MRRI Scientists are leveraging 3D printing technology to enhance field-deployed sensing equipment by producing custom parts. This innovative approach allows researchers to design and print lightweight, durable components tailored to specific sensor configurations. By reducing production time and costs, 3D printing enables rapid prototyping and deployment of sensing equipment for monitoring water quality, air pollution, … Read more
Two MRRI staff members have recently obtained their Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) licenses, also known as a “Six-Pack” license. This credential, issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, required them to pass rigorous exams covering safety, seamanship, maritime laws, navigation, and chart plotting. The license allows them to captain vessels carrying up to six … Read more
MRRI scientists attended Restore America’s Estuaries 2024 Coastal & Estuarine Summit in Arlington, VA, October 6-11, 2024. The five day summit brought together national and international experts on tidal and coastal wetland restoration. Amidst a diverse schedule, wetland practitioners, academics, environmental lawyers and policy makers discussed current successes and future possibilities in sustainable wetland restoration … Read more
The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) has upgraded the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) system to the latest technology for the Meadowlands Research & Restoration Institute (MRRI) laboratory. From July 8-10, 2024, a field engineer from Agilent Technologies installed the new Agilent 7850 ICP-MS and provided training on this state-of-the-art instrument and … Read more
A recent study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) aims to understand mineral formation in the oxygen-depleted sediments of the Hackensack estuary. The recently approved NSF proposal (worth $551,795) focuses on the concept of “reverse weathering”, which involves the creation of clay minerals from eroded terrestrial minerals in marine sediments. This research has significant … Read more
The 2023 water quality data collected in the Meadowlands Lower Hackensack Estuary has been checked with QA/QC procedures and shared with US EPA through national Water Quality Exchange (WQX). The Meadowlands Research & Restoration Institute (MRRI) has been sharing water quality data collected within the District since 2016. The water quality monitoring project was established … Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency is relying on MRRI and a two-year grant to determine how contaminants move between the marshes and main stem of the river at selected microbasins in the lower Hackensack River. The study aims to understand the direction and amount of sediment movement under typical tidal conditions. At each drainage point, suspended … Read more
On May 29th, four seniors from Bergen County Academies (BCA) – Miriam Inba, Arda Sensoz, Julianna Nunez, and Shlok Jhaveri – concluded their 2024 Senior Experience Internship at MRRI. Throughout the school year, these interns joined the professional staff at MRRI every Wednesday, gaining hands-on experience in GIS mapping techniques, laboratory procedures, and field safety. … Read more
This past week MRRI scientists joined Restore America’s Estuaries’ Blue Carbon Working Group in Washington DC to discuss current legislation and restoration initiatives aimed to preserve and enhance blue carbon repositories of the coastal US. On the first day keynote speakers from EPA, NOAA, USGS, SERC, The Nature Conservancy, Maryland Department of the Environment, and … Read more
MRRI Senior GIS Specialist, Brian Wlodawski received first prize at the NJDEP 36th Annual Map Contest for the Reference Map category. His winning entry, utilizing FEMA’s flood map, effectively highlighted flood risk areas in the Meadowlands district while emphasizing community vulnerabilities and land use complexities. There were 39 maps submitted and nearly 150 attendees.