Close Close
  • Beneficial Use of Dredge Material for Coastal Resilience Workshop Sept. 24 at Monmouth

     

    The Northeast Shore & Beach Preservation Association (NSBPA) and the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute will co-sponsor a Beneficial Use of Dredge Material for Coastal Resilience Workshop on Sept. 24 at Monmouth University. This event is free to students and $40 for non-student attendees (includes lunch and coffee breaks).

    The event was originally scheduled for May 19, but postponed to Sept. 24 in accordance with  public health professionals’ best estimates of the COVID-19 pandemic’s trajectory and timeline.

    Mid-Atlantic and New England states are embarking on the development of coastal resilience plans that utilize natural and nature-based features (NNBF) to enhance both ecosystem resilience and provide green infrastructure to better protect communities from the impacts of flooding and sea level rise. Many NNBF projects require sediment for construction and often utilize local navigation channel dredging as an opportunity to beneficially reuse dredge material for their construction, lowering costs and allowing natural processes to resolve coastal problems and improve the environment. Regional approaches to the management of sediments (regional sediment management, or RSM) and the beneficial use of dredge material (BUDM) are therefore critical components for ecosystem resilience and community flood risk reduction.

    A number of pilot projects have already been constructed in the region, providing valuable insights into the design and performance of NNBF. The NSBPA workshop on the Beneficial Use of Dredge Material for Coastal Resilience will provide a forum for coastal practitioners and regulators to discuss successes and challenges in the use of RSM and BUDM for coastal resilience.

    The goals of the workshop are to:

    1. Improve understanding of the magnitude of coastal wetland and sediment loss in the region due to sea level rise, erosion, and dredging

    2. Provide case studies for resilient and sustainable restored and created wetlands using dredged sediments

    3. Discuss barriers and opportunities for the implementation of projects

  • Prof. Abate to Discuss ‘Climate Change and the Voiceless’ on April 8 & 13 Webinars

    book coverMonmouth University Professor Randall Abate will offer a pair of free online talks on his new book, Climate Change and the Voiceless: Protecting Future Generations, Wildlife, and Natural Resources, on April 8 and 13. In the book, Abate, Monmouth’s Rechnitz Family/Urban Coast Institute endowed chair in marine and environmental law and policy, considers the impacts of global climate change on future generations, wildlife, and natural resources, and how the law can evolve to protect their interests more effectively.

    The April 8 webinar will be hosted by the McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law and run from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants can register and find more information at https://www.facebook.com/events/561185671160343/.

    On April 13, the Pace University Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and Pace Environmental Law Society will host an online discussion at 12:50 p.m. Participants are asked to register in advance to tdibenedetto2@law.pace.edu. The webinar information is as follows:

    Webinar Link: https://pace.zoom.us/j/      171918019?pwd=NllQMXpZUEZSM G9aVHM5K1 JKVTBoZz09
    Meeting ID: 171 918 019
    Password: 032389

     

  • A Message from the UCI on COVID-19 and Our Work

    There are sunny days and magnolias are beginning to bloom. More neighbors than I ever knew I had are out walking with dogs, strollers and bundled-up children, in couples, or by themselves, perhaps listening to music. What are they thinking? Many more are at home or being cared for. Special thanks to the teachers, health care workers and public servants on the front lines. Awareness of the personal and professional challenges we each will face in the coming weeks is also an invitation to generosity of spirit and deed.

    Monmouth University has been proactive. Students, professors and support staff are working hard to deliver classes virtually for the balance of the semester and the summer (see the University’s COVID-19 page for the latest updates). The UCI and other staff are at home working remotely. Although we are in the process of cancelling or rescheduling UCI-sponsored symposia and speakers through May, and most of our field research projects are on pause, we are evaluating alternatives to assure the continuation of our work.

    We are still hopeful that UCI will be able to support students and faculty this summer to continue their research and re-engage with our coastal community partners. We will provide you with regular updates and links to information and virtual events that may be of interest. Please do not hesitate to contact us by email if we can be of any assistance. We will follow up as soon as we can.

    Finally, a friend recently shared the following quote with me, which seems apropos.

    When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come,

    I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds,

    cleanses me with its noise,

    and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.

    ~Rainer Maria Rilke

    All the best,

    Tony MacDonald & the UCI Staff

  • Urban Coast Institute 2019 Annual Report

    The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is pleased to present its 2019 Annual Report. Browse its pages for a snapshot of our work over the past year, including the launch of a citizen science initiative to research harmful algal blooms in coastal lakes, efforts to combat marine plastic pollution, a study of water pollution at surfing beaches, and dozens of innovative student-faculty research projects.

    View document as:

    Hard copies can be requested by emailing uci@monmouth.edu.

    Also See Our 2019 Highlight Video

     

  • Deadline Extended to Apply for UCI Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Summer Research Grants

    APPLY NOW

     

    Photo of Monmouth University cap sitting on the beach at West Long Branch NJ at sunriseThe Urban Coast Institute (UCI) has extended the deadline to March 27 for Monmouth students and faculty to apply for funding through its Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Summer Research Grant program. Funding is available to support projects proposed by students of all disciplines with a faculty mentor or by faculty members with students conducting research under their supervision.

    Grants are provided for research in natural and social sciences, art and humanities, economics, and public policy involving faculty and students from any school or department at Monmouth University. Past grants have supported projects ranging from the creation of a website dedicated to eco-friendly local businesses to the design of a disaster search and rescue training video game.

    Proposals should address issues that advance the UCI’s mission and goals. The UCI seeks to fund research projects on topics including but not limited to:

    • Assessing  and communicating coastal community vulnerability and risk
    • The social and economic impact of climate change on communities
    • The “blue” coastal and ocean economy
    • Coastal and ocean ecosystem protection, restoration and management
    • Enhancing community resilience and  adaptation planning in the face of sea level rise and coastal storms
    • Furthering U.N. sustainability goals at the international, national and local levels
    • Coastal community engagement and capacity building to address climate change
    • Enhancing consideration for social justice and equity considerations in a changing climate
    • Coastal and ocean law and policy
    • Marine and environmental  arts and humanities

    Funding is available for students at University research student rates for up to 10 weeks of work, capped at $2,860 per student. A stipend of $800 is available for faculty mentors.

    Students must provide a final report or product summarizing their research at the end of the 10th week. Science Students should apply for summer research support through the School of Science Summer Research Program.

    Details about the Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe grants are available online  (must have My MU Portal login privileges). Additional questions may be directed to UCI Associate Director Tom Herrington at (732) 263-5588 or therring@monmouth.edu.