The Coast Guard has had their work cut out for them. A pilot was killed when his plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off of Atlantic City last week. The small plane was recovered from the sea floor. A tow boat sunk off Sandy Hook, and the captain was pulled alive from open water. It’s the second vessel to sink near Sandy Hook this month.
Meanwhile, NY Waterway will launch the first ferries built in New Jersey for at least a century.
Prodigy to pariah: N.J. oysterman’s bizarre battle with the state — Marc Zitter, an oyster farmer in Cape May County, filed a lawsuit against state Department of Environmental Protection employees after illegal harvesting charges against him were dropped. Two years ago, conservation officers seized Zitter’s boat, ATV and tens of thousands of dollars in gear, loaded Zitter’s 600,000-plus oysters into pickup trucks, hauled them on a boat to the middle of Delaware Bay and dumped them overboard, basket by basket. Then, Zitter was charged with the harvesting from prohibited waters and arrested outside his home. He’s suing for $3 million in damages to his business. Read more at NJ.com. Read More …
Mr. Andresen’s 40-foot boat, known as El Jefe, right. Credit Sally Stopper. Source: The New York Times
The New York Times sent a reporter to Belford Seafoof Co-op in Middletown in the wake of Capt. Tom Anderson’s death. The writer presents a small glimpse into the Anderson’s life, who came to commercial fishing only after he retired, and the commercial fishing port, which is a small tight-knit community.
Last week, one forecasting model predicted a New Jersey strike, but meteorologists interviewed by NJ.com were largely unconcerned. On Aug. 29, Erika dissipated over Eastern Cuba, according to a report on Weather.com.
One of the biggest digs at New Jersey is there is a cost to walk. Officials in Seaside Heights planned to charge for beach access after Labor Day, which is against custom in most locations. But they’ve reversed that decision, according to Newsworks.org. Lifeguards will remain on duty in a limited capacity through September. Read More …
Boats head out of Manasquan Inlet last year for a day of fishing. Photo: John Oswald/For the Asbury Park Press
Right now, meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Erika. One model out of Canada does show that the storm could hit New Jersey, according to an NJ.com report. But, what’s more likely is the strom will make landfall somewhere between Florida and South Carolina. The storm will probably careen into the East Coast sometime late into the Labor Day weekend. Beyond that, the forecasts are just too unreliable because landfall in the United States is too far out in time.
“Is the Canadian model’s solution impossible,” NJ.com asked. “No. But should New Jersey panic? Hardly.”
“It’s not like you’re going to wake up tomorrow and realize you have 48 hours to react to something,” Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office, told NJ.com. “We’re in the heart of hurricane season — there’s nothing abnormal about this.”
NJSGC in the News
Dr. Jon Miller, the NJSGC coastal process specialist based at Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Amy Williams, a post-doctoral researcher working with Miller, and Dr. Peter Rowe, the consortium’s director of research and extension, spoke about storm surge and the Coastal Storm Awarness Program in Long Branch. The outreach program designed to help people living on the Jersey Shore understand the intricacies of storm surges was covered by the Asbury Park Press and the Atlanticville.
The three marine scientists, and others, made a second presentation in Cape May last weekend about surge and Dune It Right, the consortium’s manual for dune restoration projects. A final presentation about surge and dunes will be held Sept. 23 at the Ocean County Library on Long Beach Island.
The Marine Trades Association is sponsoring the annual Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo at First Energy Park in Lakewood. NJSGC is sponsoring the Kids Zone on Saturday and Sunday. Read a preview of the event scheduled for September 18-20 at BoatingIndustry.com, or at Trade Only Today. More information about the boat show can be found at www.jerseyboatexpo.com. Read More …
This is a round-up of the week’s marine science and marine recreation news throughout the state from Aug. 8 to Aug. 14.
The biggest news this week was a mysterious, circular brown plume that appeared in Barnegat Bay, and the death of a dolphin that strayed into the fresh waters of the South River.
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium provides funding to Rutgers University Water Resources Program at Cook College. Michelle Hartman, the consortium’s water resources expert based there, can provide insight for stories such as the brown plume in Barnegat Bay. And the consortium’s Director of Research & Extension, Dr. Peter Rowe, is a good source on stories like the death of the dolphin.
Reporters interested in speaking with a New Jersey Sea Grant Expert can email consortium’s communications office at 732-872-1300 x.18, email communications specialist Matthew McGrath or search the consortium’s experiste database.
Finally, an interveiw that Dr. Jon Miller, the consortium’s coastal process specialist, gave to CBS Radio late last week about rip currents was picked up by several media outlets Friday and Saturday.
In conjunction with this year’s Top Ten Beaches Survey, a unique and educational tie-in was launched: the Rain Barrel Art Project. In an effort to create public awareness around the use of rain barrels and the ways in which they help conserve water, we selected twelve New Jersey artists to paint a barrel with an iconic Jersey Shore scene. The result was a beautiful, creative, and stunning display. View the rain barrels here. Now we’re rolling them out at shore area events and festivals.
(Sandy Hook, NJ) — Sentimental beach lovers have until April 28th, to cast their photo votes and share their favorite Jersey Shore memories at www.njtoptenbeaches.org. The creators of the popular NJ Top Ten Beaches annual survey and tourism leaders from Sandy Hook to Cape May have teamed up to focus on a different angle for this year’s project by asking visitors to the web site to vote for a favorite photo and share a favorite shore memory that will help create a special limited-edition Making More Shore Memories calendar.
It may be summer, but don’t forget to read all about our work from over the Spring season in our Spring 2023 ‘COASTodian’ newsletter! Stay up to date on what we’ve been up to during the season! New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s ‘COASTodian’ newsletter Spring 2023 is now available online here.
Check out some highlights from this edition of the COASTodian:
– NJSGC held it’s annual State of the Shore Media Event
– Celebrating 20 Years of Ocean Fun Days: Through Rain and Shine, We Had A Good Time!
– Research spotlight: New Jersey Response of Salt Marsh Methane Emissions to Sea Level Rise
– Coastal Health Initiative Grant Awardees Selected for the 2023 Sandy Hook Partnerships in Coastal Studies Research Opportunity
In 2021-2022, contributions from important donors like you allowed us to:
Continue funding ocean, climate, and social science research to further promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, enhance healthy coastal ecosystems, and create a environmental literate workforce throughout the Garden State.
Provided nearly 20,000 schoolchildren from over 30 different legislative districts the opportunity to experience unique hands-on experiential learning through our robust education programs.
Disperse nearly 65,000 NJ Fish and Wildlife marine recreational fishing regulation cards and posters to over 260 marinas throughout the State, from over 24 different legislative districts.
Influenced more than 150 marinas to have operating pumpout stations (including nine pumpout boats) thanks to NJSGC’s involvement with the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program.
We’re looking forward to the bright future ahead of the Consortium as we move forward into our 54th year. In 2022 NJSGC not only continued, but also created several new outstanding programs and projects, including:
Piloting a novel Aquaculture Student Apprenticeship Program to provide students with an understanding of shellfish aquaculture to create a foundation for a career in the emerging field of shellfish farming.
Created a new feature section in the COASTodian Newsletter called “Research Spotlight” focusing on NJSGC’s groundbreaking and innovative coastal, ocean, and climate research.
Hosted a Professional Development Workshop intended for elementary school teachers looking to build confidence in teaching climate science in their classrooms.
And much more to come in 2023!
With your support we can continue to work hard to promote the wise use of New Jersey’s marine and coastal resources through research, education, and outreach. The New Year is just around the corner. Can we count on you to support our mission to steward New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment? To make a year-end, tax-deductible contribution to NJSGC for 2022, please click HERE or kindly address your contribution to:
Deborah Meehan Quinn
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium
22 Magruder Road
Fort Hancock, NJ 07732
In 2019-2020, contributions from donors like you allowed us to:
Continue supporting marine, coastal, and social science research to help further promote and enhance healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries/aquaculture, resilience communities/economies, and environmental literacy/workforce development throughout the Garden State.
Provide direct instruction to nearly 20,000 schoolchildren from over 30 different legislative districts throughout NJ on a broad range of environmental topics through our diverse, interactive education programs.
Disperse nearly 65,000 NJ Fish and Wildlife marine recreational fishing regulation cards to and posters to over 260 marinas throughout the State, from over 24 different legislative districts. Of these, more than 100 have operating pumpout stations (including nine pumpout boats) thanks to NJSGC’s involvement with the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program.
Accept four graduate students from prestigious institutions throughout NJ into the highly-competitive John A. Knauss Marine Policy fellowship program.
And while combating the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium continues developing several outstanding programs and projects, including:
Virtual education initiatives appropriate for grades K-12. Taught by experienced environmental education staff, these lively presentations, demonstrations, experiments, and games encourage student interaction on topics designed to excite while meeting educator’s curricular needs, scout leader’s requirements, and/or families’ interests.
A new COVID-19 rapid response opportunity (led by NJSGC’s Aquaculture Program Coordinator Lisa Calvo) that helps support oyster farmers, promote habitat restoration, and advocate local seafood sales.
For the first time in 17 years, NJSGC and its partners hosted a virtual Ocean Fun Days event. Online video presentations, teacher/parent resources, and other printout activities from over 25 exhibitors provided eco-friendly fun focused on ocean discovery, coastal stewardship, and energy conservation.
In partnership with New York Sea Grant, NJSGC created a BEach SAFEly campaign to remind beachgoers to stay safe while still having fun at the Jersey Shore (and beyond).
And more to come in 2021!
Despite such trying times, we hope you choose to help so that we can continue our mission to promote the wise use of New Jersey’s marine and coastal resources through research, education, and outreach. To make a year-end, tax-deductible contribution to NJSGC for 2020, please click HERE.
If you prefer to mail your gift, kindly address your contribution to:
New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium
22 Magruder Road
Fort Hancock, NJ 07732
