Who’s up for a little marine-inspired scavenger hunt? Get ready for NJSGC’s “Sea Creatures in your Neighborhood” campaign! Here’s the plan.
Draw and color a picture of NJSGC’s “animal of the week” (more information below).
Include a “fun fact” about this creature.
Hang your masterpiece in a front window, door, or yard. Snap a photo to post on social media with the hashtags #SeaCreaturesInYourNeighborhood, #NJSGC, and #SeaGrantSTEM. Be sure to include the name of your city or town Feel free to send photos directly to NJSGC by contacting our Communications Specialist.
On your next ride or walk around the neighborhood (while respecting the rules of social distancing), take pictures of any #SeaCreaturesInYourNeighborhood you notice. Or search and discover more virtually.
Encourage friends and family to do the same and be sure to share your findings with us!
Stay tuned for next week’s ”animal of the week” and repeat. Stay safe and have fun while learning about our favorite sea creatures found along the Jersey Shore!
NJSGC will “spotlight” all submissions throughout Spring 2020.
Visit our “Sea Creatures in your Neighborhood” webpage to learn more.
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Week 6 (May 1, 2020)
The Blue Claw Crab (Callinectes sapidus) – please use this template for guidance.
“Spring is a time that many land animals emerge from hibernation, and there are some similarities in the ocean. Although most marine organisms do not hibernate specifically, some (like the blue claw crab) spend the colder months buried in the ocean bottom in a dormant state. As the duration of sunlight increases and water temperatures rise in May, hungry blue crabs will emerge and swim to shallow bays and estuaries. Crabs are ambush predators and once close to shore they will lie in wait for their prey to swim or amble by. Eating clams, fishes, and other crabs cause these invertebrates to fatten and eventually molt as they outgrow their shells. It takes a few hours for the new shell to harden, and while it is “soft shell” a crab is vulnerable to predators. Therefore, blue crabs will once again bury themselves into the sandy shallow bottom until their shells can protect them.”
Did you know…
(Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
– By looking at the abdomen, you can tell the gender of a crab: males are shaped like a golf tee, while females are shaped either like a triangle (immature) or rounded (mature). The large claws on mature females also have red tips.
– Although crabs spawn in the fall, females do not lay eggs until the spring, and they can lay up to 8 million at a time!
– Male blue crabs can live up to 3 years while females only live up to 2 years.
– Blue crabs feed by catching prey with their large claws and ripping their food apart to pass into their mouths.
As a 2020 Knauss Fellow representing New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, Victoria Luu (Princeton University) is currently working in the NOAA Office of International Affairs under Director Elizabeth McLanahan. Check out what’s going on!
February 2020
Tori started out her fellowship by jumping straight into a major international meeting. She flew to Oslo, Norway on Day 1 to participate in the biannual meeting of the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Marine Environment Working Group as part of the United States delegation. The Arctic Council is an effective high-level forum for cooperation and coordination whose work ranges from developing factsheets and reports to establishing binding treaties. By Day 5, Tori was already working actively with the team to edit a zero order draft of the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter in the Arctic. There was fortunately some time for fun after the work was done, and the meeting participants all got to enjoy an evening at the Norwegian Maritime Museum. It was definitely an exciting start to the Knauss Fellowship!
March 2020
Almost all of the Knauss Fellows have been teleworking since Mid-March, but the work doesn’t stop! Everyone has been incredibly resourceful, and video chatting, webinars, and conference calls have become the new normal. Tori has still gotten to help staff in some high-level meetings with RDML Tim Gallaudet, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy NOAA Administrator, as well as help facilitate and moderate some sessions of the Arctic Science Summit Week in its new virtual form. International collaboration is still happening within NOAA – it’s just the scheduling has been trickier not being able to be in the same time zone!
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We appreciate all Knauss fellows as they continue working hard and diligently, despite the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Stay tuned for more updates soon.
Click here to learn more about NJSGC’s Knauss Class of 2020, which also includes Michael Acquafredda (Rutgers University) and Brittany Schieler (Rutgers University).
Given the current situation surrounding COVID-19, the Ocean Fun Days (OFD) committee along with its sponsors have ultimately decided to hold an ALL VIRTUAL event in October 2020. All OFD partners take the health and safety of our exhibitors, guests, staff, and community very seriously. Therefore, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and New Jersey Natural Gas recently made the very difficult decision to cancel our annual gatherings at Island Beach State Park and Sandy Hook. Stay tuned for more information regarding this year’s virtual event as details continue developing.
Ocean Fun Days was originally rescheduled for Saturday, October 10 at Island Beach State Park and Sunday, October 11 at Fort Hancock’s Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook back in April.
We truly appreciate the hard work and cooperation of all partners, vendors, attendees, and volunteers during this time.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you back at the beach this fall!
Come to #OFD2020 and celebrate waves of discovery – please visit the official website for more information.
Who’s up for a little marine-inspired scavenger hunt? Get ready for NJSGC’s “Sea Creatures in your Neighborhood” campaign! Here’s the plan.
Draw and color a picture of NJSGC’s “animal of the week” (more information below).
Include a “fun fact” about this creature.
Hang your masterpiece in a front window, door, or yard. Snap a photo to post on social media with the hashtags #SeaCreaturesInYourNeighborhood, #NJSGC, and #SeaGrantSTEM. Be sure to include the name of your city or town. Feel free to send photos directly to NJSGC by contacting our Communications Specialist.
On your next ride or walk around the neighborhood (while respecting the rules of social distancing), take pictures of any #SeaCreaturesInYourNeighborhood you notice. Or search and discover more virtually.
Encourage friends and family to do the same and be sure to share your findings with us!
Stay tuned for next week’s ”animal of the week” and repeat. Stay safe and have fun while learning about our favorite sea creatures found along the Jersey Shore!
NJSGC will “spotlight” all submissions throughout Spring 2020.
Click HERE to view the latest edition of the COASTodian.
A quiet stillness and beauty pervade Sandy Hook during the wintertime. Although NJSGC’s hallways and surrounding parade grounds remain relatively desolate during these few months due to bitter temperatures and dwindling daylight hours, the ocean tides (and Sea Grant initiatives) are constantly churning.
With that being said, the staff at NJSGC can’t wait to “leap” into another busy season of STEM learning and marine science exploration! Check out our latest edition of the COASTodian newsletter (Winter 2020) to find out what’s next.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) recently received a $2,500 grant from Investors Foundation at our office headquarters in Sandy Hook. The grant will help further NJSGC’s mission of promoting the wise use of New Jersey’s marine and coastal resources through research, education, and outreach. This grant will continue to directly support NJSGC’s Rip Current Awareness program. NJSGC’s interactive “Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety” presentation will be offered at no charge to schools throughout Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties from March-June, 2020.
***Given the current situation, we are now presenting this program virtually through Zoom video conferencing. For more information, please contact NJSGC’s Education Department.***
“According to the National Weather Service, 85 people lost their lives to rip currents in the U.S. in 2019. This is a staggering statistic, and one that can be prevented. By placing signage on ocean beaches, as well as producing and distributing tens of thousands of informational flyers and children’s workbooks, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium works hard to dispel misconceptions about rip currents and to increase awareness of the dangers associated with unsafe ocean swimming. This fun interactive program engages school-age children with solid, fact-based rip current education and beach safety. We are grateful to Investors Foundation for giving us the opportunity to offer this program free of charge to a limited number of shore schools and community organizations to help keep their residents and visitors safe from ocean hazards.”
– Diana Burich, NJSGC Acting Director of Education
Investors Bank, headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, is a full-service community bank that has been serving customers since 1926. With over $25 billion in assets and a network of more than 150 retail branches, Investors Bank delivers personalized services and products tailored to the needs of its customers. Investors Bank’s services include complete deposit, loan and cash management products for consumers and businesses. Investors Bank. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.
About the Investors Foundation
Investors Bank created the Investors Foundation in 2005 to support the communities Investors Bank serves. Investors Foundation supports initiatives in the arts, youth development, health and human services, education and affordable housing. Investors Foundation works to improve the lives of its customers and neighbors.
“This course is an immersive, two-week course for undergraduates that presents the quantitative tools and field-based techniques used to sustainably manage and conserve aquatic marine living resources. This course is supported by the National Sea Grant Office and will be held at the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) in Tuckerton, NJ. A diverse group of faculty from the Center for Fisheries and Ocean Sustainability (CFOS) and the Institute of Earth, Atmospheric, and Ocean Science (EOAS) at Rutgers University will be teaching this course, alongside scientists from NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center.”
Marine Science Summer Day Camp at New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium offers “hands-on” STEM learning for children interested in ocean and marine life. Sessions are held at NJSGC headquarters on Sandy Hook and combine outdoor explorations of the beach and bay with laboratory experiments and fun, educational games and crafts. Instructor to camper ratio is 1 to 6. Five sessions will be held throughout July and August, each geared towards specific grade levels.
PLEASE VISIT OUR EDUCATION PAGE FOR THE FULL LIST OF 2020 DATES AND MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER.
Registration is now open for the 2020 Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course offered through Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE). View the official flyer for more information.
The objective of this course is to educate stakeholders of New Jersey’s commercial and recreational marine fisheries so that they will better understand and make progress on issues impacting their industries, including the science, management, and responsible stewardship of fishery resources.
Classes will meet at the RCE of Ocean County in Toms River, NJ during the evening (6:30 – 9:00 PM) every Tuesday from January 28 through March 31. Additionally, two optional field trips will occur during the spring.
Class sessions will be offered in a “HyFlex” formatto allow live participation in-class or remotely via webinar. The course is open to all who are interested. Please share this email and flyer with anyone who you think might be interested.
The program fee is $60 per person. Please register by January 24, 2020 by contacting Kelly Jurgensen (Administrative Assistant, Marine Extension Program) at 732-349-1152
If you have any further questions, please contact Dr. Douglas Zemeckis (County Agent III , Assistant Professor, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources) 732-349-1152
NJSGC helped conduct the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) survey from August-September at 38 select marinas that were known to have working pumpout services at some point in recent time. At the conclusion of this inspection, the majority of these facilities were found to have operational boat sewage pumpout units (with some exceptions).
Seven (7) marinas were found closed, but their stationary pumpout units had hoses set-up and available for use. Three (3) marinas were identified with pumpout units that were either not operational, unknown, or lost. Two (2) facilities were found to have just a portable pumpout unit available for pumpout services. Five (5) facilities were found to be keeping records of their pumpout services. Of three (3) marinas already known to currently not have a working pumpout, one was not interested in replacing the pumpout unit, one is currently being redeveloped, and another did not have staff onsite to discuss further plan-of-action with.
For a complete list of the results (including charts and tables), please click here.
