Overview of the Jamaica Bay
Water Quality & Ecological
Monitoring Plan
October 29, 2015

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Previous DEP Water Quality and Ecological
Studies
• Overview of the New Monitoring Program
• Description of New Monitoring Program
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PREVIOUS WATER QUALITY & ECOLOGICAL STUDIES
• In 1995/96 HydroQual conducted
extensive sampling to calibrate
JEM
– Physical Measurements (bathymetry,
tidal elevations, currents)
– Ambient Water Quality Sampling
– Sediment Fluxes and Composition
– Macroalgae surveys
• In 2005/2006 Battelle and EEA
conducted extensive water quality
and ecological studies:
– Water Quality
– Nutrients
– Finfish Survey
– Ichthyoplankton and Larvae Studies
– Benthic Studies

OVERVIEW OF NEW SAMPLING PROGRAM
• It is a requirement of the First Amended
Nitrogen Consent Judgment .
• Intended to assess water quality and
ecological improvements as a result of
ongoing nitrogen reductions to Jamaica
Bay
• Assessment will also include past studies
and historic data.
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• It was developed as part of a collaborative effort between DEP and DEC in
conjunction with a Technical Advisory Group “TAG” that consisted of:
̵ Linda Allen, Ph.D., P.E., NEIWPCC
̵ Anand Kumaraswamy, P.E., NYCDEP
̵ John Marra, Ph.D., Brooklyn College
• This post construction monitoring plan was submitted to DEC in June 2015 and
approved by DEC in August 2015.
• Anticipated to commence in summer of 2016 and sampling will continue for
three (3) years.

PHYSICAL AND HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION
• Bathymetric surveys of critical
areas within Jamaica Bay
• Collect additional data on tidal
stages and velocities for
calibration/validation of
hydraulic model
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WATER QUALITY & SEDIMENT SAMPLNIG
• Conduct additional discrete water
quality sampling to supplement the
existing Harbor Survey Sampling
Program
• Sampling parameters will include but
not be limited to:
– Nutrients
– Temperature
– Salinity
– pH
– Secchi Depth
– Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
– Turbidity
• Installation of remote sondes to collect
continuous readings
• Sediment nutrient flux surveys at 8
locations in the bay
– Solid-phase analyses
– Pore water analyses
– Gas analysis
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BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (1)
• Benthic phytoplankton or
microphytobenthos” can play an
important role in system metabolism
within coastal bays
• Sediment samples will be collected
using a Young grab sampler for
laboratory analysis
• Surveys will be conducted at fourteen
(14) shallow (< 3 m) stations located in
six (6) locations distributed around the
Bay
• Surveys should take place three (3)
times per year as follows: early May,
July, and mid-September
• Benthic invertebrate sampling shall be
performed quarterly (February, May,
July, October)
• Sampling will be performed at twelve
(12) locations in the Bay
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BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (2)
• Trawl and epibenthic sled surveys shall
be conducted at the twelve (12) locations
• Each survey shall consist of two days of
trawls followed by two days of sled tows,
tides and weather permitting.
• Water quality (temperature, DO, and
salinity) will be measured and recorded
at each sampling site, each day of
sampling.
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MACROALGAE & MARSH GRASS SAMPLING
• Ulva, a macroalgae, often indicative or
nutrient enrichment, has been
observed in Jamaica Bay
• Ulva samples shall be collected and
analyzed for dry weight at 5 locations,
with a subset of the samples analyzed
for nutrients from May thru October
• Intertidal and subtidal Ulva surveys
will also be conducted during this
same period
• Above-ground and below-ground
marsh-grass biomass and nutrient-
content measurements shall be made
• March grass surveys shall be
conducted at a total of eight (8)
locations from May thru October
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