Marine Science Field Trip Introduction

Stockton Marine Science and Environmental Field Station

Located off of the Mullica River

Mullica River empties into the Great Bay

The Great Bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean

Designated as the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR)– NOAA funded program– Designated in October of 1997

My Position (1996) Faculty support

– co-teach in field and laboratory– Support research/courses in general

Facility management– Scheduling– Maintenance– Purchasing

Director of marine operations– Safety program– Dive program

Boating Safety – year round Medical needs – must inform me Eat properly day of trip Non-swimmers?

– Other concerns?

Boarding a boat – carefully While underway – PFD’s on Getting off the boat To assist or not to assist…fending off, etc.? Questions?

Your experience...

Unique undergraduate experience Get involved Ask questions Use each piece of equipment Form partnerships Record data in pencil, use a clipboard/rubber

band Consider classroom knowledge while afield

Experience continued…

Act responsibly You can lose field privileges

– Negatively affect you overall course grade This experience will get you jobs…

– Field Station and CRC– RUMFS– NJDEP– Summer and year-round positions, resume

builders

Activities…

Boating experience in general Environment experience Seining Trawling Water quality sampling Sediment sampling Coring activities

Field work, equipment and other hazards

Be wary of equipment on deck Strain on anchor and trawl lines Entanglement Bottom grabs – wear gloves Seining – wear shoes/booties/waders Formaldehyde – gloves/goggles Handling fish – some w/ hard spines

Field Station facilities

Teaching laboratory Faculty research spaces Aquaculture laboratory Dry lab/physical science lab Repair facilities Offices of Manager and CRC Waterfront mooring for R/V’s

Personal equipment/clothing

Weather – highly variable Early season – dress light colored

clothes, be prepared to get wet Later season – consider waders,

warmer clothes Sunblock – even when cloudy Bug spray Water/food

Other important knowledge Where you are

– Travel from Nacote Creek – Mullica River - across Great Bay

– Little Egg Inlet area– Little Egg Harbor Bay– Back Brigantine Bays– Up rivers – Mullica, Bass and Wading

Communication– VHF radio – field station/USCG, Ch 82– Cell Phone – boat cell phone has list of

important numbers

652-4486, or x4486 from campus