The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and other partners, is conducting an extensive, coordinated study of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary. The study integrates findings of teams from the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center and USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers in St. Petersburg, Florida and Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Results of the study will help inform resource managers as they evaluate plans and actions designed to improve water-quality conditions and restore the estuarine ecosystem. The study is funded primarily by the NJDEP with partial-Federal matching funds.
CIRCULATION AND WATER-QUALITY MODELING
Models have been developed to simulate water circulation and water-quality conditions in the estuary. The USGS Woods Hole team developed a hydrodynamic model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to simulate water velocities, circulation patterns, mixing and dispersion, temperature, salinity, and density stratification. The USGS New Jersey Water Science Center team used the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to simulate estuarine water quality, including
- dissolved oxygen
- oxygen demands
- nutrient speciation
- phytoplankton dynamics
- sediment diagenesis
Output from the hydrodynamic model is used as boundary-forcing conditions for the water quality model.
FLOW AND WATER-QUALITY MONITORING
Flow is measured continuously at strategic locations, providing detailed information on freshwater inputs to the estuary and the circulation of brackish water through the estuary. USGS water-quality monitoring stations measure spatial and temporal variations in water-quality. The stations are part of a coordinated monitoring network operated by several partner agencies that provide the data needed for modeling water circulation and water-quality conditions in the estuary.
BOTTOM CHARACTERIZATION
The USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers in Saint Petersburg, Florida and Woods Hole, Massachusetts conducted comprehensive geophysical surveys of Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor. Boat-based mapping in deeper parts of the estuary (> 1.5 m) includes
- Bathymetric sonar
- Sidescan sonar
- Subbottom seismic-reflection profiler
Aircraft-based laser topobathmetry in shallower areas (< 1.5 m) utilized Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL). The geophysical data and interpreted bathymetric surface provided the framework for models of estuarine circulation and water quality.
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SEDIMENT STUDIES
Sediment plays an important role in the estuarine ecosystem. Studies are being conducted by USGS to quantify
- sediment chemistry and associated toxicity to benthic organisms
- sediment transport and resuspension
- exchange of nutrients between sediment and the estuary water column
- sediment oxygen demand
QUANTIFYING NUTRIENT LOADS TO THE ESTUARY
Excessive inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to the estuary contribute to algal blooms, detrimental growth of macroalgae, and other related problems. Sources of nutrients include fertilizer, septic systems, leaky sewer pipes, animal manure, natural nitrogen-fixation processes, and atmospheric deposition. The USGS is quantifying nutrient loads to the estuary and working with other partners to understand the relative importance of different nutrient sources and the relations of nutrient loads to biotic responses in the estuary.
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USGS Barnegat Bay Restoration Science Team
New Jersey Water Science Center
Vincent DePaul, Frederick Spitz, Christine Wieben, Emmanuel Charles, Jon Janowicz
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
William Danforth, Neil Ganju, Zafer Defne
Saint Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and other partners, is conducting an extensive, coordinated study of physical, chemical, and biological processes in the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary. The study integrates findings of teams from the USGS New Jersey Water Science Center and USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers in St. Petersburg, Florida and Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Results of the study will help inform resource managers as they evaluate plans and actions designed to improve water-quality conditions and restore the estuarine ecosystem. The study is funded primarily by the NJDEP with partial-Federal matching funds.
CIRCULATION AND WATER-QUALITY MODELING
Models have been developed to simulate water circulation and water-quality conditions in the estuary. The USGS Woods Hole team developed a hydrodynamic model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to simulate water velocities, circulation patterns, mixing and dispersion, temperature, salinity, and density stratification. The USGS New Jersey Water Science Center team used the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to simulate estuarine water quality, including
- dissolved oxygen
- oxygen demands
- nutrient speciation
- phytoplankton dynamics
- sediment diagenesis
Output from the hydrodynamic model is used as boundary-forcing conditions for the water quality model.
FLOW AND WATER-QUALITY MONITORING
Flow is measured continuously at strategic locations, providing detailed information on freshwater inputs to the estuary and the circulation of brackish water through the estuary. USGS water-quality monitoring stations measure spatial and temporal variations in water-quality. The stations are part of a coordinated monitoring network operated by several partner agencies that provide the data needed for modeling water circulation and water-quality conditions in the estuary.
BOTTOM CHARACTERIZATION
The USGS Coastal and Marine Science Centers in Saint Petersburg, Florida and Woods Hole, Massachusetts conducted comprehensive geophysical surveys of Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor. Boat-based mapping in deeper parts of the estuary (> 1.5 m) includes
- Bathymetric sonar
- Sidescan sonar
- Subbottom seismic-reflection profiler
Aircraft-based laser topobathmetry in shallower areas (< 1.5 m) utilized Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL). The geophysical data and interpreted bathymetric surface provided the framework for models of estuarine circulation and water quality.
_________________________________________
SEDIMENT STUDIES
Sediment plays an important role in the estuarine ecosystem. Studies are being conducted by USGS to quantify
- sediment chemistry and associated toxicity to benthic organisms
- sediment transport and resuspension
- exchange of nutrients between sediment and the estuary water column
- sediment oxygen demand
QUANTIFYING NUTRIENT LOADS TO THE ESTUARY
Excessive inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to the estuary contribute to algal blooms, detrimental growth of macroalgae, and other related problems. Sources of nutrients include fertilizer, septic systems, leaky sewer pipes, animal manure, natural nitrogen-fixation processes, and atmospheric deposition. The USGS is quantifying nutrient loads to the estuary and working with other partners to understand the relative importance of different nutrient sources and the relations of nutrient loads to biotic responses in the estuary.
=========================
USGS Barnegat Bay Restoration Science Team
New Jersey Water Science Center
Vincent DePaul, Frederick Spitz, Christine Wieben, Emmanuel Charles, Jon Janowicz
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
William Danforth, Neil Ganju, Zafer Defne
Saint Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center