“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But theocean would be less because of that missing drop." Mother Teresa

Standing at the shoreline, it is easy to feel small. Almost three-quarters of ourplanet is water. There is a temptation to feel helpless against whatever nature hasin store for us. Here at NJSGC, we know the temptation all too well. We have toscrape for every dime. We have to squeeze that dime and make it go as far as adollar. We have to educate our children; we have to inspire our maritime scientists;we have to engage our communities. These tasks are our sworn mission.

We face incredible challenges.

There is a story about Mother Teresa facing impossible odds serving a poor community ofthousands. Surveying the chaos, a reporter asked Mother Teresa: “How can you possibly save all ofthese people?” Mother pointed to one man: “By starting with him.”

That is how our staff and scientists address our core mission of education, research, and outreach.The job is daunting, but we focus on the task at hand. As a result, we have developed a dunemanual that teaches coastal communities how to build a dune, how to maintain it, and how toplant it. We have top-flight education programs for our youth, from showing how our Lenapetribes lived as one with the ocean to inspiring them to be marine scientists and coastal stewards.We have assembled a Coastal Storm Awareness Program, working in conjunction with ourcolleagues in New York and Connecticut, on how to save lives and promote public safety when the next Superstorm arrives. We are all this, and so much more.

Survey these pages. Feel our challenges and celebrate our successes. Honor the staff and scientists who make it possible against impossible odds.

What we are doing may just be a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be far less without New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, our member institutions, and our staff, I am most proud to offer this Annual Report.

DenniS

KearneY

Chair

Board of trustees

Each year, this report is our chance to share some of the highlights of our workwith you. This year, I ask that you also view this report as my reaffirmation ofNJSGC’s commitment to you to be your source for solid, dependable, unbiasedinformation that you, and all of our state’s citizens, legislators, community leaders,and policymakers, can use to make well-informed, science-based decisions on theuse and care of New Jersey’s precious marine and coastal resources.

Over the weeks and months ahead, we pledge to manage research that informsclean water, resilient shorelines, and healthy coastal economies. We aredetermined to make marine and climate science part of each New Jersey child’seducation and will continue to promote coastal stewardship and ocean literacy forall. And, true to their charge, our extension agents and specialists will be in thefield working hand-in-hand with New Jersey’s coastal communities and water-dependent industries to address their needs and concerns. All this will alsosupport the National Sea Grant Network’s promise of finding solutions to thecomplex challenges our coastal and Great Lakes states face, and ensuring that

local, state, and national leaders have the best available scientific information and evidence at theirfingertips to craft policies that best serve our ocean, our waterways, and you.

I thank you for your interest in our 2016 Annual Report and more so, for you support of NJSGC, itsmission, and its participation in the National Sea Grant College Program. We are here to serve, and, onbehalf of all of us at NJSGC, thank you for making that possible.

Claire

antonuCCi

executive

Director

Executive Director’s Message

Chairman’s Message

Marine Recreation Extension Agent Michael Dankoworked with NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife,Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, MonmouthCounty Health Department, Ocean County PlanningDepartment and others to provide funds from the

New JerseyClean Vessel ActProgram tomarinas toreplacepumpoutfacilitiesdamaged bySuperstormSandy. In 2016,funds wereprovided to 21

marinas to install facilities that will result in 142pumpout stations available for boaters to use duringthe 2017 boating season.

In partnershipwith theWhale PondBrookAssociation,WaterResourcesAgentMichelleHartmann,through theRCE WaterResources Program, installed a greeninfrastructure demonstration project at OceanTownship High School in Ocean Township, NewJersey. The rain garden is designed to captureapproximately 160,000 gallons of stormwater peryear and will provide a beautiful garden forstudents to care for and enjoy.

Community Resilience and Climate AdaptationSpecialist Dr. Michael Schwebel developed aninteractive, hands-ondemonstration onthe effects of climatechange on shorecommunities. AtOcean Fun Days,Ocean City’s GreenFair, the CohanseyRiverFest and other events, his “wave tank”activity engaged and educated thousands ofstudents and citizens.

Extension

Director ofResearch andExtension Dr.Peter Rowe ledNJSGC’s effort tohost the biennialMid-Atlantic SeaGrant Regional

Meeting. The three-day event was held in April inRed Bank. Nearly 70 extension agents,communicators, speakers, and staff from the sevenMid-Atlantic Sea Grant programs attended.

CoastalProcessesSpecialist Dr.Jon Miller andCoastalEcosystemsExtensionAgent Dr. AmyWilliamsworked with

shore communities on rip current awareness. Inaddition to introducing the rip current app, theyworked with local beach patrols on an experiment todeploy rip current drifters designed by researchers atStevens Institute of Technology and North CarolinaSea Grant.

Coastal Ecosystems Extension Agent Dr. AmyWilliams worked with Cape May and Mayor Ed

Mahaney to improvecoastal resilience. Thehighlight of severalevents was theimplementation of athree-blockdemonstration projectto show how to createresilient dunes by usinga diversity of nativeplant species. Staff andvolunteers used NJSGC’s

Dune Manual as a resource. Cape May alsoinstalled 50 “Keep Off Dunes” signs that protectnew and existing dune systems.

Shellfish Aquaculture Program Coordinator LisaCalvo worked with Rutgers scientists and graduatestudents to identify optimal conditions for culturingthe Atlantic surf clam in the hatchery and in the field.Because it is critical for farmers to have options forcrop diversification that allow for resilient and robustbusiness models, the project is evaluating theproduction success of cultured clams grown on three NewJersey shellfishfarms andassessingmarketopportunitiesfor thecultivatedclams.

To complimentNJSGC’s DuneManual, a “Keep OffDunes” sign wascreated. The goal wasto go further than just

warn the public tokeep off the dunes byexplaining thebenefits of dunes. 140signs have beendistributed so far andinstalled in 8 shorelocations.

At Risk: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems and ResilientCommunities and Economies in an Era of ClimateChange: A Balanced Approach to Protecting People,Property and Nature in Historic Greenwich Township,New JerseyDr. Colette Santasieri – New Jersey Institute ofTechnology

Managing for Biodiversity and Blue Carbon in the Faceof Sea Level Rise and Barrier Island MigrationDr. Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba – Montclair State University

A Model-Data Synthesis of the Status and Trends ofNew Jersey’s Coastal Wetlands for Sea Level RisePlanningDr. Elizabeth Watson – Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Program Development GrantsUnderstanding Risk Perceptions of EconomicDevelopment Officials in Coastal New JerseyCommunitiesMatt Campo – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Biochar-Coated Mulches for Alleviation of StormwaterNitrogen for Healthy New Jersey Coastal WatersDr. Yang Deng – Montclair State University

Undergraduate Research GrantEvaluation of Use of Deep-rooted Ornamental Grassesas a Mechanism to Mitigate Soil CompactionAnastasia Swenticky – Georgian Court University Dr. Louise Wootton – Faculty Advisor

Ocean City wasnamed New Jersey’sFavorite Beach inNJSGC’s annual poll.More than 9,000votes were cast asbeach enthusiastschose their favoritebeach in each countyas well as theirfavorite beach overall.

More than 3,800 subscribersreceived issues of NJSGC’squarterly newsletter, TheCOASTodian. The newsletter

provides information on NJSGC’sfunded research, education andoutreach activities. As NJSGC’ssocial media following continuesto expand, updates were sharedwith more than 1,300 Facebookfollowers, 1670 Twitter followersand 80 Instagram followers.

RESEARCH Awards

Communications

The 2016 Annual State of the Shore MediaEvent was held in Asbury Park. Local andregional media attended to hear theConsortium’s assessment about thecondition of New Jersey’s beaches and theoutlook for the summer season ahead.

Omnibus ResearchEffects of Climate Change on Estuarine Fish Nurseries:Analysis and Implications from Decades-Long Time-SeriesDr. Kenneth W. Able – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Communicating About Flood Risks to Real EstateMarket Segments in Coastal New JerseyDr. Clinton J. Andrews – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Understanding the Origins and Growth Rates ofJuvenile Striped Bass in Small Rivers and Coastal BaysDr. Olaf P. Jensen – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Protecting Jersey Shore Residential and EcologicalCommunities by Changing the Culture of BeachManagementDr. Jay Kelly – Raritan Valley Community College

Identifying the Impacts of Commercial OysterAquaculture on Foraging Behavior of Red Knots inDelaware BayDr. Brooke Maslo – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Surf Clam Nursery and Culture Trials: New SpeciesDevelopment for New Jersey Shellfish FarmsDr. Daphne Munroe – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

As part of the National SeaGrant College Program’s 50thanniversary celebration,Communications SpecialistRebecca Nagy joined Sea Grantprograms across the country tocontribute special themedcontent. Two articles producedby NJSGC were featured on theNational Sea Grant website.

Education

Boy and Girl Scout troops continued tolook towards NJSGC for interactivemarine science experiences related tobadge requirements. One troop becameso interested in NJSGC’s residentterrapins that they created aninterpretive display for their tank.

During the “off-season” NJSGC’s team of nearly 40 educators worked withtheir extension counterparts to incorporate climate science into theirteaching. As a result, thousands of New Jersey’s schoolchildren learnedhow climate affects the coastal environment during NJSGC’s popularSandy Hook field trip programs.

A curriculum module on storm surge was published in response to research findings fromthe NOAA/Sea Grant Coastal Storms Awareness Program. The module was presented atmultiple professional development workshops including the National Marine EducatorsAssociation’s annual conference.

A grant from the National Endowment for the Artsand the Monmouth County Board of ChosenFreeholders paired NJSGC’s 126 summer camperswith environmental artist Lisa Bagwell to makemarine debris sculptures. Many studentsincorporated lessons learned from their weeklongSandy Hook experience into their creations.

A successful partnership with Jenkinson’sAquarium allowed NJSGC’s educators to expandSTEM education to this popular oceanfrontdestination. Besides building remotely operatedvehicles of their own design, students andsummer campers had the unique experience ofdeploying them in one of the aquarium’sexhibit tanks.

Once again, Ocean Fun Days proved to be a popularpre-summer family event. Despite wet weather, about8,000 visitors turned out for exhibits, tours, andchildren’s activities all focused on conserving andpreserving New Jersey’s beaches, bays, and waterways.Each year, since 2007, NJSGC has worked with leadsponsor New Jersey Natural Gas to host this event.

Budget Overview

CORPORATIONSAsbury Park PressNew Jersey Natural Gas

NJSGC VENDORSBoynton Benefits Corporation

Warren McManus CLUCharles B. Hembling

& Son, Inc.Victor Maisano

NJSGC TRUSTEES &REPRESENTATIVESGreg AikinsDennis KearneyDr. Howard Parish

Sponsors & Donors

Dr. Robert PrezantDr. Courtney Richmond

OTHER DONORSSheldon AbramsClaire AntonucciBarbro BarnesPatricia & David BisaillonElizabeth BradleyWanda BresazNicholas & Olga CherbetkoJohn & Joyce CollinsWilliam & Jennifer CrowTim DiehlRobert & Gail EcksteinJosephine Falco Kathleen & Leo Gasienica

Source of NJSGC Funds - Fiscal Year 2016

Investment of Federal Funds - Fiscal Year 2016

Administration 19% ($323,380)

Education 9% ($192,755)

Research 36% ($606,460)

Communications 9% ($145,304)

Extension 21% ($355,083)

Research Fellowships 3%($42,660)

0 $250 $500 $750 $1000 $1250 $1500 $1750 Thousands of Dollars

State Funding 18%

Federal Funding 58%

Other Funding 24%

Girl Scout Troop 1272Dr. Michael GroveRobert Frederick HeinMichael & Emily KroppRobert LaytonEileen & John LushefskiRuth LuthinGrace MarchisinSandra & Allen MarchisinWilliam & Claire MarkeyJane & George MarrerAnne McGinnisJames & Deborah

MorrisonMaureen PentaJames & Kathy PetersonLee Rossbach

Kate DowdStacey Varano DowdBarbara EichhornCailtin EichhornDoug EichhornScarlet EncanasionKaren EscobedoErin ForemanGeorgia GarrowGary GuarrielloTerri GuarrielloValeria GuzmanLauren HarperTom Hayes

Alek HeckelChristine HeckelFaith HeckelJill HoernigRich HoffmanAlyssa HoulisAnna HoulisJordan HubertJessica IntileChuck JasperseHallie LazaroAnnMarie

MacDonaldErin Rose MaglioneLisa Maglione

Donna ApplegateRay AshkenisLisa BagwellMark Baker Chloe BaskinPhillip CababeKathy CallananBob ColburnJennifer CrowTaylor CrowChris DaukshusLauren DavisSandy DavisMaria DiazGrant DiGrazio

$496,989

$1,665,642

$687,032

VolunteersTom MassaroKathy McLoughlinElizabeth MissenouNicole MissenouKayla MitchellShawn MorrisKathy OConnellJessica OlsenJahrid OverbyDave PaulisAriella PearlDoug PettitAlaina Perdon Hunter Rainis

Jerry RyanRoxie RyanMoe RoselliKaylee ScaranoLiz ScaranoOlivia SchaileyGreg SeitzJoey ShragerKaitlyn Triano Renee Troy Sandra & Joseph

VaroneDebbe WinderStaci WinderPeter Woolley

Dr. Peter RoweJody and Raymond

SackettMagan Flynn SindoniWilliam SmithGarrett StasseJeffrey SteinmanGeorge & JoyceTompkinsSandra & Joseph

VaroneGary VautinLena & Robert

VerkouilleFran & Ned VossJohn & Vita Zolo

ChairMr. Dennis KearneyPitney, Hardin LLP

Vice-ChairDr. Howard I. Parish

TreasurerMr. Thomas Siegert, CPAInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Fiscal OfficerMr. Augustine AnfusoNew Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

Executive DirectorMs. Claire AntonucciNew Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

Corporate SecretaryMs. Deborah QuinnNew Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

TRUSTEES

Mr. Gregory T. AikinsMedical Management Techniques, Inc.

Dr. Michel BoufadelNew Jersey Institute of Technology

Dr. Keith R. CooperRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Mr. Lindsay FullerSouth Jersey Advisors, LLC

Mr. Tony MacDonald Monmouth University

Dr. Igor OksovUnion County College

Dr. Michael PeekWilliam Patterson University

Dr. Robert PrezantMontclair State University

Dr. Oscar SchofieldRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Mr. Christopher Cerf New Jersey Department of Education

Ms. Genevieve Boehm-CliftonNJDOT Office of Maritime Resources

Mr. David PatellaNew Jersey Department of Treasury

Honorable Bob MartinNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Dr. Thomas NojiNOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service

Academy of Natural Sciencesof Drexel UniversityDr. Richard Horwitz

The College of New JerseyDr. Gary Dickinson

Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityDr. Marion McClary, Jr.

Georgian Court UniversityDr. Louise S. Wootton

Kean UniversityDr. Brian Teasdale

Marine Academy of Scienceand TechnologyMr. Earl Moore

Middlesex County CollegeDr. Parag Muley

Monmouth UniversityMr. Tony MacDonald

Montclair State UniversityDr. Robert Prezant

New Jersey Institute ofTechnologyDr. Nancy L. Jackson

Ocean County CollegeDr. Stanton Hales

Princeton UniversityDr. Peter Jaffe

Board of

Trustees

Stakeholder

Advisory Board

ChairMr. Steve CarnahanSeaboard Fisheries Institute

Ms. Genevieve Boehm-CliftonNJDOT Office of MaritimeResources

Dr. Gary A. BuchananNJDEP Division of Science,Research, and Environmental Health

Mr. Jim HutchinsonThe Fisherman Magazine

Mr. Daniel NeeShorebeat.com

Dr. Vincent GuidaNOAA/National MarineFisheries Service

Mr. Rich RitotaFood Safety Systems

Mr. Jorge ReyesNJDEP Bureau of Energy and Sustainability

Ms. Margot WalshThe Jersey ShorePartnership

Ms. Clare NgMarine Academy of Science and Technology

Ms. Pat HeaneyAlliance for New Jersey Environmental Education

Member

Institutions

Ramapo College of New JerseyDr. Angela Cristini

Rider UniversityDr. Gabriela Smalley

Rowan College atBurlington CountyDr. David Spang

Rowan UniversityDr. Courtney Richmond

Rutgers, The StateUniversity of New JerseyDr. Oscar Schofield

Seton Hall UniversityDr. Carolyn S.Bentivegna

Stevens Institute ofTechnologyDr. Alan Blumberg

Stockton UniversityDr. Peter F. Straub

Union County CollegeDr. Marie Montes-Matais

William PattersonUniversity Dr. Michael Peek

Staff

ADMINISTRATIONClaire Antonucci Executive Director

Lisa AromandoAdministrative Assistant

Deborah QuinnCorporate SecretaryOffice Manager

Dr. Peter RoweAssociate Director for Sea Grant Administration

COMMUNICATIONSRory JoyceCommunications Associate

Rebecca NagyCommunications Specialist

EDUCATIONClaire AntonucciDirector of Education

Diana BurichK-12 Program Coordinator Sea Grant Associate

Brittany DeutschMarine Science Summer Camp Coordinator

Rosemary HigginsCollege and Special Programs Coordinator

Jody SackettScout Program Coordinator

Sandra VaroneEducation Associate

Mindy VossEducation Specialist

EXTENSION Dr. Peter RoweDirector of Research andExtension

Lisa CalvoShellfish Aquaculture Program Coordinator

Michael DankoAssistant Director of ExtensionMarine Recreation Agent –Fisheries & Boating

Michelle HartmannWater Resources Agent

Dr. Jon MillerCoastal Processes Specialist

Dr. Michael SchwebelCommunity Resilience andClimate Adaptation Specialist

Dr. Amy WilliamsCoastal Ecosystems Extension Agent

FINANCEAugustine AnfusoFiscal Officer

Debra BurdAccounting Assistant –Grants and Contracts

Carolyn CornelyAccounting Assistant

MAINTENANCE Al AviziusTechnician

John DolanTechnician

Maurice McGowanTechnician

New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium22 Magruder Road

Fort Hancock, NJ 07732732-872-1300

njseagrant.org

This publication is the result of work sponsored by New Jersey Sea Grant with funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) Office of Sea Grant, U.S. Department of Commerce, under NOAA grant #NA10OAR4170085 and the

New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and

do not necessarily reflect the views of New Jersey Sea Grant or the U. S. Department of Commerce. NJSG-17-896

FIELD GUIDES

Nicole ArmstrongAl AviziusRon BlandonSara BreslowEmily BrownMichele BurkeEmmy CasperLinda CohenJohn CollinsJohn DennyRobert EcksteinCarleigh EngstromSamantha FarinaEmma FraserKathleen GasienicaJen GibbonsConor GilbertsonPatricia GoenseRosemary HigginsJohn KolibasErika LanfranchiEileen MacHaffieTheresa MarottaSarah McDougallCaitlyn MeyerJoe MincollaChuck ParkerLee RossbachMarissa RegadNicole SalomonChris SeslarWilliam SimmonsJerry SmithAlyssa SokolSarah StewartBill SurenaJennifer UrmstonPatricia ValerioSandra VaroneWilliam VanDeventer

Top cover photo - courtesy Stars Challenge

All other photos - NJSGC staff