NJSGC Announces Latest Batch of Sea Grant-Funded Research Projects

February 5th, 2018

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium recently announced its latest round of Sea Grant-funded research projects that are included in the program’s omnibus for 2018-2020.

As previously reported, NJSGC received a record-breaking number of research pre-proposals from a diverse array of institutions in early 2017, all seeking funding to conduct research to respond to the priorities identified in NJSGC’s most recent request for proposals. Of the 43 pre-proposals submitted, NJSGC’s Technical Review Panel (TRP) recommended that 17 move forward to the final round of review. Full proposals were submitted in June and assessed until the end of the year.

During the rigorous review process, priorities for funding such research were determined through a collaborative process that received input from stakeholders, NJSGC’s advisory boards and partners, and several other objective specialists. The final projects were selected based on relevancy and scientific rigor using a competitive, peer-reviewed evaluation. As a result, the select projects chosen for funding reflect local concerns and seek solutions to New Jersey’s most pressing marine and coastal issues. The current cycle covers a wide range of topics, including:

Impacts of thin layer sediment deposition on salt marsh ecosystems

Establishing shellfish hatchery biosecurity certification standards to facilitate interstate transport of shellfish seed

River plumes as a control on microplastic entry into the food chain

Optimizing fishing regulations for New Jersey’s multi-species recreational bottom fishery to improve economic outcomes and angler satisfaction

Measuring dune, beach, and nearshore response to an extreme event:Atlantic City, New Jersey

Interactions among horseshoe crabs and intertidal oyster farms in the Delaware Estuary

Quantifying the effects of a changing climate on summer flounder recruitment

“Green” retrofit of stormwater BMPs for pollution prevention in urban coastal communities of New Jersey

While these projects span a variety of topics, they all contribute towards NJSGC’s mission to provide sound scientific data to promote wise decision-making about New Jersey’s coastal and marine resources. Projects are funded in part through a grant from NOAA/National Sea Grant which NJSGC has successfully managed in the state of New Jersey since 1976.

Updated descriptions of each project can be found at https://njseagrant.org/research/research-projects/.