New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with New Jersey Natural Gas, will be hosting Ocean Fun Days 2022 this weekend!
May 21, 2022 at Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park
May 22, 2022 at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium on Sandy Hook
Both locations 11AM – 3PM rain or shine
Free admission and free parking!
Enjoy hands-on marine and environmental programs and exhibits. There will be giveaways and plenty of excitement, plus fun ways to learn about our coastal environment and energy conservation for the whole family to enjoy.
Learn how to use a seine net to catch native fish, crabs and other marine creatures. Test your local coastal knowledge or become a sand sampler and search for natural treasures on a guided walking tour. Hear first hand from New Jersey scientists and researchers all about the inner-workings of the ocean and the coastline and how to protect them for generations to come.
Don’t miss out on these two days of FREE Family Fun!
GET SOCIAL by using the #OFD2022 or #OceanFunDays2022 hashtags!
Ocean Fun Days is returning this year as an in-person event. All attendees should follow all government guidelines regarding face coverings and social distancing and check with their own healthcare providers for advice if they have any concerns based on their own, or their child’s, medical condition.
The 6th Jersey Shore Junior Science Symposium (JSJSS) hosted by Ocean County College in Toms River was again held virtually on March 25, 2022. The symposium included presentations of 10 student research papers, 6 posters and a guest speaker. The primary goal of the JSJSS is to promote research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the high school level, and to publicly recognize students for outstanding achievement. The event includes presentations from New Jersey high school students on their individual science research projects.
The NJSGC provides awards to the students with the Top Environmental Paper and Top Environmental Poster. At the 2021 Symposium, NJSGC presented a $300 award for the Top Environmental Paper to Saachi Kuthari from Millburn High School, Millburn, for her paper on Inactivation of MS2 Bacteriophage for Water Disinfection via Microwave Radiation and $200 awarded to Eric Wang from Millburn High School, Millburn, NJ for his paper on Effects of Various Soil Microbiomes on Native and Invasive Plants.
As a member of the Executive Committee, the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium proudly serves many JSJSS activities such as recruiting members to be Technical Paper Reviewers, Student Mentors, and Symposium Judge for Presentations and Poster Session. NJSGC’s Diana Burich and Jody Sackett served as volunteers. Special thanks to the Delaware Estuary Program, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Rutgers University, Kean University, Monmouth University, Georgian Court University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The College of New Jersey, George Mason University, Save Barnegat Bay for also reviewing papers
From Headwaters to Coastal Waters Sea Grant Programs in The Mid-Atlantic Region Work Together to Enhance Coastal and Great Lakes Resources
Scenes from the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Regional Meeting held in Ocean City, Maryland on Apr. 4-7, 2022. (Photo by Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant)
Several members of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium team attended the Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting, which occurred April 5-7, 2022, in Ocean City Maryland. The conference is one of the best opportunities for programs within the region to network and collaborate with neighboring states. The meeting featured a variety of breakout sessions, mobile field trips, and panel discussions highlighting the impressive work of Sea Grant programs.
From left to right: Laura Kerr, Samantha Kreisler, Pete Rowe, Tom Herrington, and Diana Burich. (Photo by Samantha Kreisler | New Jersey Sea Grant)
Our team was able to share information, form new partnerships, and learn about innovative projects happening in our states. NJSGC representatives included Pete Rowe (Executive Director), Diana Burich (Director of Education), Samantha Kreisler (Communications Specialist), Laura Kerr (Coastal Resilience Specialist), and Tom Herrington (Coastal Community Resilience Specialist).
Many of our staff were given the opportunity to showcase their impressive work at NJSGC. Diana Burich gave an informative presentation on NJSGC’s work with underserved minority students in Asbury Park and Neptune. Laura Kerr and Tom Herrington also gave presentations on the tools they’re using in the New Jersey community.
Diana Burich gives an informative presentation on NJSGC’s work with underserved minority students in Asbury Park and Neptune. (Photo by Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant)
The awards ceremony took place at Fager’s Island for the presentation of the Mid-Atlantic Awards. NJSGC’s own extension specialist Tom Herrington received the 2021 Outstanding Outreach Award was for his work with residents and government officials in Ocean City, NJ to find solutions for chronic nuisance flooding in the community.
Peter Rowe (left) presents Tom Herrington (right) with the 2021 Outstanding Outreach Award (Photo by Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant)
With lots of new ideas, learned skills, and important connections the meeting was an overall success! Special thanks to those who helped put the event together. It was a pleasure seeing our colleagues at Delaware Sea Grant, Maryland Sea Grant, New York Sea Grant, North Carolina Sea Grant, Pennsylvania Sea Grant, Virginia Sea Grant, and National Sea Grant.
Last week, staff members from 34 different Sea Grant programs across the United States attended Sea Grant Academy. The week- long event, hosted by Oregon Sea Grant, took place in Annapolis, Maryland. The second session will take place in Georgia in September. The program was created as a professional development workshop to give Sea Grant employees valuable training and background information in a variety of fields, advancing working knowledge and the advancements of all Sea Grant programs.
Boats moored on the Severn River.
Annapolis, State capital of Maryland.
Jacqueline Guild (Left)
Deputy City Manager for Resilience & Sustainability at City of Annapolis and Zoe Johnson (Right)
Community Planning Liaison at Naval Facilities Engineering Command, speak about the impact of sea level rise and resilience planning within Annapolis/U.S. Naval Academy.
Zoe Johnson,
Community Planning Liaison at Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) points to map of United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium representative Samantha Kreisler, Communication Specialist, reflects on her academy experience: “Sea Grant Academy was rewarding and valuable. Not only did I further my knowledge of the inner workings within the Sea Grant network, but I also learned a lot about the different projects of the other state’s programs. I am looking forward to seeing my Sea Grant cohorts again in September!”
Liana Vitali, Naturalist at Jug Bay Wetland Sanctuary explains native species of the area’s vernal pools.
Yellow-Spotted Salamander found in a vernal pool at Jug Bay.
Samantha Kreisler (NJSGC) and Nina Sassano (Georgia Sea Grant) enjoy a tour of Patuxent River Park.
Dr. Patricia Delgado, Superintendent & Wetland Ecologist at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, speaks to academy participants about the wetlands and tidal reaches of the Patuxent River.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is currently updating our Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 to guide our work in the coming years. An important component of this Strategic Plan is stakeholder feedback to help drive our priorities and programs for the future. Do you have issues or concerns you’d like to see us address? Share your thoughts and opinions by completing our stakeholder survey.
This anonymous survey allows for stakeholders like you to provide input on significant issues affecting New Jersey’s marine industries, natural resources, coastal communities, environmental literacy, aquaculture, and more. Your responses will help us ensure that our Strategic Plan incorporates and addresses stakeholder needs. Please complete the survey by 5/18/2022 by clicking here.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with New Jersey Natural Gas, has announced the official dates for Ocean Fun Days 2022:
May 21, 2022 at Island Beach State Park, Seaside Park
May 22, 2022 at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium on Sandy Hook
Both locations 11AM – 3PM rain or shine
Free admission and free parking!
Enjoy hands-on marine and environmental programs and exhibits. There will be giveaways and plenty of excitement, plus fun ways to learn about our coastal environment and energy conservation for the whole family to enjoy.
Learn how to use a seine net to catch native fish, crabs and other marine creatures. Test your local coastal knowledge or become a sand sampler and search for natural treasures on a guided walking tour. Hear first hand from New Jersey scientists and researchers all about the inner-workings of the ocean and the coastline and how to protect them for generations to come.
Don’t miss out on these two days of FREE Family Fun!
When you eat farm-raised clams and oysters from New Jersey, you are supporting both a sustainable and restorative industry. The aquaculture of oysters, clams, and other bivalve mollusks not only improves water quality, but also provides habitat for a suite of species including recreationally and commercially important fish.
There are more than 30 shellfish farms in the State located along Atlantic coastal bays from Ocean County to Cape May County and in portions of the Delaware Bay from Cape May County to Cumberland County. The flavor of oysters and clams is reflected in the waters where they are grown, this is called merroir and just another reason to try shellfish from different locations.
Use our Jersey-Shellfish Directory (below) to find shellfish farmers throughout the State and create your own Bivalve trail as you try them all.
This Directory was supported with funds from the COVID-19 Rapid Response Program of NOAA Sea Grant with the intent to help shellfish farmers of New Jersey expand opportunities for direct-to-customer sales.
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 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 (June-August) at the Jersey Shore. Click here to view the full job description.
Job openings and fellowship opportunities across the Sea Grant Network are listed on the National Sea Grant website. Click here to see all current openings.
The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Proper documentation of identity and your ability to work in the United States is required at the time of employment.
As New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) enters its fifty-third year of operation, the organization is excited to officially announce Dr. Peter Rowe as its newest Executive Director. Since 2019, as Acting Executive Director, Dr. Rowe has supported vital programming, used his experience to build a strong foundation for the organization, and has guided the Consortium through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Sea Grant is where it all started for Dr. Rowe: in 1984 he embarked on his first graduate student research project via a Delaware Sea Grant award. In addition, he has worked at NJSGC for over 17 years, holding the positions of Associate Director for Sea Grant Administration (2010), Research Director (2008), and Extension Director (2004).
“I am grateful and excited to further my relationship with NJSGC and take on the position of Executive Director. Looking towards the challenges and opportunities in store for NJSGC, I will continue to find ways to improve our impact on the communities we serve. I am especially proud to be working with a great team of colleagues.”
Dr. Rowe, summer 1993, as a postdoctoral fellow at Laval University and GIROQ as part of a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) funded project to the Northeast Water Polynya aboard the Alfred Wegener Institute for Marine and Polar Research’s RV Polarstern studying larval Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida).
Dr. Rowe engaging some visitors during the crab races at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s signature event, Ocean Fun Days.
Dr. Rowe has over 35 years of professional experience in marine research, education, extension, and administration. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College in Biology and Chemistry. His passion for the marine sciences flourished at the University of Delaware, where he received both a Masters of Science degree in Marine Studies and a PHD in Oceanography. Outside of work, he is an avid SCUBA diver and underwater photographer. He is also famous for his world renowned homemade hot sauce.
Dennis Kearney, Chairman of NJSGC Board of Trustees, notes “The Executive Committee is pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Rowe has accepted our invitation to become full-time Executive Director of NJSGC. Pete’s steady hand has guided us through unprecedented times. His dedication to our core values and commitment to our partnership with the Sea Grant program is invaluable. Join us in congratulating Pete!”
As NJSGC faces the road ahead, Dr. Rowe will continue to bring his extensive knowledge of the marine sciences and proven collaborative leadership capabilities to the Consortium. Congratulations, Dr. Peter Rowe!
Congrats to the 2022 Knauss Legislative Fellows for successfully completing virtual Placement Week! Good luck to Ashlyn Spector (Rutgers University) who is placed at the Commerce Committee; Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change, and Manufacturing and Janine Barr (Rutgers University) who will be placed at the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Their fellowships in federal government begin February 1, 2022.
Our Executive fellows Schuyler Nardelli (Rutgers University) were placed at the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Office, and Liza Wright-Fairbanks (Rutgers University), at the Ocean Acidification Program Office.
Congratulations to all! See other placements, and learn how to become a fellow in 2023 at https://seagrant.noaa.gov/Knauss-Fellowship-Program.
This Directory was supported with funds from the COVID-19 Rapid Response Program of NOAA Sea Grant with the intent to help shellfish farmers of New Jersey expand opportunities for direct-to-customer sales.
