April 6, 2020

Working through the Coronavirus Pandemic

by S-FX.com

marsh sunset

Like all of you, everyone here at the Barnegat Bay Partnership is adjusting to changes in how we live, work, and yes, even play during the coronavirus pandemic. We want to update you about how the BBP continues to work together during this difficult time, and also share some coronavirus (CV) and CV disease resources you may find helpful.

Continuing Our Work

Ocean County College, our program office location, has transitioned to online instruction for students and “remote business practices” for non-essential employees for the entire spring semester. All campus events this spring, including graduation, have been cancelled.

In accordance with the college’s remote business practices, all BBP staff will be working mostly from home. While some field work has been cancelled or postponed, other field work judged to be low risk (i.e., away from other people and where social distancing between staff and other protective measures can be taken) is continuing for now. We are re-assessing all field work regularly as conditions change and new information becomes available.

Our Events

The BBP has cancelled all off-campus spring events. The Barnegat Bay Blitz, originally scheduled for the first week of May, is rescheduled for National Estuaries Week, September 19-26. Check our website’s events calendar for the latest information.

Staying Connected

We encourage you to stay connected with us and to continue to share information about the bay. 

The best way to reach BBP staff during this time is via email. When practical, all BBP committee and other work meetings will be held as scheduled via online services (e.g., WebEx, Skype, Zoom). Don’t forget to check our Facebook page for regular updates and Partnership news.

Finding Information about Coronavirus and CV Disease

Coronavirus cases have been reported throughout New Jersey, including in Ocean and Monmouth counties; comprehensive information and resources available in New Jersey can be found on the NJ Covid-19 Information Hub.

OCC is the location of an Ocean County by-appointment-only coronavirus testing center. Visit the Ocean County Health Department’s website for more information.  Individuals with questions should call the Ocean County COVID-19 Hotline at 732-341-9700, ext. 7411, or email covid@ochd.org.

See the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus page for the latest information on how to take care of yourself and others.  For a broader perspective, see the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic page. 

Household Products

Disinfectants that “kill” coronavirus are listed on an EPA webpage, List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.  More than 70 new disinfectants were added to the page recently, bringing the total number of products on the list to more than 350. It is important to note that List N only includes surface disinfectants registered by EPA.

Other disinfection products like hand sanitizers and body wipes are regulated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using an EPA-registered product in ways other than what is specified in the label is against the law and unsafe.  For information and guidance on alcohol-based hand sanitizer products, please see the FDA’s website.

Environmental Protection during the Pandemic

Learn about how water plant operators keep your water safe on EPA’s Water Utility Resources Website and the Water Environment Federation website.  The EPA’s decision to relax some enforcement rules during the epidemic has generated some public concerns; learn more about the policy here. 

Environmental protection remains everyone’s responsibility, so please continue to report any environmental problems or suspected violations by calling the NJDEP hotline (1-877-WARNDEP/1-877-9217-6337) or through the WARNDEP website, where a downloadable phone app is available to make reporting easier.

Coping with Stress

Check out these American Red Cross and Center for Disease Control and Prevention webpages for tips on how to cope with stress. One way that works for many of us – getting outside and enjoying nature. So, take a walk, do some gardening, or play with your kids, while being sure to follow social distancing protocols. 

Lastly, the Barnegat Bay Partnership wishes you and your loved ones good health during this difficult time. We hope that before too long, we can all be out enjoying the bay together!    

Dr. Stan Hales is the director of Barnegat Bay Partnership.

Explore More Insights from Barnegat Bay

Dive deeper into the ongoing efforts to protect and restore our environment with more updates and initiatives that you can take part in. Check out our latest blog posts for valuable tips and insights.

View All

UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

Working through the Coronavirus Pandemic

Like all of you, everyone here at the Barnegat Bay Partnership is adjusting
to changes in how we live, work, and yes, even play during the coronavirus pandemic.
We want to update you about how the BBP continues to work together during this
difficult time, and also share some coronavirus (CV) and CV disease resources
you may find helpful.

Continuing Our Work

Ocean County College, our program office location, has transitioned to online instruction for students and “remote business practices” for non-essential employees for the entire spring semester. All campus events this spring, including graduation, have been cancelled.

In accordance with the
college’s remote business practices, all BBP staff will be working mostly from
home. While some field work has been cancelled or postponed, other field work
judged to be low risk (i.e., away
from other people and where social distancing between staff and other
protective measures can be taken) is continuing for now. We are re-assessing
all field work regularly as conditions change and new information becomes
available.

Our
Events

The BBP has cancelled
all off-campus spring events. The Barnegat Bay Blitz,
originally scheduled for the first week of May, is rescheduled for National
Estuaries Week, September 19-26. Check our website’s events calendar for
the latest information.

Staying
Connected

We encourage you to
stay connected with us and to continue to share information about the bay. 

The best way to reach BBP staff during this time is via email. When practical, all BBP committee and other work meetings will be held as scheduled via online services (e.g., WebEx, Skype, Zoom). Don’t forget to check our Facebook page for regular updates and Partnership news.

Finding Information about Coronavirus and CV Disease

Coronavirus cases have been reported throughout New Jersey, including in Ocean and Monmouth counties; comprehensive information and resources available in New Jersey can be found on the NJ Covid-19 Information Hub.

OCC is the location of an Ocean County by-appointment-only coronavirus testing center. Visit the Ocean County Health Department’s website for more information.  Individuals with questions should call the Ocean County COVID-19 Hotline at 732-341-9700, ext. 7411, or email covid@ochd.org.

See the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus page for the latest information on how to take care of yourself and others.  For a broader perspective, see the World Health Organization’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic page. 

Household Products

Disinfectants that “kill” coronavirus are listed on an EPA webpage, List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.  More than 70 new disinfectants were added to the page recently, bringing the total number of products on the list to more than 350. It is important to note that List N only includes surface disinfectants registered by EPA.

Other disinfection products like hand sanitizers and body wipes are regulated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using an EPA-registered product in ways other than what is specified in the label is against the law and unsafe.  For information and guidance on alcohol-based hand sanitizer products, please see the FDA’s website.

Environmental
Protection during the Pandemic

Learn about how water plant operators keep your water safe on EPA’s Water Utility Resources Website and the Water Environment Federation website.  The EPA’s decision to relax some enforcement rules during the epidemic has generated some public concerns; learn more about the policy here. 

Environmental protection remains everyone’s responsibility, so please continue to report any environmental problems or suspected violations by calling the NJDEP hotline (1-877-WARNDEP/1-877-9217-6337) or through the WARNDEP website, where a downloadable phone app is available to make reporting easier.

Coping
with Stress

Check out these American Red Cross and Center for Disease Control and Prevention webpages for tips on how to cope with stress. One way that works for many of us – getting outside and enjoying nature. So, take a walk, do some gardening, or play with your kids, while being sure to follow social distancing protocols. 

Lastly, the Barnegat Bay Partnership wishes you and your loved ones good health during this difficult time. We hope that before too long, we can all be out enjoying the bay together!    

Dr. Stan Hales is the director of Barnegat Bay Partnership.

Contact Working through the Coronavirus PandemicContact Working through the Coronavirus Pandemic
marsh sunset
Photo credit: Kardek Haley Photos