Overview of the Jamaica Bay

Water Quality & Ecological

Monitoring Plan

October 29, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• Previous DEP Water Quality and Ecological Studies

• Overview of the New Monitoring Program

• Description of New Monitoring Program

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PREVIOUS WATER QUALITY & ECOLOGICAL STUDIES

• In 1995/96 HydroQual conducted

extensive sampling to calibrate

JEM

– Physical Measurements (bathymetry,

tidal elevations, currents)

– Ambient Water Quality Sampling

– Sediment Fluxes and Composition

– Macroalgae surveys

• In 2005/2006 Battelle and EEA

conducted extensive water quality

and ecological studies:

– Water Quality

– Nutrients

– Finfish Survey

– Ichthyoplankton and Larvae Studies

– Benthic Studies

OVERVIEW OF NEW SAMPLING PROGRAM

• It is a requirement of the First Amended

Nitrogen Consent Judgment .

• Intended to assess water quality and

ecological improvements as a result of

ongoing nitrogen reductions to Jamaica

Bay

• Assessment will also include past studies

and historic data.

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• It was developed as part of a collaborative effort between DEP and DEC in

conjunction with a Technical Advisory Group “TAG” that consisted of:

Linda Allen, Ph.D., P.E., NEIWPCC

Anand Kumaraswamy, P.E., NYCDEP

John Marra, Ph.D., Brooklyn College

• This post construction monitoring plan was submitted to DEC in June 2015 and

approved by DEC in August 2015.

• Anticipated to commence in summer of 2016 and sampling will continue for

three (3) years.

PHYSICAL AND HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION

• Bathymetric surveys of critical

areas within Jamaica Bay

• Collect additional data on tidal

stages and velocities for

calibration/validation of

hydraulic model

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WATER QUALITY & SEDIMENT SAMPLNIG

• Conduct additional discrete water

quality sampling to supplement the

existing Harbor Survey Sampling

Program

• Sampling parameters will include but

not be limited to:

– Nutrients

– Temperature

– Salinity

– pH

– Secchi Depth

– Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)

– Turbidity

• Installation of remote sondes to collect

continuous readings

• Sediment nutrient flux surveys at 8

locations in the bay

– Solid-phase analyses

– Pore water analyses

– Gas analysis

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BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (1)

• Benthic phytoplankton or

microphytobenthos” can play an

important role in system metabolism

within coastal bays

• Sediment samples will be collected

using a Young grab sampler for

laboratory analysis

• Surveys will be conducted at fourteen

(14) shallow (< 3 m) stations located in

six (6) locations distributed around the

Bay

• Surveys should take place three (3)

times per year as follows: early May,

July, and mid-September

• Benthic invertebrate sampling shall be

performed quarterly (February, May,

July, October)

• Sampling will be performed at twelve

(12) locations in the Bay

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BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (2)

• Trawl and epibenthic sled surveys shall

be conducted at the twelve (12) locations

• Each survey shall consist of two days of

trawls followed by two days of sled tows,

tides and weather permitting.

• Water quality (temperature, DO, and

salinity) will be measured and recorded

at each sampling site, each day of

sampling.

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MACROALGAE & MARSH GRASS SAMPLING

• Ulva, a macroalgae, often indicative or

nutrient enrichment, has been

observed in Jamaica Bay

• Ulva samples shall be collected and

analyzed for dry weight at 5 locations,

with a subset of the samples analyzed

for nutrients from May thru October

• Intertidal and subtidal Ulva surveys

will also be conducted during this

same period

• Above-ground and below-ground

marsh-grass biomass and nutrient-

content measurements shall be made

• March grass surveys shall be

conducted at a total of eight (8)

locations from May thru October

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