The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) won two grants. The first, for $393,700, will allow the DEP to work with a team from Penn State on a database tool that would feature information on select wetlands from the state. Those funds will also go toward data analysis that will help the DEP determine the best restoration measures for future projects.
The department’s second grant, for $126,958, will study the Mullica and Wasing Rivers’ tidal marshes, establishing a baseline for hydraulic and vegetation characteristics so that the DEP can measure the effects of disturbances like pond expansion and erosion.
Ocean County College earned a $184,548 grant for its project that will enhance the wetland monitoring it already carries out with Barnegat Bay Partnership and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary through the development of better monitoring procedures.
The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority’s Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute won a $367,756 grant to study Meadowlands marshes for levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions, as well as long-term carbon storage.
“Wetlands play a critical role in alleviating harmful effects of climate change, protecting against flooding and storm surges," EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck said. "These grants will help strengthen shorelines and the health of wetlands, protecting water quality and fish and wildlife habitats."
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