Water quality and physical parameters of Barnegat Bay after Hurricane Sandy

Abstract

Barnegat Bay is a coastal water body located off of the east coast of New Jersey. The bay is bordered by an estuary system to the west and barrier island and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The bay is an important ecosystem for dozens of species of invertebrates, fish, mammals, birds, and amphibians, and provides millions of dollars in revenue for surrounding towns in tourism and recreation. However, coastal water bodies such as Barnegat Bay are subject to impacts from coastal storm systems such as hurricanes and tropical storms. My assessment determined how physical water properties and chemistry including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, turbidity, specific conductance, and chlorophyll A were affected during landfall of Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012. Data on these properties was collected from available sources and were analyzed for significance in year-long data before and after hurricane landfall as well as one week before and after landfall in 2012 as compared with 2013. Results suggest that significant changes in water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a were observed in the week before compared with after the hurricane, while only significant changes in pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a could be observed in the year-long analysis. These data could be used to encourage further research in impacts to bay systems from coastal storms and to help create restoration plans following a storm system or preventive measures to ensure the health of the bay after major storms.