2019
ANNUAL REPORT
URBAN COAST INSTITUTE
Our Mission To serve Monmouth University and the public as a forum for research, education and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs that support stewardship of healthy, productive and resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.
CONTENTS
UCI Staff Tony MacDonald, Esq. Director Thomas Herrington, Ph.D. Associate Director
04 Our Ocean: Too Important to Ignore, Too Fragile to be Taken for Granted
James Nickels Marine Scientist
06 In the Classroom: Connecting Students with Opportunities
Karl Vilacoba Communications Director
07 Eyes on the Hurricane 08 UCI Scholars: Training Tomorrow’s Ocean Leaders
Aliya Satku Administrative Assistant
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Harmful Algal Blooms: Facing a Rising Threat
Christopher Haak, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Researcher
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Connecting Communities with Expertise
Ocean Policy Fellow
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No Time to Waste: Eliminating Marine Plastics
Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, USN (Ret.) Monmouth University President Emeritus
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Monitoring Water Quality at Surfing Beaches
Affiliated Faculty
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Ocean Planning for a Green Energy Future
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Revisiting the Wrath of Sandy through Art
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Callas and Phifer-Rixey Named Faculty Fellows
Randall S. Abate, J.D. Rechnitz Family/Urban Coast Institute Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy
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Abate Publishes ‘Climate Change and the Voiceless’
Jason E. Adolf, Ph.D. Endowed Associate Professor of Marine Science
20 Snapshots
Faculty Fellows
22 Grants and Foundation Work
Kimberly Callas, M.F.A. Artist in Residence Megan Phifer-Rixey, Ph.D. Marine Genetics Fellow
Our Ocean: Too Important to Ignore, Too Fragile to be Taken for Granted For too many years there has been a refrain in the ocean community: We know more about the back-side of the moon than we do about the ocean. It is past time for a call to action to put that perspective far behind us. In this report you will see some examples of the ways that the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is trying to be an agent of that change. Our efforts range from expanding student experience and understanding of our coasts and oceans, to working directly with communities to understand and respond to the realities of sea level rise, to regional ocean planning, to participating in national fora and utilizing science to inform federal and state policy. In 2020, the UCI will be celebrating its 15th anniversary. We have many past accomplishments to celebrate. However, the greater our capacity to study and understand the challenges we face, the greater our responsibility to step up our game. The R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, which Monmouth University acquired only last year, has been fully integrated into our student/ classroom experience and is
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increasingly a platform for research in the Mid-Atlantic. Faculty and student research is also thriving at Monmouth, providing insights into the health of our coastal lakes, the threats of harmful algal blooms, the protection of endangered sturgeon, proper catch-and-release handling for stripers, and the potential for environmental DNA to inform fisheries management. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Coastal Resilience Summit that was hosted at Monmouth in 2018 has led this year to the issuance of Gov. Phil Murphy’s Executive Order #89, tasking the state to develop a Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy and Coastal Resilience Plan. Through our support for and active participation in the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative, New Jersey Climate Change Alliance, the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and other efforts, the UCI is working to help shape that strategy. UCI Associate Director Tom Herrington developed an Ecological Adaptation Prioritization
Methodology framework for the NJDEP that will encourage the use of natural features, rather than seawalls or other hard structures, to make our communities more resilient. The powerful art exhibit of Professor Karen Bright and Assistant Professor Amanda Stojanov – Just Beach/ After Sandy – was a stunning visual reminder of the past devastation and the need to take further action to prepare for the next major storm. After many years and lingering political stalemate and bickering over climate change, there is some momentum building for bipartisan action. States and communities are leading the way in taking action. New Jersey and other states in the region are setting more ambitious renewable energy goals, and proposals for developing offshore wind farms are becoming a reality. The UCI’s ongoing work on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal and regional ocean planning is helping guide the siting of offshore wind turbines in way that will be compatible for other uses including fishing, maritime commerce,
recreation and environmental protection. While we are on the front line here in New Jersey, the critical role the ocean plays in climate, and the ocean’s particular vulnerability to warming and acidification, are being recognized at the international and national levels. The International Panel on Climate issued a Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate this year, elevating the importance of the intersection of climate and oceans. I attended a high-level OceanClimate Nexus Roundtable hosted by the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative in New York City in the fall that began a discussion among scientists, policymakers, thoughtleaders and philanthropists about developing a policy action roadmap for the U.S. In November, I also attended the White House Summit on Partnerships in Ocean Science and Technology hosted by the Office Science and Technology Policy. At the Summit, there was a recognition that a substantial commitment to improved data, science and
information is needed to provide a road map for taking future ocean actions. It will take an “all hands on deck” approach utilizing private sector partnerships, as well as public sector investment, while encouraging innovation, exploration and discovery.
THE CRITICAL ROLE THE OCEAN PLAYS IN CLIMATE, AND THE OCEAN’S PARTICULAR VULNERABILITY TO WARMING AND ACIDIFICATION, ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AT THE INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS.
It is up to all of us to participate in writing the story of what the future will hold in New Jersey and beyond. The UCI is excited to play its part in a shaping the narrative to ensure healthy and productive coasts and oceans, and thriving communities for the next generation.
TONY MACDONALD Director, Urban Coast Institute
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In the Classroom:
Connecting Students with Opportunities It all starts in the classroom. With the UCI’s involvement, the “classroom” can be 15 miles at sea, in a pristine coastal forest, on a beach fishing in the middle of the night, or in a state-of-the-art lab on campus. This annual report offers a glimpse of the UCI’s impact in marine science, coastal policy, community resilience and climate adaptation in 2019. This work not only helps bolster the Mid-Atlantic’s coastal environments and economies—it enhances the student experience. It places students on a path to make their aspirations and professional dreams come true. Among the ways the UCI supports academics: • Faculty Enrichment Grants: The UCI offers support for the enhancement of existing curriculum, new curriculum development, research and scholarship, and team-teaching opportunities. These grants have been used by professors to carry out innovative research projects using students as their research teams, and to pair instructors from separate departments (such as mathematics and biology) to create new courses dedicated to unique research questions. • Mini-Grants: Funding is available for students and faculty to attend conferences, support symposia on campus, invite guest speakers, purchase equipment and supplies to support classwork (see ocean posters example to the right), and other needs.
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• Vessels & Equipment: The UCI maintains three University research vessels and a collection of cutting-edge technologies which are available to support classes and research efforts (see page 7). Students can also take advantage of paid opportunities to support UCI work. • Campus Connections: With a deep pool of partners in science, government, academia, NGOs and industry, the UCI serves as a nexus between the campus community and America’s most influential leaders in marine-related fields. The UCI frequently brings these experts to campus for involvement ranging from guest lectures and panel talks (see page 12) to long-term research collaborations.
Art Class Creates Ocean Event Posters With the support of a UCI mini-grant, students in Associate Professor Jing Zhou’s Digital Illustration course designed a series of posters promoting real and fictitious events about the ocean and coastal ecosystems. Zhou purchased calligraphy tools and supplies and coached the students to incorporate calligraphical elements into their work. Their final posters were created using Adobe Illustrator.
2019 RESEARCH VESSEL STUDENT ACTIVITIES HEIDI LYNN SCULTHORPE 196 total students aboard 43 class/research/ contract work days
LITTLE HAWK
SEAHAWK
64 total students aboard
20 total students aboard
20 class/research/ contract work days
38 class/research/ contract work days
EYES ON THE HURRICANE On a late summer morning, Monmouth student Bryce McCall (in American flag helmet) hauled what looked like a 5-foot yellow torpedo aboard the research vessel Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe. The equipment was the property of the U.S. Navy and it had a mission: cruise the New York Bight throughout the hurricane season, gathering data that provided clues on how water conditions impacted the storms. The data will ultimately help improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and the safety of millions of residents living in coastal communities along the Mid-Atlantic. McCall and scientists from the UCI and Rutgers University deployed two of the remotely controlled drones 20 miles outside of New York Harbor. The apparatus soon began transmitting real-time data to researchers all over the world. Additional project partners included the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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UCI Scholars:
Training Tomorrow’s Ocean Leaders Each year the UCI provides opportunities for dozens of students to conduct hands-on research projects that provide real world experience while making a positive impact in coastal communities. Offered through the UCI Scholars program, these competitive awards provide grants to students of all disciplines whose work would advance core elements of Monmouth’s Strategic Plan and support the UCI’s mission. Funding is provided through the generosity of many private and corporate donors to the UCI’s Marine Science and Policy Initiative and Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Summer Research Program. See right for a list of student summer research projects supported in 2019.
UCI 2019 Student Summer Research Can Rainfall Predict Fecal Indicator Bacteria Levels at Monmouth County Surfing Beaches Near Stormwater Outfalls? Students: Kelly Hanna, Victoria Lohnes, Erin Conlon, Skyler Post, Maria Riley and Ariel Zavala | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Adolf, Dept. of Biology Characterizing Deoxygenation and Harmful Algal Blooms in Branchport Creek, New Jersey Students: Skye Post and Erin Conlon | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Adolf, Dept. of Biology Chesapeake Bay Archaeological Mapping Student: Chris Menke | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Geoffrey Fouad, Dept. of History and Anthropology Conservation and Demographics of New Jersey Coastal Sharks and Sturgeon Students: Hannah Craft, Lauren Kelly, and Michael Nguyen | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Keith Dunton, Dept. of Biology Dominican Civil Society: A Democratic Response to Climate Change Students: Matthew Gruhler and Alexis Vasquez | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ken Mitchell, Dept. of Political Science and Sociology
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Marine Biology Careers App Design Students: Gianna Rossi and Stephanie Brown | Faculty Mentor: Prof. Linh Dao, Dept. of Art and Design Nutrient Pollution and Harmful Algal Blooms Take a Toll on Monmouth County Coastal Lakes Students: Ariel Zavala, Maria Riley, Erin Conlon, Kelly Hanna, Victoria Lohnes, Skyler Post | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Adolf, Dept. of Biology Reptile and Amphibian Surveys in Urbanized Ecosystems Students: Travis Kirk and Christiana Popo | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sean Sterrett, Dept. of Biology Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) to Track Black Sea Bass and Winter Flounder in a Controlled Tank Environment Students: Karolina Szenkiel and Sean Kuback | Faculty Mentor: Dr. Megan Phifer-Rixey, Dept. of Biology
MONMOUTH FEATURED IN NATGEO’S ‘WHEN SHARKS ATTACK’ An episode of the National Geographic Channel series “When Sharks Attack” that was filmed aboard Monmouth University’s R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe aired around the world in the summer. The episode, titled “Jersey Gore,” recounted the infamous Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 that inspired “Jaws” and examined theories for the causes.
UCI ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS As part of the University’s Together We Can scholarship campaign, four UCI scholarships were endowed: • Ann and Alfred L. Ferguson ’13HN UCI Endowed Scholarship • Rita Mangan UCI Endowed Scholarship • Macdonald Family UCI Endowed Scholarship • Urban Coast Institute Endowed Scholarship Thanks to all who contributed to this initiative. We hope these funds continue to grow and expand opportunities for Monmouth students for years to come. Thanks to the generosity of Monmouth University Trustee Valerie Montecalvo and her husband, Frank, the UCI celebrated the success of the scholarship campaign aboard the yacht Nicole Evelyn.
(l-r) UCI Advisory Committee members Kenneth Pringle and Rita Mangan, Monmouth University Trustee Valerie Montecalvo, and UCI Director Tony MacDonald aboard the Nicole Evelyn.
The crew interviewed Assistant Professor Keith Dunton aboard the vessel and observed as he and student researchers caught and tagged sharks off Sandy Hook. The students were engaged in ongoing research on the populations and migration patterns of East Coast shark and elasmobranch species supported by the UCI’s Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Summer Research Program.
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Harmful Algal Blooms:
Facing a Rising Threat The summer of 2019 will long be remembered for the epidemic of harmful algal blooms (HAB) that caused lengthy closures at the summer tourist destinations of Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake, and the Manasquan Reservoir, a critical drinking water source for several Jersey Shore towns. The growing frequency of HABs presents a threat with both economic and public health dimensions, as the toxins produced by the microorganisms in these events have been known to cause fish kills, make humans sick and even kill pets upon contact. With grant support from the Jules J. Plangere, Jr. Family Foundation, Dr. Jason Adolf and student researchers from his Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Bloom Lab (PHAB Lab) are working with Monmouth County communities and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to study the problem in coastal lakes and their tributaries. Their research is helping build a better understanding of why blooms occur in these waters so future events can be predicted and prevented.
Residents from several Shore communities took part in a spring Coastal Lakes Summit at Monmouth University to kick off the Coastal Lakes Observing Network project.
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Through a citizen science initiative called the Coastal Lakes Observing Network (CLONet), Adolf and his students are training Shore residents to conduct regular water sampling and file their results to an online database, where each lake’s data could be analyzed. In the summer and fall, the volunteers collected nearly 200 water samples from Deal Lake, Lake Como, Lake Takanassee, Spring Lake, Sunset Lake, Sylvan Lake and Wesley Lake, recording information including water temperatures, oxygen levels, pH and weather conditions at the time of their sampling. Conferences were held on campus in the spring to kick off the project and the fall for the citizen scientists to share lessons learned.
PHAB-ULOUS WORK IN BRANCHPORT CREEK THE RESEARCH IS HELPING BUILD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY BLOOMS OCCUR IN THESE WATERS SO FUTURE EVENTS CAN BE PREDICTED AND PREVENTED. The data gathered can serve as a baseline that the impacts of specific management and restoration projects can be measured against – for example, lake dredging, the installation of green infrastructure, or housing developments under construction along a lake’s tributaries. Sampling will continue in 2020.
Skyler Post (l-r) and Erin Conlon were awarded the Best Undergraduate Poster prize at the 10th Annual Harmful Algal Bloom Symposium.
Monmouth University students Erin Conlon and Skyler Post’s research poster earned the top prize for work presented by undergraduates at the 10th U.S. Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Symposium, held in Orange Beach, Alabama. The poster highlighted the students’ ongoing research on low-oxygen conditions and toxic organisms in Branchport Creek, a Shrewsbury River tributary located in Oceanport and Long Branch, New Jersey. Through a research project supported by the UCI, the Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Bloom Lab (PHAB Lab) students focused both on water conditions and the microscopic plankton and bacteria living in the water. They detected phytoplankton biomass levels up to 100 times higher in the creek than anywhere else in the watershed and the presence of organisms known to produce toxins that can irritate or kill wildlife. The students’ work could offer new insight on fish kills that have occurred in the creek in recent years.
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Connecting Communities with Expertise Since its launch in 2005, the UCI has grown into the Jersey Shore’s premier forum for conversations on emerging coastal issues. Each year the UCI welcomes thousands of visitors to Monmouth for events, educating the community while showcasing a beautiful campus located just minutes from the beach. The UCI’s signature annual event, the Future of the Ocean Symposium, was held in October with a theme of “An Ocean for All: Ecosystems, Economies & People.” At the subsequent Champion of the Ocean Awards Luncheon, the UCI honored the following individuals: • National Champion of the Ocean: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Deputy Administrator Timothy Gallaudet • Regional Champion of the Ocean: Conservation Law Foundation President Bradley Campbell • Coastal and Ocean Leadership: Rutgers University Distinguished Professor Scott Glenn
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Among the events held at Monmouth in 2019: • The Climate Change, Coasts & Communities Symposium, organized by Professor Randall Abate, featured leading experts in climate change adaptation law and science from New Jersey, Australia and around the U.S. • UCI Director Tony MacDonald was among the expert panelists at Our Ocean and Beaches: A Record of Success and New Challenges to Face, moderated by state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos the University’s 2019 Public Servant-in-Residence. Videos, documents and other materials from these and other events can be found at monmouth.edu/uci. Top: (l-r) Panelists Jennifer Li of Georgetown Law Center, Keith Rizzardi of St. Thomas University School of Law and UCI Associate Director Thomas Herrington at the Climate Change, Coasts & Communities Symposium. Bottom: former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Chris Daggett, former state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf and UCI Director Tony MacDonald at Our Oceans and Beaches: A Record of Success and New Challenges to Face.
Monmouth-UCI New Jersey Plastic Poll Conducted September 2019
89%
View plastic pollution in ocean as serious problem
52%
Support ban on plastic straws
65%
Support statewide ban on single-use plastic bags
64%
Have heard little or nothing at all about microplastics
No Time to Waste: Eliminating Marine Plastics If current practices continue unabated, scientists estimate the ocean could contain more pounds of plastic than fish by 2050. The public has begun to recognize the severity of the crisis, as demonstrated by the growing number of communities imposing bans on single-use plastics such as grocery bags and straws. Monmouth University and the UCI have been leaders in the push to eliminate plastic pollution. As co-chair of Monmouth’s Sustainability Advisory Council and advisor to the student Sustainability Ambassadors, UCI Associate Director Tom Herrington has worked with University departments and its food vendors to lessen the use of non-biodegradable materials and address waste. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection honored Monmouth as an institutional leader in the fall for its broad-based program that resulted in recycling 46% of the waste generated on campus in 2018. The UCI sought to increase public awareness of the threat of marine plastics through a series of events on campus. In celebration of World Oceans Day and Monmouth Reunion Weekend, the UCI invited a panel of alumni environmental leaders back to campus for Together We Can: A Plastic-Free Ocean. The Monmouth University Polling Institute and UCI also co-hosted the Marine Plastics: Law Science and Action expert panel discussion on campus in the fall. The Institutes partnered to survey New Jersey residents on their opinions of plastic pollution, releasing the results as a discussion topic during the panel. Visit the UCI website to view the full survey results or watch a video of the event. The UCI co-sponsored the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability 2019 Student Summit, which focused on student solutions to plastic pollution. Over 100 students and faculty members from New Jersey universities gathered at Monmouth to develop plans to reduce single-use plastics on their campuses.
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Monitoring Water Quality at Surfing Beaches Monmouth University scientists and students launched a yearlong study on the linkage between rainfall and microbial pollution at surfing beaches where municipal storm drains and outflow pipes discharge directly into the surf zone. Microbial pollution, the contamination of water with pathogens that can make people sick, is a problem in densely populated coastal areas around the world.
evidence about the magnitude of the problem.”
“We’ve heard stories from surfers about how the water sometimes smells and looks different at these beaches after heavy rainstorms,” said Endowed Associate Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf of the UCI and the School of Science. “However, no data have been gathered to back up the anecdotal
Testing has focused on locations in Asbury Park, Deal and Long Branch. The team records weather conditions and measurements of the ocean’s temperature, salinity and clarity before taking water samples near and far from the storm drain pipes at each site. The samples are then analyzed for bacterial
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Adolf and Specialist Professor Jeff Weisburg, the project co-leads, noted a significant gap in the state’s sampling program because it is primarily focused on the busiest bathing beaches in the summer tourism season, but doesn’t test as frequently during some of the best wave months, including the fall hurricane season.
“WE’VE HEARD STORIES FROM SURFERS ABOUT HOW THE WATER SOMETIMES SMELLS AND LOOKS DIFFERENT AT THESE BEACHES AFTER HEAVY RAINSTORMS.” — DR. JASON ADOLF
abundance and compared with rainfall and water quality data to look for statistical relationships. The results are expected to be released
this year. The project is being supported with a grant from the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance.
Ocean Planning for a Green Energy Future When you charge your phone or turn on your lights a decade now, where will the power come from? The answer, to paraphrase Bob Dylan, may be blowing in the wind. Several states along the East Coast have set aggressive goals to convert from fossil fuel-based energy sources to green ones in the coming years. Offshore wind figures to be a major part of the mix, with New York and New Jersey alone planning to generate 16,500 megawatts from turbines by 2035. The UCI has played an influential role in this transformation through its ocean planning work, notably as a member of the team developing the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal (portal.midatlanticocean.org). The free and publicly accessible site has served as a neutral source of information that is helping state and federal agencies determine where turbines can be placed while posing as little disruption as possible to traditional ocean uses (e.g. commercial fishing, maritime commerce, Naval training activities), marine life and ecosystems. The Portal enables stakeholders to analyze offshore wind proposals by comparing project areas with the Portal’s collection of over 5,000 interactive map layers. In 2019, the UCI hosted the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum, convened by the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. Over 200 people attended the inaugural ocean planning conference, which will now be held annually in cities throughout the region.
The UCI’s Karl Vilacoba, project manager for the Portal, conducted nearly two dozen online and in-person trainings in 2019. Among them was a presentation for approximately 150 attendees at the New Jersey Environmental Lobby’s Symposium on Offshore Wind Energy Development and the Environment held at Monmouth. Vilacoba also provided Portal trainings for students in Monmouth classes, including a marine GIS course developed by the UCI. The UCI conducted all of this work with grant support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Monmouth-UCI New Jersey Offshore Wind Poll Conducted February 2019
76%
Favor wind farms off NJ coast
82%
Offshore wind should be a priority for NJ
61%
Oppose offshore drilling off NJ coast
UCI WELCOMES POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Dr. Christopher Haak joined the UCI in 2019 as a postdoctoral researcher focused on fisheries science. Haak is working with NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service researchers to develop habitat use models for commercially and ecologically important fish species throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The team’s work will predict future shifts in species distributions due to factors like environmental change and create map products that can be added to the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal. His work is being supported with a grant from the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation.
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Revisiting the Wrath of Sandy through Art
As the seventh anniversary of Superstorm Sandy approached, a UCI-supported exhibition at Monmouth University captured the destructive force of the storm and the mounting threats of climate change and sea level rise through abstract works of art. Just Beachy/After Sandy featured the work of Department of Art and Design Professor Karen Bright and Assistant Professor of Communication Amanda Stojanov. One of the exhibition’s highlights was a series of beach towel designs that interpreted a century of scientific data for natural phenomena such as high tide levels, wave heights and wind speeds on the Jersey Shore. A-10-feet high infographic sculpture (“The Transformer”) visualized the massive number of housing units lost, and visitors could step into geodesic-domed shelter to hear and view a digital media interpretation of the storm. Hundreds of residents who were impacted by Sandy also contributed to the installation by sharing their memories on a special wall adorned with satellite imagery of the storm.
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NOAA Deputy Administrator Timothy Gallaudet tours Professor Karen Bright’s Just Beachy/After Sandy exhibition. Bright presented Gallaudet with prints of her designs from the “The Drying Station” (seen above and at right) to be displayed at NOAA headquarters. The works visualized a century of NOAA oceanography data in the form of beach towels and were created with the support of a UCI grant.
“THE HOPE IS THAT BY BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER [THROUGH THE EXHIBITION], PEOPLE WILL FIND PERSONAL RELIEF THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCE.” —PROFESSOR KAREN BRIGHT
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Callas and Phifer-Rixey Named Faculty Fellows
Assistant Professor Kimberly Callas
Assistant Professor Kimberly Callas and Assistant Professor Megan Phifer-Rixey were named by the Provost’s Office as the University’s inaugural group of Faculty Fellows. Callas will serve as the UCI artist-in-residence and Phifer-Rixey as its marine genetics faculty fellow during the two-year fellowship. The Faculty Fellows program was established in 2019 as part of the Centers of Distinction Academic Enhancement Strategic Plan.
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Assistant Professor Megan Phifer-Rixey
Faculty members were invited to develop proposals to partner with the University’s Centers of Distinction to pursue a project with a significant scholarly, artistic, pedagogical, business or policy outcome that connects the academic department with the Center. Through her residency with the UCI, Callas, of the Department of Art and Design, will immerse herself in the scientific research taking place in coastal environments at Monmouth University and share it with
communities through art. She plans to host Discovering the Ecological Self workshops, develop her own artwork and organize a symposium with the UCI that features research on sustainability topics being conducted by University faculty. Dr. Phifer-Rixey, a member of the Biology Department, is applying her work in evolutionary and population genetics to marine and coastal environments. She plans to create opportunities for students to engage in authentic
genetic research and expanding Monmouth’s work with marine environmental DNA (eDNA). “I’m already working on eDNA projects and I think we have a bit of a gap here in that we have the capacity to collect and filter the samples, but we haven’t had the capacity to do the genetic benchwork and handle the data,” she said. “There’s a real opportunity for me to help build that capacity here at Monmouth.”
Abate Publishes ‘Climate Change and the Voiceless’ ABATE ARGUES THAT WE AS HUMANS NEED TO VIEW OURSELVES AS ONE PART OF A LARGER ECOSYSTEM, PLACING MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON OURSELVES TO PROTECT GROUPS SUCH AS THE MARGINALIZED AND THE VOICELESS.
Rechnitz Family/UCI Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy Randall Abate traveled the world on a speaking tour in support of his new book, Climate Change and the Voiceless: Protecting Future Generations, Wildlife, and Natural Resources. The book, published in the fall by Cambridge University Press, explores how the law, through the context of climate change, can evolve to protect the interests of three groups which Abate refers to collectively as “the voiceless.” Abate’s 2019 travels took him to highprofile conferences and universities in Morocco, the U.K., Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, Serbia and Spain, among other stops.
talking about animals, or we’re talking about natural resources, they share one common vulnerability, which is they do not have a voice in the legal system the way living, adult humans do,” Abate told the audience while delivering the 2019 Monmouth University Council of Endowed Chairs Lecture. Arguing that a paradigm shift needs to occur so that legal principles begin to reflect an “ecocentric” model, Abate said we as humans need to view ourselves as one part of a larger ecosystem, placing more responsibility on ourselves to protect groups such as the marginalized and the voiceless.
“This characterization of ‘the voiceless’ … whether we’re talking about future generations in the form of children or the unborn, or we’re Professor Randall Abate takes a break from a book talk at Cambridge University.
ADDITIONAL 2019 UCI PUBLICATIONS Visit monmouth.edu/uci to read these and other recent documents Atmospheric Trust Litigation: Foundation for a Constitutional Right to a Stable Climate System? Randall Abate, October 2019 New Jersey Has Been Lucky (So Far) with its Freshwater Algal Blooms. It Probably Won’t Last. Jason Adolf, September 2019 Final Report from the National Conference on Marine Environmental DNA (hosted by Monmouth and Rockefeller universities), January 2019
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Snapshots 1
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1. UCI Communications Director Karl Vilacoba demos the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal for Long Branch School District teachers and students.
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2. NOAA Fisheries personnel and UCI Marine Scientist Jim Nickels conduct a drill in the Monmouth pool. 3.Assistant Professor Keith Dunton and students tag sharks on the beach at Cape May. 4. Jason Adolf (center), UCI Faculty Fellows Kimberly Callas and Megan Phifer-Rixey and their students prepare to tour Sandy Hook Bay aboard the R/V Seahawk.
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5. Monmouth University President Patrick Leahy presents the UCI National Champion of the Ocean Award to NOAA Deputy Administrator Timothy Gallaudet. 6. A panel of Monmouth students presents at the Climate Change, Coasts & Communities Symposium.
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7. (l-r) Rutgers University Distinguished Professor Scott Glenn, UCI Marine Scientist Jim Nickels, Monmouth student Bryce McCall and Travis Miles (Rutgers) prepare to deploy a glider aboard the R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe. 8. Student volunteers deposit baby oysters in the Barnegat Bay aboard the R/V Seahawk. 9. A packed house at the first annual MidAtlantic Ocean Forum, held on campus. 10. Associate Director Thomas Herrington teaches a Monmouth University alumna about the composition of sand at the UCI-hosted Monmouth Reunion Weekend Family Beach Day.
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2019 External Funding Sources GRANTS AND FOUNDATION WORK NJ Department of Transportation: NY/ NJ Harbor Contamination Assessment and Reduction Project (CARP II) Sediment sampling and comtaminant modeling in NY Harbor Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation: Mid-Atlantic Ocean Plan Implementation, including stakeholder engagement, use of the Ocean Data Portal, and support for implementation of ocean planning actions Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation/ University of Delaware: Intersection of Belize coral reef chemical cue research with ocean planning NJ Department of Environmental Protection: Ecological Adaptation Prioritization Methodology Development for the creation of a framework to support the prioritization for coastal resilience planning in New Jersey Jules Plangere Jr. Foundation: Monmouth County Coastal Lakes Observation Network (CloNET) working with communities to improve management and restoration of the lakes Achelis & Bodman Foundation; Use of environmental-DNA as a tool for conservation of marine fishes and ecosystem threats in the Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook, and the lower Hudson Bay NJ Department of Environmental Protection: Ongoing support for multiyear Phytoplankton Study in Barnegat Bay NJ Sea Grant Consortium: Coastal Community Resilience Specialist to provide education and outreach services to NJ coastal communities NJ Department of Environmental Protection: Provide coordinating support and management of the NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative, a network established to foster resilient coastal communities
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Monmouth County Office of Planning: Engineering and technical guidance for Monmouth County Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays Coastal Resilience Planning
MISCELLANEOUS CONTRACT AND PROJECT WORK Stony Brook University: Vessel Support for NY Windfarm Study of Sturgeon off South Shore of Long Island Stony Brook University: Vessel support for multiple deployments and retrievals of Acoustic Dopler Current Profiler (ADCP) and water quality instruments off South Shore of Long Island New York New Jersey Baykeeper: Vessel, Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) and ADCP support for living shoreline project off of South Shore Staten Island Aqua Survey Inc.: Vessel support for several sediment sampling projects in New York Harbor Cornell University: Vessel support for oyster survey in Haverstraw Bay Brinkerhoff Environmental Associates: Vessel support, sediment sampling and services in support of dredging projects University of Rhode Island: Vessel support for Newark Bay Sediment Study
URBAN COAST INSTITUTE (UCI) SCHOLARSHIPS Ann and Alfred L. Ferguson ’13HN UCI Endowed Scholarship Rita Mangan UCI Endowed Scholarship Macdonald Family UCI Endowed Scholarship Urban Coast Institute Endowed Scholarship
2019 Donor Honor Roll American Assoc. of Port Authorities Nikole J. Andre ’19 David and Patricia Apy Peter R. Avakian Jesse Ausubel Christopher Benosky Michael Beson Stanley ’59 and. Margaret Bey Ray Bogan Francis V. Bonello Lillian and Ed Borrone Laura A. Brinkerhoff Brinkerhoff Environmental Services Bradley M. Campbell Ann Chappell Sarah Chasis John C. Conover III Conservation Law Foundation Cullen and Dykman, LLP Ria Davis Willard Dickerson Teresa Doss Paul Eidman David ’74 and Nancy Ennis EPS Corporation Ann and Alfred Ferguson Thomas and Lynda Rozell Fote Russell and Lydia Furnari Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Douglas Gaffney/Mott MacDonald Paul and Linda ’13HN Gaffney John E. Gagliano Sierra Gannon Nickitas Georgas Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Guide Publications William Hanson Leslie Hitchner Kevork and Sirwat Hovnanian Foundation Sirwat Hovnanian Horizon Foundation of New Jersey Cameron Hume Frederick Jr. ’61 and Jean Kaeli Mr. William D. Kastning Karen Keene Theodore Koboski
Joshua Kohut George and Vita Kolber Kolber Family Foundation Susan and Joseph Kyrillos. Jr. Gordon Litwin Family Fund Litwin & Provence, LLC Richard Larrabee Leon Avakian, Inc Susan MacDonald Boyle Anthony MacDonald Margaret MacDonald Peter and Jennifer MacDonald Rita ’71 and Joseph Mangan MARACOOS Henry ’87 ’17HN and Joan Mercer Thomas and Roseann Michelli Monmouth Conservation Foundation Valerie and Frank Montecalvo Antoinette M. Musorrafiti Najarian Associates Tavit and Sossie Najarian New Jersey Natural Gas New Jersey Resources NRDC Ocean Conservancy Ocean First Foundation Christine ’98 and Tom Papp Charles ’01HN and Trudi Parton Michael ’82 and Linda Plodwick Kenneth Pringle and Kathleen Ellis Pringle Quinn Anzano P.C. PSE&G Ronald Rapp Peter Reinhart and Nancy Byrne-Reinhart Reinhart Family Fund of the Community Foundation Robert B. Sculthorpe ’63 ’15HN and Linda Chen Sculthorpe Sinn, Fitzsimmons, Contoli, Bogan Michael J. Spina ’94 Peter Straub SubCom Amy Tuininga Nancy Washington John J. Weber Neil Yoskin
GAFFNEY JOINS NAVAL METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY HALL OF FAME Monmouth University President Emeritus and UCI Ocean Policy Fellow Paul G. Gaffney II was among the first class of honorees inducted into the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Hall of Fame. Gaffney served as commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command from 1994-97 and was the first naval oceanographer to attain the rank of vice admiral. Gaffney signed the door of a supercomputer that will bear his name during a ceremony at the Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. MACDONALD NAMED TO NATIONAL ACADEMIES OCEAN STUDIES BOARD The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine appointed UCI Director Tony MacDonald to a three-year term on its Ocean Studies Board (OSB). The OSB explores the science, policies and infrastructure needed to understand, manage and conserve coastal and marine environments and resources. In addition to exercising leadership within the ocean community, the OSB undertakes studies at the request of federal agencies, Congress or other sponsors, or upon its own initiative.
Staff Public Engagement and Service TONY MACDONALD, ESQ. NJ Climate Adaption Alliance, Advisory Committee Coastal States Stewardship Foundation, Board Member NY/NJ Baykeeper, Board Member National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board Member New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative, Co-Chair
THOMAS HERRINGTON, Ph.D. American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, Board Member NJ Sea Grant Consortium, Board Member, Coastal Community Resilience Specialist American Geophysical Union Thriving Earth Exchange Scientist Jersey Shore Partnership Board of Directors Journal of Marine Environmental Engineering Editorial Board member Northeast Shore & Beach Preservation Association, Vice President
VICE ADMIRAL PAUL G. GAFFNEY II, USN (RET.) Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, Leadership Committee
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Ocean Exploration Trust, Board Member
JIM NICKELS NJ Water Monitoring Council, Member Barnegat Bay Partnership, Science and Technical Advisory Committee Marine Academy of Science and Technology Advisory Board
UCI Advisory Committee Kenneth Pringle, Chair
Leslie Hitchner
David Apy
Frederick Kaeli
Chris Benosky
Josh Kohut
Laura Brinkerhoff
Susan Kyrillos
Nancy Byrne-Reinhart
Rick Larrabee
Bradley Campbell
Gordon Litwin
Jay Cosgrove
Rita Mangan
David Ennis
Tavit Najarian
Alfred Ferguson
Beth Phelan
Jim Ferris
Steve Souza
Russell Furnari
Amy Tuininga
Nickitas Georgas
Nancy Washington
William Hanson
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