The study of microplastics and their negative effects as water pollutants has led to multiple opportunities for research and partnership. Through the Rutgers Raritan River Consortium minigrant program, Dr. Nicole Fahrenfeld led a study with the Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) over this past summer. The goal of the study was to better understand microplastic transport […]
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 […]
A new study by Dr. Dan Van Abs provides a variety of water demand scenarios for New Jersey’s 584 Public Community Water Supply (PCWS) systems, targeting the year 2040, including, of course, those utilities operating within and dependent upon the Raritan Basin. The study includes an assessment of how changes in population trends could alter […]
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 […]
A new research vessel, R/V Rutgers, has given undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of academic programs at Rutgers the opportunity to get out on the water and learn valuable data collection methods from members of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Throughout the months of April, May, and July, Dr. Josh […]
Microplastic is small – the size of a grain of sand or smaller. This emerging pollution is now found all over the world, including the Raritan River. The plastic comes from clothing fibers, packing materials like Styrofoam, and abrasive personal care products like exfoliates. Scientists estimate that total daily microplastic release into aquatic environments may […]
The Department of Environmental Protection – in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and other partners – is removing the obsolete Weston Mill Dam on the Millstone River between Manville and Franklin Township. The removal of the Weston Mill Dam, also known as the […]
Dr. Olaf Jensen (Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences) was one of the guest speakers at the August 10, 2017 riverside ceremony to mark the commencement of removing the Weston Mill Dam (see related post). Dr. Jensen spoke about the resilience of fish species but noted that fish can’t walk around dams. Following is the full […]
