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MATES Students Present On Post-Sandy Barnegat Bay

Studies looked at dunes, soil concentrations, bacteria levels and the storm's potential impact on Northern diamondback terrapins.

Anyone who has been on the Barnegat Bay this summer has witnessed firsthand the long-term effects that Sandy has had on the bay.

A group of students from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences school in Manahawkin is quantifying some of those effects through scientific research.


Today, those students presented at the Triboro First Aid Squad in Seaside Park on a variety of issues affecting the bay after Sandy, including dune changes, soil differences, bacteria level alterations, and impacts on Northern diamondback terrapins.

Annalee Tweitmann, a current Cornell University student and MATES graduate, assessed the reproductive output of northern diamondback terrapins at North Sedge Island after Sandy.

Although her data could not definitively find a correlation between Sandy and a reduction in the number of nesting terrapins, she did see a slight drop in the nesting turtles.

In a separate project, Bianca Reo, a current Villanova University student and MATES graduate showed changes in the dunes following Sandy.

Her data noted an increase in a non-native invasive type of dunegrass, and although she could not definitively draw a correlation between Sandy and the growth of non-native species, she noted the results have implications for future coastal management efforts.

A third study on trace metals and subaqueous soils by Ryan Sullivan, a University of Rhode Island student and MATES graduate, has prompted collaborative research projects with organizations like Alliance for a Living Ocean and Clean Ocean Action. Those research projects will look at dredged sand on the beaches in Long Beach Island and Normandy Beach for any chemicals that may be detected within the dredged sand.

Sullivan said that his research shows the Barnegat Bay estuary is "somewhat healthy" regarding metal concentrations, which he said, stands in stark contrast to the bay's reputation as an "impaired body of water.

Another study that looked at four points along Island Beach State Park and Seaside Park this summer regarding bacteria noted that during heavier rainfalls bacteria levels increased dramatically.

The students' former teacher John Wnek called the day "very important for the students" adding his thanks to the supporters of the research including Save Barnegat BayFriends of Island Beach State Park and Island Beach State Park and Seaside Park officials.


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