THE COLLECTION OF CONTINUOUS REAL-TIME
WATER-QUALITY DATA AT BARNEGAT BAY AT
ROUTE 528 AT MANTOLOKING, NEW JERSEY,
DURING HURRICANE SANDY
Presented at:
Joint NJWMC/BBP Meeting
February 6, 2013
Lawrence Feinson
USGS New Jersey Water Science Center
All data are currently provisional and may
change upon further data collection and analysis.
Water quality monitor at Route 528 bridge at Mantoloking, NJ
Route 528 bridge, Mantoloking, NJ
May 21, 2009
Shelter under bridge
Data collection
YSI Data Sonde
General field parameters
•
•
•
•
•
Water Temperature
Specific conductance
pH
Dissolved Oxygen Concentration
Turbidity
Bbe Fluoroprobe
Total chlorophyll-a (mg/L)
Algal communities (mg/L):
• Green algae
• Blue-green algae
(Cyanobacteria)
• Diatoms
• Cryptophytes
Any use of trade, product, or firm
names is for descriptive purposes
only and does not imply
endorsement by the U.S.
Government.
Barrier Island Breach at Mantoloking – October 31, 2012
Parameters of interest
Turbidity – suspended particulates
Specific conductance – dissolved constituents
Chlorophyll - algal communities
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Maximum: 450 FNU
10/29/2012 @ 20:00h
Large turbidity
increase
Thousands
11/26
11/23
11/20
11/17
11/14
11/11
11/08
11/05
11/02
10/30
10/27
10/24
10/21
10/18
10/15
Elevated
Specific
conductance
Specific Conductance
µS/cm x 1000
Turbidity (FNU)
Turbidity and Specific Conductance
50
45
40
35
30
25
11/26
11/23
11/20
11/17
11/14
11/11
11/08
11/05
11/02
10/30
10/27
10/24
10/21
10/18
10/15
35
30
30
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
-1
5
5
-2
0
0
-3
11/14
11/16
11/08
11/18
11/16
11/05
11/20
11/06
11/18
10/15
10/17
10/19
10/21
10/23
10/25
10/27
10/31
10/31
11/04
11/01
11/02
11/02
11/06
11/10
11/03
11/08
11/14
11/04
11/12
11/12
11/06
11/10
11/08
11/04
11/06
11/04
11/02
11/02
10/31
10/31
10/27
10/25
10/23
10/21
10/19
10/17
Thousands
2
Current velocity
1
0
Turbidity (FNU)
Post-Sandy
Pre-Sandy
11/20
11/10
35
10/15
1
11/01 to 11/05
50
50
45
40
45
35
30
40
25
20
35
15
30
10
5
250
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Specific Conductance
(µS/cm x 1000)
Disruption of diurnal cycles
3
Chlorophyll
Total Chlorophyll-a and Green Algae
60
Total Chlorophyll-a
50
Green algae
40
Diatoms
Drop in total chlorophyll-a
coupled to drop in Green
algae.
30
Increase in total
chlorophyll-a coupled to
increase in Diatoms.
20
10
0
11/26
11/23
11/20
11/17
11/14
11/11
11/08
11/05
11/02
10/30
10/27
10/24
10/21
10/18
10/15
Cryptophytes
3.5
3
2.5
Increase in
cryptophytes.
µg/L
µg/L
70
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
00:00
18:00
10/30
12:00
06:00
00:00
18:00
12:00
10/29
06:00
00:00
18:00
12:00
06:00
00:00
10/28
10/30
Summary
• Effects of hurricane Sandy at Mantoloking observed in the water quality
record.
• This is just the initial data interpretation of the effects of the storm.
• Long term effects will require analysis of water quality record in-tandem
with additional data (hydrologic, water quality, etc.)