Beach tourists weren’t the only ones crowding the Jersey Shore in June. An analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples from beaches and estuaries in Monmouth and Middlesex counties found that the number of fish species roaming the waters scaled up to 79 from the 68 detected during a similar effort in the fall. 

Last month, volunteer community scientists collected samples of ocean waters, bays, and brackish areas of rivers at 24 sites from the Manasquan Inlet to the Raritan Bayshore. The samples were then analyzed by the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) in a lab for eDNA, trace genetic materials floating in the water that can indicate the recent presence of marine organisms. The data is building upon a collection effort that began in September, and is being used to develop a baseline understanding of the species living in our waters throughout the year.

The results of the research were revealed at a July 14 workshop on campus. A recording of the presentation is available above.

A particular increase in richness was seen in the county’s estuaries, which recorded numbers that were nearly equal to those in the ocean sites. In the fall, the ocean samples carried a far higher species richness than the rivers and bays.

The estuarine sites with the highest numbers of fish detections were near the mouth of Cheesequake Creek on the Raritan Bay (42) and Maclearie Park on the Shark River Bay in Belmar (39). The counts on beaches were highest in Long Branch (39) and Sandy Hook (34). 

“We believe what’s happening is that there are seasonal migrants coming into the estuarine environment, which is a well-documented phenomenon in our area,” UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane said. “One paper estimates that 82.5 percent of ecologically important marine fish in the Mid-Atlantic Bight use estuaries at some point in their life.”

In the ocean, menhaden and river herring species, which are difficult to distinguish through eDNA, accounted for roughly a quarter of the fish detected, followed by butterfish (14 percent), and mummichog (11 percent). In the estuaries, mummichog (28 percent) and Atlantic silverside (25 percent) accounted for over half of the detections. 

Kane pointed to the detections of sand lance (5 percent in the ocean, 2 percent in the ocean) as an example of eDNA’s potential as a tool for researching fish community composition. He said that because sand lances are so elusive – they swim at full speed into the sand and hide there when they sense predators – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tends to avoid studying them.

“In order to detect all these things the traditional way, you’d need an armada of boats, traps, trawls, and nets, but we can find it all in the bottles of water you’re sampling,” Monmouth University Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf told the audience. “That’s the efficiency of this method for the purpose of studying biodiversity.”

The research is being supported with funding secured by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. Volunteers are being sought for the next phase of sampling, which will likely take place around October. To learn more, contact Kane at rkane@monmouth.edu.

Ava Taylor ’23 and Anjali Narang ‘25, software developers and recent graduates of Monmouth University’s Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, provided a tutorial on a new version of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal’s mobile app that they designed. The July 7 presentation was part of a special edition of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean’s (MARCO) “How Tuesday” webinar series covering two apps every beachgoer and boater should have on their phones this summer: the Portal mobile app and MyCoast.

Version 2 of the Portal’s mobile app was recently released in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Among the upgrades in the latest version are a redesigned viewer with a more spacious screen, the ability to tap your screen for pop-ups with more information about maps, access to data types that weren’t previously supported, and improved search capabilities that make it easier to find what you need.

The webinar also provided a tour of the MyCoast mobile and desktop app, which allows users to upload photos and information to document issues such as tides, changing shorelines, flooding, and other categories prioritized in individual state versions of the app. MARCO recently introduced new data collection categories for users in the Mid-Atlantic on what, where, when, and how people are enjoying coastal areas, and what wildlife they’re encountering. The BoatUS Foundation is also developing a national database to track ADVs using MyCoast as a platform for the public and organizations to report them, helping identify problem areas and their scope, track prevention and removal efforts, and more. Devon Haines of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Climate Resilience Planning provided a demonstration of MyCoast’s capabilities.

Under the direction of Specialist Professor Raman Lakshmanan, Taylor and Narang worked over the spring to gather input from users that would help guide their work refining the app. They set up stations where visitors could test unreleased versions of the app on phones at Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington D.C., the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum in Virginia Beach, and Ocean Fun Days in Sandy Hook. Current Monmouth students Anna Pitera and Christopher Kenny are also members of the team developing the app.

The webinar was moderated by Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute Communications Director and Ocean Data Manager Karl Vilacoba.

In a recently published article in the Journal of Policy Practice and Research, Urban Coast Institute Community (UCI) Engagement and Outreach Specialist Rachel Forbes and Monmouth University doctor of social work student Falon Alo call for a transformation in the way social work is integrated in emergency management planning and disaster response.

The escalating risks of climate change, including more intense coastal storms, flooding, droughts, and wildfires, have exacerbated the vulnerability of both physical infrastructure and people living in harm’s way. These risks have been found to disproportionately impact lower-income communities that are least-equipped to respond, making the climate crisis a social work crisis. The authors contend that social work must be positioned in a more proactive stance during disaster preparation and that training and educational programs for social workers need to better prepare them for emergency management situations.

The paper notes that while social workers play essential roles in the delivery of services, crisis intervention, and resource coordination during disasters, they are often left out of the early planning stages by emergency response teams. This places them in a reactive mode, deployed to disaster scenes and forced to learn about critical vulnerabilities and issues specific to impacted communities in real-time.  

“Social workers have to claim their place at the decision-making table, engage in transdisciplinary teams, and ask awkward questions about power relations, structural inequalities and inequitable resource allocations that hinder the development of innovations that will unite people in coproducing a more inclusive, equitable and solidaristic world that is better able to stave off disasters,” the authors wrote. “This call to action for the profession must work to ensure social work curriculum, continuing education, and the countless successful contributions of the profession in addressing the polycrisis of our time is not only recognized, but accessible to future generations of professional social workers.”

The full article, titled “Ecosocial Work and Climate Justice as Guiding Frameworks for Transformative Emergency Management Social Work,” was published in a special issue of the journal dedicated to supporting the growth and professionalization of social workers in the disaster and emergency management disciplines during an era of climate change. (A subscription is required to access the full article.)

Forbes and Alo also recently contributed to a Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Disaster Relief Social Work, published by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The guide was created to support educators in aligning disaster relief practice competencies with Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) adopted by the CSWE in 2022.

Members of the public are invited to a July 14 workshop at Monmouth University to learn about the results of recent environmental DNA (eDNA) research on the makeup of marine life in local waters. Food and refreshments will be served beginning at 6 p.m., with presentations starting at 6:45 p.m.

Over the first two weeks of June, volunteer community scientists collected samples of ocean waters, bays, and brackish areas of rivers from the Manasquan Inlet to the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County. The samples were then analyzed by the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) in a lab for eDNA, trace genetic materials floating in the water that can indicate the recent presence of marine life ranging from sharks to microscopic bacteria.

The data is building upon a collection effort that began in the fall, which found detections for at least 68 fish species in the county’s ocean and estuarine waters. The new data will help develop a baseline understanding of the species living in our waters in the warmer summer months that can be compared to future results. The project is being supported with grant funding secured by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.

The workshop will be held in room 201 of the Edison Science Building. Visitors may park in the main campus lot, accessible from Larchwood Avenue. Click here to view an interactive campus map.

At the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to volunteer for for the next phase of sampling. To learn more, contact UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane at rkane@monmouth.edu.

Grace Schleiden joined the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) in June as a coastal restoration technician. In this role, Schleiden will assist with the UCI’s portfolio of coastal resilience restoration research projects both in the field and laboratory.

Schleiden graduated from Monmouth University in May of 2026 with a B.S. in marine and environmental biology and policy. She has experience working on various research projects including oyster reef restoration, environmental DNA analysis, and coastal monitoring. In addition, she is Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water Diver certified.

Schleiden will assist with operations at the UCI’s offsite aquaculture facility at Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWSE), including setting tank maintenance, setting of oysters, and daily monitoring of tanks. She will also conduct field research using a variety of methodologies and techniques to monitor species richness, oyster growth and survival, water quality and shoreline protection efforts.

Monmouth University will serve as the newest partner in the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), a nationwide network dedicated to monitoring water quality at public beaches. Through the agreement, signed on June 5 in advance of today’s World Oceans Day celebration, Monmouth will fill an important gap in the BWTF’s East Coast coverage and augment New Jersey’s state ocean quality monitoring efforts, which are limited only to the summer season. This collaboration will help protect public health all year and provide vital data for state and local officials, scientists, policy advocates, and surfers and swimmers and will ensure timely access to information when water conditions pose health risks.

Formed over 30 years ago, Surfrider’s BWTF has over 60 chapter-run labs in its network and measures bacteria levels at more than 600 ocean, bay, estuary and freshwater sampling sites across the country. Volunteer members from Surfrider chapters use the water testing program to raise awareness of local pollution problems and to bring together communities to implement solutions.

In New Jersey, Surfrider volunteers will collect samples from local beaches and supply them to Monmouth’s Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Bloom Lab (PHAB Lab), led by Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf. PHAB Lab staff and student researchers will analyze the enterococcus bacteria levels in the waters and post the results on Surfrider’s interactive BWTF web app. The sampling will initially take place at a half-dozen beaches in Monmouth County and be scaled up to cover additional areas throughout New Jersey.

In 2023, a Monmouth study on the influence of weather and ocean conditions on microbial pollution found that within 6-24 hours of moderate rainfall, enterococcus levels exceeded state health safety standards about half the time at the many local  beaches where stormwater outfall pipes and coastal lakes drain into the ocean. The study noted that since the state’s beach sampling was typically conducted on Mondays, it would not always detect spikes that took place a few days later or on weekends.

“Understanding that more coverage is better, we plan to create a sampling design that complements the state’s by testing the waters later in the week,” Adolf said. “In effect, the Monmouth-Blue Water Task Force partnership will double the frequency of monitoring in some areas of the Jersey Shore.”

“Our coastline is one of New Jersey’s greatest public treasures. It supports marine ecosystems, drives our tourism economy, protects coastal communities, and provides millions of people with recreation, inspiration, and a connection to nature. But our waters face increasing challenges — from stormwater runoff and pollution to harmful bacteria and the growing impacts of climate change,” said Jeffrey Ross Williams, Surfrider’s Legislative and Policy Director, who is also a local surfer. “Protecting these waters requires more than concern, hope, and apathy. It requires action, science, transparency, and strong committed partnership. That is exactly what our collaboration with Monmouth University and its Urban Coast Institute represents,” Williams explained. 

Surfrider will provide Monmouth with $25,000 in grant funding over two years to assist with lab equipment costs and student research positions. Adolf said the arrangement would provide students with valuable opportunities to gain experience conducting lab analysis and helping to co-manage a community science operation which can have critically needed public health benefits.

Those interested in volunteering as a member of the BWTF may contact the Surfrider Foundation Jersey Shore using the online form at jerseyshore.surfrider.org/volunteer.

The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is seeking volunteers for a community science project that aims to learn more about the marine organisms living along our coast through environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. Participation is easy, requires no training, and only takes a few minutes.

Participants and others interested are also encouraged come to Monmouth on July 14 for a workshop where the results of the findings will be presented. Food and refreshments will be served.

Participating community scientists will collect samples of ocean waters, bays, and brackish areas of rivers from the Manasquan Inlet to the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County. Sampling involves filling a bottle with the water, placing it on ice, and freezing it until it can be collected by Monmouth researchers. Bottles and coolers will be provided by the UCI. Volunteers can choose any site they’d like to sample and only need to collect one sample for the study.

The samples will then be analyzed in a lab for eDNA, trace genetic materials floating in the water that can indicate the recent presence of marine life ranging from sharks to microscopic bacteria. The data will build upon a collection effort that began in the fall, which found detections for at least 68 fish species in the county’s ocean and estuarine waters. The new data will help develop a baseline understanding of the species living in our waters in the warmer summer months that can be compared to future results.

To volunteer or learn more, contact UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane at rkane@monmouth.edu. Sampling will take place between June 1 and June 12. Those interested in participating are asked to inquire before May 27. Since the project seeks to cover a geographic balance of areas across the Monmouth County coast, the project team may decline proposals to sample sites that are already covered.

The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) has awarded grants to support six students conducting summer research as well as one faculty research effort through its Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars program. Projects this year will explore issues including the economic and real estate impacts of climate change in coastal New Jersey communities, biodiversity in state ecosystems, and seabed mining in a sacred Indigenous area. 

Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars grants support students and faculty mentors of all disciplines to work on research projects of their own design that advance the UCI’s mission and Monmouth’s strategic plan. Each year, the program supports several paid positions that provide hands-on, real-world research experience for students while helping make a positive impact in coastal communities. 

Student Summer Research Projects

Assessing the Impacts of Sea-Level Rise along the N.J. Coastline: A Look at Atlantic City

Student Researcher & Major: Sophia Ianno, political science

Faculty Mentor: Professor Kevin Dooley, Department of Political Science and Sociology

This project will examine a range of environmental exposure variables and socioeconomic vulnerability values to determine how sea level rise impacts low-income communities along the New Jersey coastline, with a focus on Atlantic City.

The Economic Impact of Flood Risk in Monmouth County

Student Researcher & Major: Noah Wilson, business administration with a concentration in economics and finance

Faculty Mentor: McMullen Family Professor in Economics Tjeerd Boonman, Department of Economics, Finance, and Real Estate

Combining data from multiple sources, the project will analyze how the residential real estate market in Monmouth County is affected by flood risk and what socioeconomic factors play a role.

eDNA Comparative Analysis of Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone Biodiversity

Student Researcher & Major: Lillian Cole, marine and environmental biology and policy

Faculty Mentors: Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf, Department of Biology/Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy Program; UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane

Building upon ongoing biodiversity research by Save Barnegat Bay, the student will complement the organization’s manual sampling work in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone with environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. The results of both methods will be compared and studied to inform potential future monitoring plans. (This project is also supported by Save Barnegat Bay and a federal grant secured by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.)

Impacts of Terrestrial Isopod Invasions on Detritivore Diversity Across Coastal Land-Use Gradients

Student Researcher & Major: Kylie Feeney and Mia Stapleton, marine and environmental biology and policy

Faculty Mentor: Adjunct Professor Kelly Zimmerman and Professor Pedram Daneshgar, Department of Biology/Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy Program

This study will examine how non-native, terrestrial isopods (woodlice) influence coastal habitats in New Jersey.

Mining Moana: Marine Mineral Extraction in Tonga

Student Researcher & Major: Amelia Benol, anthropology

Faculty Mentor: Rechnitz Family/UCI Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy Peter Jacques, Department of Political Science and Sociology

The government of Tonga has entered into an agreement with a private company to mine the deep seabed in the Clarion Clipperton zone, an area some contend is sacred in the island’s culture and should be left undisturbed. This project will produce a sustainable policy framework that provides analytical clarity for transparent decision-making that considers the economic, social, and ecological concerns and impacts.

Faculty Enrichment Grant

An Archaeological Investigation into Oyster Exploitation in New Jersey and Delaware from the Late 17th to 20th Centuries

Faculty Researcher: Associate Professor Adam Heinrich, Department of History and Anthropology

The research aims to assess how humans impacted local oyster resources throughout this time period, as well as if characteristics of historic shell samples at regional repositories reflect strategies taken to maintain economic productivity throughout various periods of exploitation.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Monmouth University students and faculty are invited to apply now for additional summer and fall Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars funding opportunities. Grants available include:

• Faculty Enrichment Grants for the enhancement of existing curriculum, new curriculum development, research and scholarship, and team-teaching opportunities. Proposals for fall grants will be accepted through Aug. 21.  
• Mini-Grants are also available to faculty and students for conference fees, symposia, guest speaker honoraria, equipment and supplies, and other needs to be determined on a case-by-case-basis. Applications can be submitted at any time and are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Those interested can find more information and application requirements via the UCI Funding Opportunities page on the MyMU Portal (Monmouth University sign-in credentials required). For more information, contact UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington at therring@monmouth.edu.

These opportunities have been made possible through the generous support of many corporate and private donors. If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift to the UCI, please use our Give a Gift Now form.

With the first two decades of our voyage complete, the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is sailing ahead to an exciting new horizon. It’s a moment of significant change for the UCI, but also of continuity for the core work and programs we’ve excelled at for 20 years.

Browse the 2025 UCI Annual Report for a look back on our accomplishments over the last year and a peak ahead at what’s to come in 2026. You can view the report as a digital flipbook or in a print-friendly PDF format.

• View in digital flipbook format
• View/download PDF

Hard copies are also available upon request. To obtain one, email uci@monmouth.edu.

Monmouth University is seeking applications for the open director position at the Urban Coast Institute (UCI). Applications received by May 18, 2026, will receive full consideration.

The UCI was founded in 2005 as one of Monmouth’s centers of distinction. Its mission is to serve the 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 sustainable communities.

The director will have a unique opportunity to build on the UCI’s past success and play the leadership role in positioning the UCI for its next phase of growth translating its vision into strategy and strategy into execution. This person will manage the UCI’s daily operations and core team of professional staff, and work with collaborating faculty and students. The director will be expected to build on and expand current external partnerships, donor and funding networks, collaborate with academic programs, and deepen the UCI’s engagement with and impact on the local, regional and federal coastal and ocean policy and science landscape.

Click here for full details about the position and instructions for applying.