News & Events
Opportunistic pathogens in the Raritan and the homes of people drinking the river
The burden of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) infections on the US healthcare systems is estimated to cost $815 million annually. NTM causes chronic lung infections most commonly in older, immunocompromised, and cystic fibrosis patients. NTM can by-pass drinking water treatment and has been shown to proliferate in household plumbing biofilms after...
Quantifying the Presence and Abundance of Freshwater and Euryhaline Bivalves in the Raritan River
There is very little information on the density and or the species of bivalve mollusks present in the watershed of the Raritan River basin. The work that was conducted involved examining the presence or absence of bivalve mollusks from the mouth of the Raritan River to just past the Route 18 bridge in New Brunswick. The initial part of the project...
Environmental DNA (eDNA) Assay for Monitoring Recovery of River Herring
Mid-Atlantic populations of river herring (Alosa pseudoharengus, alewife, and A. aestivalis, blueback herring) have declined precipitously in recent years. River herring are listed as “Species of Special Concern” by the National Marine Fisheries Service. With over 1,700 dams in New Jersey, barriers to spawning migration are significant impediments to...
Generating an Elevation Grid for the Raritan River Basin
The objective of this project was to develop an elevation/bathymetry grid for the Raritan River Basin as a precursor for a hydrodynamic model. In addition, by identifying data gaps the project provides guidance on future side-scan sonar surveys of the river. Finally, the project assessed options for processing of side-scan sonar data and makes...
An officer was appointed to a cushy county job — after agreeing never to seek work there
Others are more skeptical. Marc H. Pfeiffer, a senior policy fellow at Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, said the settlement is “an unusual circumstance that requires consideration.” “The lawyers are going to have to look at the circumstances surrounding the original agreement and what the current freeholders...
EAC releases report with colleagues at Rutgers on engagement of socially vulnerable populations in climate resilience planning
EAC staff are collaborating with others at Rutgers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to develop data, guidance and policy recommendations for integrating the needs of underrepresented and socially vulnerable populations into coastal climate change resilience planning. Supported as a Project of Special Merit by the National Oceanic...
Real-Time Hydrological Observatory and ERDDAP Interface
A real-time water quality monitoring station has been deployed on the bottom of the Raritan River in the mid-channel in front of the Rutgers Class of 1914 Boathouse (at approximately Lat/Long 40.488960, -74.33184). YSI/Xylem EXO2 Sonde sensors include: conductivity, temperature, depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chlorophyll, turbidity. A Sontek...
MERI – Spatial Distribution of Contaminants in Lower Raritan Sediments
This research study by the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI) at Rutgers - Newark, aimed to fill in data gaps in river and marsh sediment contamination in the Lower Raritan River. The main tasks of this study were: (1) Measure trace metal and organic contaminant levels in surficial sediments along 20 km of the Lower Raritan River; (2)...
EAC Director Jeanne Herb joins in the Univ. of Pennsylvania Wharton School’s Digital Dialogue about improving disaster recovery of low income households
Join EAC Director Jeanne Herb in a Digital Dialogue about improving disaster recovery of low income households through The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Risk Management and Decision Making Process Center. Ms. Herb joined over a dozen others to address the questions: "How can federal disaster aid programs be improved to assist low income...
ArcGIS StoryMaps of Key Raritan Indicators
Key Raritan Indicators described through ArcGIS StoryMaps by Advanced Environmental Geomatics Students In the Spring of 2019, undergraduate students in Dr. Richard Lathrop's Advanced Environmental Geomatics course developed ArcGIS StoryMaps for key indicators identified in the State of the Raritan Report, Volumes 1 and 2. The reports were written to...
Recent Products
Ecological Monitoring and Mitigation Policies and Practices at Offshore Wind Installations in the United States and Europe
EAC's Matt Campo co-authored a report on Ecological Monitoring and Mitigation Policies and Practices at Offshore Wind Installations in the United States and Europe. Matt and co-author Michael Allen prepared the report for the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance with...
Training Students to Improve Coastal Resilience
Addressing risks posed by changing climate conditions in coastal areas demands innovative strategies that intersect multiple disciplines including engineering, ecology, communication, climate science, and community planning. To be usable, it also requires engaging...
Toward a research agenda on climate‐related migration
Climate change is one of the many stressors to which humans must adapt. Environmental concerns usually combine with other factors such as poverty, ethnic strife, or poor governance to become serious enough problems to warrant strong action. Migration away from...
Co-Creation of New Jersey’s 1st Health and Food Systems Municipal Master Plan Element
As described on the Trenton 250 website, a Master Plan, also called a comprehensive plan, provides a long-range vision for the built environment of a community. It guides the appropriate use of lands within a municipality in order to protect the public health and...