internship

Underwater or ocean noise can have natural/biological sources or anthropogenic sources, otherwise known as human-made noise. Ocean noise is very important to monitor due to its impact on the environment and the organisms within. Natural sources of ocean noise have physical/geophysical, atmospheric, and geological aspects. These aspects can include wind and precipitation at the ocean…

As the abundance of marine debris in the form of plastics and other trash increases, we have also seen a great increase in community efforts to minimize this trash. It is easy to visualize the damage done in the piles of trash on the beach, mylar balloons floating at sea, and the famous pictures of…

Since 1896, when a Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius, described the detrimental effects of carbon dioxide on our climate, we have known the effects of our actions.  Since humans took over planet Earth, our global temperatures have been rising because of our CO2 emissions.  Within the past 100 years, the temperature has increased at a much…

  It’s no secret that every summer, thousands of people from numerous different areas will flock to New Jersey beaches to enjoy the weather and take advantage of all the state has to offer.  NJ’s vast coastal areas are one of the state’s greatest resources and the source of plenty of revenue each year.  But…

Cape May, New Jersey is home to hundreds of Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are a migrating species of cetacean that travel to warmer weather in the winter. However, Cape May is where they come back to each year to give birth and raise their young. This makes Cape May a great location to study…

One of the major issues facing the world’s oceans and marine species living within them is the presence of marine debris. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), marine debris is defined “as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned…

Introduction Citizen Science is a project that depends on the collection and analysis of data by members of the general public. These large projects are often collaborative with professional scientists. Citizen science typically is used in the natural sciences, but it can be used in a variety of fields. Many volunteer programs and studies exist…

Megan DeMatteo | Fisheries Science & Management Stockton University| May 3, 2019 Abstract The main objective of this study was to obtain a better understanding of otoliths, understand their important role in conducting research, and understanding the relationships between their growth rings and fish size. In this laboratory experiment otoliths will be identified, removed, embedded, polished, and analyzed to properly read through several microscopic lenses.  The data collected was otolith length, width, and measurements were taken for each growth ring within their secondary growth center. When this data was compared to the overall fish size the results shown were a positive correlation between otolith growth and fish size. In simpler terms this means that as the fish grows so did its otolith rings. Another factor taken into consideration was although the data did show a positive relationship, once the fish…

The red knot is a shore bird species that visits the shores of Cape May on its migration route. This species has the longest migration route of any species that visits our shores. It travels from tropical and temperate conditions in the winter all the way to the Arctic for breeding, a journey that totals…

For some of you non New Jersey seaside residents, you would be surprise to here that New Jersey has offshore reefs. You are probably asking yourselves, New Jersey has reefs? Where are they? Are they like the ones you see at the Great Barrier Reef? Let’s find out. New Jersey Has Reefs             You heard…