Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School

College of Science and Mathematics

Department/Program

Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Paul A. X. Bologna

Committee Member

Colette Feehan

Committee Member

Alexis Khursigara

Abstract

Zostera marina (eelgrass) is a widely distributed marine angiosperm across northern hemisphere coastlines, yet many regions have experienced substantial declines due to disease, coastal development, and other anthropogenic stressors. Barnegat Bay is the only estuary in New Jersey that still supports extensive eelgrass beds, although it has undergone notable losses over the past five decades. To evaluate decadal-scale ecological change, we collected sediment cores in 2025 from a site with historical data spanning 2001–2010. Overall faunal densities remained relatively consistent, but several taxa exhibited clear shifts in abundance. Amphipods in the Phoxocephalidae and the isopod Erichsonella increased, whereas the cold-affinity isopod Idotea baltica declined. Many taxa also showed pronounced monthly variability, reflecting recruitment dynamics characteristic of this system. One potential driver of long-term community change is Superstorm Sandy (2012), which caused extensive disturbance to coastal and benthic habitats in New Jersey. Ongoing analyses of generalized community structure aim to determine whether these temporal patterns reflect broader climate-related ecological change.

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