MERI

Abstract: Assessment of spatial and temporal changes in surface water is an important aspect for evaluating temporal variations of the river’s pollution due to natural and anthropogenic input of point and non point sources. MERI has been implementing a seasonal water quality study from 14 sampling sites for 22 parameters collected since 1993 in the Hackensack River and its tributaries. This study assessed variation of water qualities, classification of monitoring sites and examined interrelationship between different variables. Spatial distributions identified three different zones by Ward’s Hierarchical agglomerative clustering analysis (CA). A decision tree was also constructed to see the relationship between each water quality parameters and each cluster as an alternate statistical approaching method. Conductivity, sulfate, BOD, NH4, DO and Iron had the highest influence in order on the water quality among 22 parameters to separate three clusters.

Abstract: Dom Elefante and Brian Kennedy from the GIS Group will be meeting with East Rutherford officials to discuss the Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) and more specifically, the Emergency Response Information System (ERIS). The current system, and what will be added to their GIS infrastructure for the up-coming year will be addressed.

Abstract: Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were collected from two sites in NJ: Hackensack Meadowlands (HM), and Tuckerton (TK). Differences were found in juvenile predator avoidance ability and adult prey capture in laboratory studies. HM juveniles were significantly better at avoiding an adult crab predator than TK juveniles. HM adults were less efficient at capturing juvenile crabs but were comparable predators on fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax) and ribbed mussels (Guekensia demissa). Stomach analysis shows HM adults eat less nutritious food (less live prey and more sediment and detritus) than TK adults, but surprisingly no detrimental impacts were observed in the HM population; they seem to be larger than TK crabs in both population and body size. This may be a result of reduced fishing pressure at HM where there is a fishing advisory. Increment at molt of crabs from both populations was comparable. However, lipofuscin analysis indicates that HM crabs of a given size may be younger suggesting that they could be molting more often. Genetic studies indicated no differences among populations. To examine the effect of the environment on behavioral differences observed in the lab, crabs from each population were caged in the other site as well as their native site as a control. Data indicate TK crabs placed in HM became less efficient predators; simultaneously, HM crabs placed in TK became more efficient predators than HM controls. This indicates that environmental conditions in HM (contaminants) are primarily responsible for the impaired behavior of the blue crabs.

Abstract: The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) has determined that remediation of the Kearny Marsh freshwater ecosystem is a high priority and partnered with Rutgers University to achieve this goal. Since the marsh was formed almost forty years ago, it has been negatively impacted by activities that have altered its hydrology (ditching, urban stormwater infrastructure, construction of the western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike). Contamination of the marsh sediments with heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been well documented. A bulkhead that is conveying Frank’s Creek stormwater between the Town of Kearny and the Passaic River has also been breached, allowing for water exchange with the marsh. The primary goals of this project were to characterize the existing hydrology of the Kearny Marsh, evaluate current transport of contaminants into the marsh from the highly urbanized surrounding land uses, to predict effects on marsh hydrology of proposals to redevelop and reuse the site, and to project future marsh water levels under drought and high precipitation conditions. Stormwater and groundwater analyses were conducted for nutrients, PAHs, PCBs, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Results show elevated levels of heavy metals and, in some locations, PAHs and PCBs. Ammonia and phosphorus were elevated during all sampling events, indicating the potential for a high degree of future eutrophication of this ecosystem. Principal component analysis and other analytical techniques (contaminant ratios, ANOVA, and ‘fingerprinting’) were used to determine possible source(s) of elevated contaminant loadings. To analyze various components of this complex system, a Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), surface water model and a Visual MODFLOW groundwater model were developed for the marsh, calibrated, and verified. The validated SWMM and MODFLOW models were utilized to simulate the effects that construction of a slurry wall around the Keegan Landfill and redevelopment of portions of the wetland will have on the overall Kearny Marsh hydrology.

Abstract: Restoration efforts are attempts at creating and assembling local communities that have vanished. Recent studies have shown the importance of using local ecotypes of species as building blocks in these assemblies and the need for including information on genotypic differentiation has been stressed. Large portions of brackish east coast marshlands have been invaded by non-native, European genotypes of the common reed, Phragmites australis. As a result, only a small fraction of the NJ Hackensack Meadowlands is now dominated by native marsh species and only isolated patches of Spartina patens remain. As these patches vary in size and seem to resist encroachment by Phragmites differentially, we are investigating (a) whether larger patches are able to resist invasion more than smaller patches and (b) whether large-patch clones are better suited for restoration efforts. In a combined approach that includes surveys of permanent transects, common garden transplant experiments and genetic analysis, we are monitoring border dynamics and assessing genetic identity and performance of clones of different patch sizes. Current results of the ongoing project indicate that (a) border zones between the invader and Spartina tend to be more defined in large Spartina remnant patches than in small patches and (b) Spartina increases in dominance at large-patch borders but decrease in small-patch borders. There appears to be large genetic differences between adjacent large- and small-patch clones that are often more pronounced than differences between clones of different regions. In contrast, small-patch clones grow faster than large-patch clones in a common garden setting.

Abstract: In many areas of the world, frogs are affected by multiple environmental stresses, therefore the ability of frogs to tolerate urban conditions is of interest. In spring 2006, I surveyed calling frogs during three periods at each of two freshwater sites in the Hackensack Meadowlands just outside New York City in northeastern New Jersey, USA. I detected small choruses of a single species, southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala utricularia), at multiple wetland and pond locations within each site. The occurrence of populations of this species in the Meadowlands is noteworthy because it is rare or disappearing in nearby regions. The tolerance of southern leopard frog for slightly brackish water and the persistence of small areas of adjoining uplands may enable it to survive in a coastal urban environment.

Butterflies and odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are of interest to researchers and naturalists because they integrate multiple features of the environment and are charismatic. I tested a strip transect sampling technique for adult odonates and butterflies in the Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey, an urban wetland complex. With a partner, I sampled five 1-km walking transects on dirt roads, divided in 100 m segments at 10 min each segment. We identified and counted all adult odonates and butterflies seen within 5 m either side of the roadbed, once each transect, on mornings at the end of June 2006. Counts totaled 106 individuals of 21 species of butterflies, and 303 individuals of 22 species of odonates (12 dragonflies, 10 damselflies). Damselflies were virtually limited to two transects. Four additional species of butterflies and two of odonates were recorded within 100 m of the transects on the survey days. We identified and ranked abundance of woody plants and selected nectar plants on transects by segment. Dragonfly abundance and species richness, and butterfly abundance and richness, were similar among transects. Damselfly abundance and richness, and the rank sums and species richness of trees, shrubs, vines (woody and herbaceous combined), and nectar plants were significantly different among transects. Dragonfly abundance and richness were negatively correlated with almost all woody plant rank sum and richness variables (all p < 0.03), damselfly abundance and richness were positively correlated with all woody plant rank sum and richness variables (all p < 0.02), but butterfly abundance and richness were not correlated with any vegetation component including nectar plants (all p > 0.2). Apparently dragonflies and butterflies are mobile enough to adjust their activities to spatial variation in vegetation. The butterfly and odonate faunas of the Meadowlands have moderate species diversity but lack many specialized species. Our transect method seems effective for sampling urban butterflies and odonates in the Meadowlands and should be tested in other urban and non-urban environments.

Abstract: Dom Elefante and Brian Kennedy from MERI’s GIS unit will give a presentation to the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority that will cover NJMC’s enterprise GIS for the Meadowlands District and the region, including GIS integration for all Meadowlands municipalities (not only focusing on in-District areas). Additionally, the presentation will focus on the NJMC’s efforts in providing emergency management and solutions to identify and key-in on areas that municipalities have identified as critical assets, and to be able to target industrial facilities that may contain hazardous substances. The program will also feature the Borough of East Rutherford, illustrating their involvement and setup when it comes to emergency services and response and how Google Earth was integrated in this enterprise solution.

Abstract: Ed Konsevick, Senior Environmental Scientist, will be presenting to the members of the New Jersey Water Monitoring Coordinating (NJWMC) Council at their January meeting. He will be discussing how MERI utilizes several continuous water quality monitoring stations in the Meadowlands District to retrieve crucial scientific data.

Abstract:   As part of the on-going efforts by the NJMC/MERI GIS Group to provide GIS knowledge & infrastructure to the Meadowlands communities, the group has been asked to provide training on the use of a hand-held GPS unit (Trimble Nomad + GeoXH) in order to collect/ inventory the Borough of Rutherford’s shade trees. In addition to providing this service, the Borough will have a tool in quantifying the shade trees in-stock within the Borough’s limits by the use of mapping tools available through the Internet. Some of the information collected will include (but not limited to) the following fields: species name, condition/health, age, location, etc. The local Girl Scouts will assist in this project, with guidance from the Borough’s Shade Tree Committee. The first training was held at MERI on January 14, 2008.

Abstract: John Showler from the Department of Agriculture and Kunal Patel from the Bureau of Watershed Regulations will provide a talk about their experiences on building a flood model for Monmouth County, NJ. The model was presented at the Wreck Pond Meeting hosted in Wall Township last summer. They will be sharing their knowledge and experience using GIS along with different modeling software to implement a flood model for Monmouth County.