Summer flounder (Paralichtys dentatus) is a key species for New Jersey’s fisheries, including being the most commonly captured species by recreational anglers and the most valuable finfish species for the commercial fishing industry (NMFS, 2017). Increasingly strict fisheries management measures have been implemented in recent years partially due to the results from the most recent […]
fisheries, founder, minigrant, Zemeckis
With the surge of urbanization and industrialization, the Raritan River, and particularly its 15-mile long lower portion, has experienced profound contamination over the last 100 years. More than 15 EPA designated Superfund Sites are present in the Raritan watershed, and exceptionally high concentrations of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, and mercury have […]
Bu, Lower Raritan, metals, Roccanova, RV Rutgers, Schaefer, Sontag, zooplankton
The shoreline of Raritan Bay is developed with homes and recreation sites that are vulnerable to erosion and flooding exacerbated by increased rates of sea level rise. The US Army Corps of Engineers has implemented coastal storm-risk management projects or feasibility studies for several communities on Raritan Bay, but not all locations are included. Municipalities […]
Cliffwood, Miller, minigrant, Nordstrom, Raritan Bay, resilience
The Reinfelder lab and high school students from Malcolm X Shabazz High School (MXSHS) in Newark, NJ were awarded a Rutgers Raritan River Consortium Mini-grant to conduct field studies of ecoenzymes along the Raritan River Bay. Uptake experiments of the neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) into a freshwater phytoplankton using natural river water were conducted to evaluate […]
methylmercury, minigrant, Reinfelder, RV Rutges, Saba, Schaefer, SEBS, Sontag
The Raritan River region is the home of many businesses, residential communities, critical facilities, and wildlife species. Flooding is a persistent problem in the Raritan River region when excessive rain from storms affect the river basin. During hurricane events, flooding can be even more severe due to combined storm surge and heavy rainfall effects. For […]
Gong, IRIS, Lidar, minigrant, resilience, RV Rutgers, Whytlaw
Rutgers Raritan River Consortium (R3C) minigrant funds allowed the expansion of fish passage analysis on the Raritan by hiring Kiera Malone, a Rutgers undergraduate, as a student intern to research the movement patterns of a wide range of fish species that inhabit the Raritan River. In the process of working on this internship, Kiera gained […]
anadromous fish, fish tagging, NJAmerican Water, NJDEP, NJSWA, R Studio
Forest fragmentation is a process by which large forest areas are broken into smaller forest areas. Fragmentation is often a result of human development such as the creation of housing or roads. When fragmentation occurs, forest patches decrease in size. In addition, the amount of forest core decreases and the relative amount of forest edge […]
Students from Dr. Jill Lipoti and Mary Nucci’s environmental studies practicum formed a team to investigate microplastics in the Raritan. They studied the technique used by the NY/NJ Baykeeper to gather samples to count microplastics utilizing a Manta sampling net. Noting that the cost of the Manta net could be prohibitive, they invented a simplified […]
Professor Max Häggblom and his team of researcher received a R3C mini-grant to investigate the biodegradability of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Raritan River Sediments. The team was comprised of Dr. Häggblom (Dept. Biochemistry and Microbiology, SEBS), Professor Lee Kerkhof (Dept. Marine & Coastal Sciences, SEBS), Professor Donna Fennel (Dept. Environmental Sciences, SEBS), Dr. […]
This summer, Rutgers undergraduate student Laura Wiltsee, advised by Dr. Josh Kohut, worked with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to produce a profile of the water column at different sites along the Raritan River, as marked on the map (click to view full map). The profiles of the temperature and salinity shown on […]
