What Types of Seafood Come from New Jersey? with Doug Zemeckis

Professor Douglas Zemeckis (Rutgers Cooperative Extension) dives into the different types of Jersey Seafood that are grown by aquaculture farmers or harvested by commercial and recreational fisheries. New Jersey is a significant player in our country’s seafood industry and much of what is harvested in the Garden State can be found near Long Beach Island in Ocean County. This talk will describe New Jersey’s aquaculture and fishing industries, including the species that are harvested, the management to support the sustainability of these industries, and some of the challenges on the horizon.

Dr. Douglas Zemeckis serves as a County Agent II (Associate Professor) with Rutgers Cooperative Extension. In this role, he conducts educational programming and applied research to address local issues related to fisheries, aquaculture, and marine resources management in Ocean, Atlantic, and Monmouth Counties.

Paddle for the Edge: Using Community Science Data to Assess Shorelines with Samantha Adamczyk

“Paddle for the Edge” is a community-science program developed by the Barnegat Bay Partnership to collect data on marsh edge conditions in the Barnegat Bay. The program involves trained volunteers kayaking (or paddle boarding) to assigned sections of the bay and using a smartphone app to take photos of various parameters that highlight the stability or vulnerability of the marsh edge. After reviewing the data, it is published on a web portal where restoration managers can filter the data according to their needs to help identify areas in need of restoration.

Samantha started out as a volunteer with the BBP after graduating from Unity College with a B.S. in Marine Biology. After assisting with eel monitoring and juvenile fish sampling, she soon returned to Unity to get her Master’s in Natural Resource Management. She officially joined the BBP team as a Field and Lab Technician in the spring of 2020, and has enjoyed working on a variety of projects, including stream crossing assessments, water-quality monitoring, and wetlands work. Sammie took her knowledge of water-quality instruments to the NJDEP lakes program in 2021, where she performed routine water-quality monitoring and physical habitat assessments. Shortly after returning to the BBP, she transitioned into her current position, where she continues to monitor both coastal and inland habitats as well as run the community science program, Paddle for the Edge.