Tidal Freshwater & Salt Marsh Wetland Studies of Changing Ecological Function & Adaptation Strategies 29 August 2014 Final Report Project Title: Ecological Evaluation of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Area in Barnegat Bay Dr. Paul Jivoff, Rider University, Manager
[email protected] Joseph Bilinski, NJDEP Project Manager
[email protected] Tom Belton, NJDEP Research Coordinator
[email protected] Marc Ferko, NJDEP Quality Assurance Officer
[email protected] Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Rutgers University Marine Field Station for providing equipment, facilities and logistical support that were vital to completing this project. I also thank Rider University students (Jade Kels, Julie McCarthy, Laura Moritzen, Amanda Young, Frank Pandolfo, Amber Barton, Pilar Ferdinando and Chelsea Tighe) who provided critical assistance in the field and laboratory. The Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center provided key logistical support for this project.