Environmental Chemistry Field Trip An Introduction to the Marine Field Station and the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary

Stockton Marine Science and Environmental Field Station Located off of the Mullica River Mullica River empties into the Great Bay The Great Bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean

My Position (1996) Faculty support –co-teach in field and laboratory –Support research/courses in general Facility management –Scheduling –Maintenance –Purchasing Director of marine operations –Safety program –Dive program

Field Station capabilities Research vessels 21’ – 24’, passengers

Facilities Teaching laboratory Individual research labs Aquaculture laboratory GIS software and computer systems

Equipment Biological sampling equipment –Seine nets, otter trawls, plankton nets, etc. Benthic survey equipment –Ponar grabs, vibracore, side scan sonar Water quality instrumentation –Yellow Springs Instrument suite

Designated as the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) –NOAA funded program –Designated in October of 1997

Location in the State of NJ

System Wide Monitoring Program Water and weather data throughout estuary 30 minute intervals of data Student internships developed Data available on CDMO site –18 month lag time –Data available sooner through S. Evert

Datalogger locations

Two week sample, Nacote Creek

Water quality instruments… Temp pH Conductivity Salinity DO (Mg/L and %sat) Depth

Yellow Springs Instruments (YSI) Discrete sampling instruments (600 series) –Used to “spot” sample –Could be used on a weekly basis –$3000-$5000 Unattended sampling instruments (6000 series) –Left in the field to collect data on a user determined interval –Requires secure mounting –$5000-$8000 How can we display the data collected?

Geographic Representation of Measurements at Sampling Stations in the Mullica River - Great Bay Estuary ArcView was used to create a macro program –spatial data from the field –table development in Excel –table import to ArcView software Results of macro program –generates a map with sampling sites noted –creates charts of selected variables vs. sites –produces report quality map with data charts, north arrows, scale, and titles

Charts created with ArcView software

Technical Reports - data maps using GIS software and analysis

Boating Safety – year round Medical needs – must inform me Eat properly day of trip Non-swimmers? –Other concerns? Boarding a boat – carefully While underway – PFD’s on Getting off the boat To assist or not to assist…fending off, etc.? Questions?

Steven Evert, Field Station Manager Richard Stockton College of NJ Marine and Environmental Science Field Station PO Box 195 Pomona, NJ (609)