Water Quality Condition and Assessment within the Barnegat Bay Watershed between 2011 and 2015

Hui, Pei; Ingelido, Patricia; Hirst, Barbara; Pflaumer, Jack; Witt, Anne C.; Zaman, Aynan; Aiello, Joseph

doi:10.2112/si78-002.1

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Prior work has attributed the decrease in seagrass coverage to increased nutrient loading and eutrophication from the rapid development within the Barnegat Bay watershed (Lathrop and Conway, 2001). The estuary is considered highly eutrophic (Bricker et al, 2007), with nutrient loadings highest in the northern, more developed part of the estuary (Pang et al, 2017). Frequent dredging and extensive shoreline hardening are also stressors on the ecosystem (Kennish, 2001).…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

Scalpone

Jarvis

Vasslides³

et al. 2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

Scalpone

Jarvis

Vasslides³

et al. 2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…Where observed data were not available, the calibrated parameters from the full-bay model based on the WASP advanced eutrophication module were used to implement the boundary conditions. Other inputs to the embayment model were derived from sampling data collected by NJDEP in watershed tributaries and the bay (Pang et al, 2017).…”

Section: Wasp Water-quality Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a Comprehensive Water-Quality Modeling of Barnegat Bay: Development of ROMS to WASP Coupler

Defne

Spitz

dePaul

et al. 2017

Journal of Coastal Research

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The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) has been coupled with the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) to be used in a comprehensive analysis of water quality in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. The coupler can spatially aggregate hydrodynamic information in ROMS cells into larger WASP segments. It can also be used to resample ROMS output at a finer temporal scale to meet WASP time-stepping requirements. The coupler aggregates flow components, temperature, and salinity in ROMS output for input to WASP via a hydrodynamic linkage file. The coupler was tested initially with idealized cases designed to verify the water mass balance and conservation of constituent mass using oneto-one and one-to-many connectivity options between segments. A realistic example from the Toms River embayment, a subdomain of Barnegat Bay, was used to demonstrate the functionality of the coupling. A WASP eutrophication model accounting for dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrogen, and constant phytoplankton concentrations was applied to explore the distribution and trends in DO and nitrogen in the embayment for the period of July-August 2012. Results of DO modeling indicate satisfactory agreement with measurements collected at in-bay stations and also indicate that this coupled approach, despite substantial differences in spatiotemporal discretization between the models, provides adequate predictive capabilities. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS:ROMS, WASP, hydrodynamic linkage, coupler.

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“…The Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor-Great Bay (BB-LEH-GB) lagoon system comprises a compelling case study for the use of stable isotopes as a tool to assess nonpoint source nutrient pollution as there is a well-documented gradient from high nutrient loads and low flushing in the north of the estuary, to lower loads and shorter residence times further south, by the lagoon’s inlet [ 36 – 39 ]. While the northern part of BB-LEH-GB is heavily developed, there are no point sources of nutrients as wastewater has been collected and discharged 1.6 km offshore since the 1980s [ 38 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the northern part of BB-LEH-GB is heavily developed, there are no point sources of nutrients as wastewater has been collected and discharged 1.6 km offshore since the 1980s [ 38 ]. However, local managers have observed periods of lower dissolved oxygen and high turbidity, in violation of current water quality standards, as well as a decline in seagrass and clams and an increase in episodic algal blooms [ 39 ]. In their assessment of the water column nutrient data collected as part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s monitoring program, Pang et al [ 39 ] concluded that there was a need for site-specific water quality targets for BB-LEH-GB, to better reflect the spatial variation in the system and allow for more targeted restoration efforts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Building on this recommendation, we used stable isotopes to characterize the macronutrient landscape in the BB-LEH-GB system to both identify where problems may be and to provide context for potential future changes, such as with proposed tide gate installations [ 40 ]. Key questions addressed by this study included the following: first, we aimed to determine how macronutrient (C, N) isotope ratios varied with nutrient loads and hydrodynamic characteristics at BB-LEH-GB, including the reportedly eutrophic northerly Barnegat Bay [ 38 , 39 ]. Secondly, we assessed whether the N isotope composition of biota has increased over time with watershed population increases, as has been found in nearby estuaries such as Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay [ 23 , 41 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tidal Flushing Rather Than Non-Point Source Nitrogen Pollution Drives Nutrient Dynamics in A Putatively Eutrophic Estuary

Krause

Gannon

Oczkowski

et al. 2022

Water

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The effects of nonpoint source nutrients on estuaries can be difficult to pinpoint, with researchers often using indicator species, monitoring, and models to detect influence and change. Here, we made stable isotope measurements of nitrogen and carbon in sediment, water column particulates, primary producers, and consumers at 35 stations in the reportedly eutrophic Barnegat Bay (New Jersey) to assess N sources and processing pathways. Combined with water quality and hydrological data, our C and N isoscapes revealed four distinct geographic zones with diverging isotopic baselines, indicating variable nutrient sources and processing pathways. Overall, the carbon stable isotopes (δ13C) reflected the terrestrial-marine gradient with the most depleted values in the urban and poorly flushed north of the estuary to the most enriched values in the salt marsh-dominated south. In contrast, the nitrogen stable isotope values (δ15N) were most enriched near the oceanic inlets and were consistent with offshore δ15N values in particulate organic matter. Several biogeochemical processes likely alter δ15N, but the relatively lower δ15N values associated with the most urbanized area indicate that anthropogenic runoff is not a dominant N source to this area. Our findings stand in contrast to previous studies of similar estuaries, as δ15N signatures of biota in this system are inversely correlated to population density and nutrient concentrations. Further, our analyses of archival plant (Spartina sp., Phragmites australis) and shell (Geukensia demissa, Ilyanassa obsoleta) samples collected between 1880 and 2020 indicated that δ15N values have decreased over time, particularly in the consumers. Overall, we find that water quality issues appear to be most acute in the poorly flushed parts of Barnegat Bay and emphasize the important role that oceanic exchange plays in water quality and associated estuarine food webs in the lagoon.

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Water Quality Condition and Assessment within the Barnegat Bay Watershed between 2011 and 2015

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

Simulated Estuary-Wide Response of Seagrass (Zostera marina) to Future Scenarios of Temperature and Sea Level

Toward a Comprehensive Water-Quality Modeling of Barnegat Bay: Development of ROMS to WASP Coupler

Tidal Flushing Rather Than Non-Point Source Nitrogen Pollution Drives Nutrient Dynamics in A Putatively Eutrophic Estuary

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