NJSGC 2023 Summer Field Trip Programs

March 21st, 2023

Our Summer Field Trip Programs give your group the unique opportunity to spend a fun AND educational day learning about the beach and other marine environments. Participants will explore the shore with a combination of hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, field work, and maybe even some crafts. Learning about the shore is a fun way to spend the Summer! Learn more by downloading the Summer Program Flyer or by clicking here!

  • Marsh and Ocean Environments: This full-day outdoor program introduces students to the salt marsh and ocean beach environments through a variety of hands-on activities.
  • Secrets of the Salt Marsh: Students will explore the most productive ecosystem on earth, the salt marsh, during this half-day program. Go seining and sieving in this very special environment.
  • Sea Shell Science: Students will learn all about local mollusks during this half-day program. Each student will “make and take” a seashell collection and enjoy age appropriate learning activities. A shell craft can be requested in advance, time permitting.
  • On Sandy Shores: This half-day program offers age appropriate activities all about sand. Students will experiment with microscopes to examine sand from around the world. Activities include making sand sample cards to take home.
  • Happiness is a Horseshoe Crab: Often called a living fossil, this half-day program focuses on the horseshoe crab. Through “hands-on” activities, children will learn about the care, importance, and unique habits of this ancient animal. For younger children a story may be included.

For more information contact Julie Lang, K-12 Program Coordinator at [email protected] or via phone at (732) 872-1300, ext. 13.

We’re Hiring!

March 1st, 2023

Love what New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium does? We are currently hiring for 2 positions at our Sandy Hook office:

Field Instructor: The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC), a non-profit organization on Sandy Hook, is hiring part-time field instructors for their K-12 Education Program and Scout Program. NJSGC provides students and scouts with dynamic ocean science programs that may include but not be limited to outdoor experiential learning activities such as seining, interactive games, scientific demonstrations and laboratory experiments. Join a great group of people that love the beach, the outdoors and sharing their knowledge with students to promote a love of environmental science. Gain hands-on educational experience and work in one of the most unique natural “classroom” environments in New Jersey, Gateway National Recreation Area-Sandy Hook Unit. Click here to view the full job description.

Communications Intern: New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) is currently seeking a summer intern to work within the communications department and assist staff with all relevant tasks including (but not limited to): social media campaigns, video production, event coverage/promotion, and programmatic outreach. This position is ideal for undergraduates (preferably third or fourth year) interested in pursuing a career in the digital communications field, with a unique emphasis on marine, coastal, and STEM initiatives. The intern will report directly to NJSGC’s Communications Specialist and work throughout the busy 2022 summer season (May-August) at the Jersey Shore. Click here to view the full job description.

Funding Opportunity: Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development to Mitigate Impacts on Freshwater Systems 

February 7th, 2023

The purpose of the competitive grant program is to fund research projects that will enhance and optimize the deployment of green infrastructure and low impact development techniques to mitigate impacts on freshwater systems (GI/LID). The utilization of GI/ LID in freshwater watersheds will have profound and positive benefits on the health of our coastal ecosystems, a primary goal of New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and the National Sea Grant College Program. 

NJSGC anticipates funding for up to 3-5 projects with a maximum budget of $160,000 per project for 18 months. The total funding available combined is $480,000. Funding must include a 50% non-federal match. The proposed start date should be December 1, 2023, with completion no later than May 31, 2025. 

Deadlines for applications: 

Letters of Intent: March 24, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET
Full Proposals: June 9, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET.
Please note that deadlines will be strictly enforced. The opportunity to submit a full proposal is contingent on the timely receipt of a letter of intent.

This competition calls for research projects on green infrastructure and low impact development techniques in metropolitan areas of the Mid-Atlantic coastal states (NY-NJ-DE-PA-MD-VA-NC). All fieldwork must take place within the watersheds of this region. A significant part of the Sea Grant’s capabilities and place-based engagement in the coastal environments along the East Coast involves partnering with State and local agencies and academic institutions to conduct coastal management-related research. Continued engagement with Sea Grant partners will be an important aspect of this competition, and engagement with Sea Grant programs will be valued in the review process. 

For more information please view the official RFP document here. Research priorities for this RFP reflect the Strategic Scoping Document developed for this project. 

For additional information please contact Dr. Peter Rowe at [email protected].

Ocean Fun Days 2023 Dates Announced!

February 6th, 2023

It’s official! The 20th annual Ocean Fun Days will take place on May 20 at Island Beach State Park in Seaside Park and May 21 at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium headquarters on Sandy Hook – a perfect event for families and kids. With fun activities, eco tours, hands-on workshops, and much more, there’s something for everyone.

Click here for more info. Check out OceanFunDays.Org for some fun from last year!

We’re Hiring!

January 27th, 2023

Field Instructor: The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) is hiring part-time field instructors for their K-12 Education Program and Scout Program. NJSGC provides students and scouts with dynamic ocean science programs that may include but not be limited to outdoor experiential learning activities such as seining, interactive games, scientific demonstrations and laboratory experiments. Join a great group of people that love the beach, the outdoors and sharing their knowledge with students to promote a love of environmental science. Gain hands-on educational experience and work in one of the most unique natural “classroom” environments in New Jersey, Gateway National Recreation Area-Sandy Hook Unit. Click here to view the full job description.

NJSGC receives federal funding for research in strengthening resilient coastal communities

January 25th, 2023

The National Sea Grant College Program today announced recent investments through two complementary initiatives aimed at improving resilience with coastal communities. Through a joint competition with the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP), ten new projects were selected for a total of $3.9 million in funding to translate research into application for communities.

Project activities span California, Georgia, Hawai’i, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Texas, and activities will take place either over two years (Tier 1) or over four years (Tier 2). All projects have been recommended for funding and await final approval before award disbursement. These collaborative projects will build on Sea Grant’s continuing research and extension work in communities. The full list of USCRP-Sea Grant projects and descriptions is available here.

New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium has been awarded $150,000 (Tier 1) of federal funding to enhance community resilience through knowledge co-production on sediment transport and bypassing around natural tidal inlets. The goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of how hydrodynamic processes influence morphologic evolution at natural inlets and adjacent shorelines. The project will use local community knowledge and commonly used oceanographic analytic methods at Little Egg Inlet and Brigantine Inlet, which are natural, unstructured inlets in New Jersey, to help analyze current and sediment flow and inform interested parties of the changes in different scenarios. To gain community participation and knowledge co-production, the project team will organize listening sessions that aim to include a variety of interested parties to learn about the publics’ perspectives on shore protection activities, and human use and ecological species use at natural inlets, affiliated shoals, and adjacent shorelines. The project team will report on the effectiveness of student hands-on learning together with the coastal communities’ local knowledge in understanding currents and sediment transport around natural inlets.

“Through this partnership with the U.S. Coastal Research Program, Sea Grant is able to effectively leverage its nationwide network to help coastal and Great Lakes communities tackle some of the most pressing issues that they face now and in the future,” said Jonathan Pennock, director of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. “The congressional appropriations dedicated to addressing resilience challenges through both of these complementary efforts will enhance engagement and adaptation planning and implementation for infrastructure, society, and human and ecosystem health.”

The projects selected through the USCRP-Sea Grant competition will increase the capacity of coastal communities across the U.S. to withstand and quickly recover from a diverse range of local challenges. This includes current and future flood risks posed by sea level rise and extreme storms. Projects will explore flooding impacts through the lenses of community socioeconomic factors, natural resource and infrastructure management, and shoreline adaptations. Additionally, projects will address coastal safety related to rip currents and drowning, and access to clean water.

NEFSC and NJSGC Request for Proposals

December 20th, 2022

New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC), the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Howard laboratory is excited to release two new funding opportunities.The NEFSC Howard Laboratory and NJSGC are partners in both projects. The NOAA Office of Aquaculture is the third partner on the aquaculture project. The funding for the coastal health opportunity came to NJSGC through Representative Frank Pallone Jr.’s efforts. Both opportunities are intended to build more local expertise. Both competitions are especially encouraging teams that include faculty and/or students from communities historically under-served in marine and environmental sciences.

 

NMFS- Sea Grant Fellowship Opportunity

December 5th, 2022

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics is designed to help Sea Grant fulfill its broad educational responsibilities and to strengthen the collaboration between Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Since 1990, Sea Grant and NMFS have partnered to train students through this joint fellowship program in two specialized areas: population and ecosystem dynamics as well as marine resource economics. Population and ecosystem dynamics involve the study of fish populations and marine ecosystems to better assess fishery stock conditions and dynamics. The NMFS-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics places Ph.D. students in research-based fellowships that provide support for up to three years. The program is designed to fulfill workforce development needs identified by the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and since 1999, has provided opportunities for 159 Ph.D. students.

The goals of the NOAA Fisheries/Sea Grant Fellowship Program are: 

  • To encourage qualified applicants to pursue careers in either population and ecosystem dynamics and stock assessment or in marine resource economics 
  • To increase available expertise related to these fields 
  • To foster closer relationships between academic scientists and NOAA Fisheries 
  • To provide real-world experience to graduate students and accelerate their career development.

Get started on your application with:

Applications from eligible PhD students are due to NJSGC by 5PM on January 25, 2023. Interested candidates should contact Dr. Peter Rowe, Executive Director NJSGC for more details. Please share this opportunity to interested PhD students.

Application Now Open for 2023 Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship Program

November 29th, 2022

The NOAA Office of Coastal Management (OCM) offers the Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship Program. This on-the-job education and training in coastal resource management and policy is offered to postgraduate students and provides assistance to state coastal zone management agencies and NOAA partners.

For the 2023 fellowship, applicants must be U.S. citizens who will complete a master’s or other advanced degree at an accredited U.S. university between August 1, 2021, and July 31, 2023. A broad range of degrees are applicable to the fellowship because the projects are varied among the host organizations. This two-year opportunity offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and travel and relocation expense reimbursement. More eligibility requirements, descriptions of the projects, and guidance on how to apply can be found at coast.noaa.gov/fellowship (or view this flyer for more information).

Application for the 2023 Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship Program must be submitted to the Sea Grant office in the state where the student is receiving their degree by Friday, January 27, 2023 5pm local time. New Jersey students are encouraged to contact Dr. Peter Rowe at NJSGC with any questions or concerns.

“Knauss 101” Zoom Session

November 18th, 2022

NJSGC will host an informational “Knauss 101” Zoom meeting with Director Dr. Peter Rowe on Wednesday, December 14th at 10 a.m. Register here.

Please contact our Communications Specialist for more information on how to join the session.

For more information on the fellowship, please visit our website.