March 4, 2020

MATES Research Expo 2020

by S-FX.com

mates high school

While the Barnegat Bay Partnership’s (BBP’s) research staff spend most of their time in the field collecting data or in the office conducting analyses, we also enjoy getting out into the community to talk with people interested in science. And one of our favorite events is the OCVTS Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) Research Expo. Each fall the members of the freshman class at MATES design research projects that they execute throughout the semester, culminating in a poster presentation held in February. The 14th Annual Research Expo was held on February 26th this year, and the BBP’s Senior Scientist, Dr. Jim Vasslides, once again served as a judge in the Marine Science category.

In past years, the research conducted by the MATES students was of outstanding quality, and this year’s projects did not disappoint. The nine projects in the Marine Science category spanned the breadth of the field, looking at seasonal fish and crustacean community composition changes in the bay, the effects of salinity, temperature, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and pesticides on shrimp and plankton life histories, and how microplastics affect phytoplankton. One thing all the projects had in common was the researchers’ interest in how choices humans make in their daily lives can impact the natural environment, with most of them indicating that their concern for the Barnegat Bay and watershed led them to their research topic.

What was clear at the end of the poster session was that these students, like their predecessors, were able to combine their sharp analytical minds with an interest in their natural surroundings, and that the Barnegat Bay and watershed benefits from having them, and the amazing MATES program, in its corner.

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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.

 

MATES Research Expo 2020

While the Barnegat Bay Partnership’s (BBP’s) research staff spend most of their time in the field collecting data or in the office conducting analyses, we also enjoy getting out into the community to talk with people interested in science. And one of our favorite events is the OCVTS Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) Research Expo. Each fall the members of the freshman class at MATES design research projects that they execute throughout the semester, culminating in a poster presentation held in February. The 14th Annual Research Expo was held on February 26th this year, and the BBP’s Senior Scientist, Dr. Jim Vasslides, once again served as a judge in the Marine Science category.

In past years, the research conducted by the MATES students was of outstanding quality, and this year’s projects did not disappoint. The nine projects in the Marine Science category spanned the breadth of the field, looking at seasonal fish and crustacean community composition changes in the bay, the effects of salinity, temperature, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and pesticides on shrimp and plankton life histories, and how microplastics affect phytoplankton. One thing all the projects had in common was the researchers’ interest in how choices humans make in their daily lives can impact the natural environment, with most of them indicating that their concern for the Barnegat Bay and watershed led them to their research topic.

What was clear at the end of the poster session was that these students, like their predecessors, were able to combine their sharp analytical minds with an interest in their natural surroundings, and that the Barnegat Bay and watershed benefits from having them, and the amazing MATES program, in its corner.

Contact MATES Research Expo 2020Contact MATES Research Expo 2020
mates high school