This document provides an overview and description of the new water quality and ecological monitoring plan for Jamaica Bay. It summarizes previous studies conducted in 1995/1996 and 2005/2006. The new monitoring program is required as part of a nitrogen consent judgment and aims to assess improvements in water quality and ecology from ongoing nitrogen reductions. The monitoring plan involves physical and hydraulic characterization of the bay through bathymetric surveys and tidal/current data collection. It also includes water quality and sediment sampling, as well as benthic and biological sampling through sediment analyses, benthic invertebrate surveys, trawl/sled surveys, and macroalgae/marsh grass sampling to monitor changes in the bay's ecology.

1. Overview of the Jamaica Bay
Water Quality & Ecological
Monitoring Plan
October 29, 2015

2. 2
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Previous DEP Water Quality and Ecological
Studies
• Overview of the New Monitoring Program
• Description of New Monitoring Program
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PREVIOUS WATER QUALITY & ECOLOGICAL STUDIES
• In 1995/96 HydroQual conducted
extensive sampling to calibrate
JEM
– Physical Measurements (bathymetry,
tidal elevations, currents)
– Ambient Water Quality Sampling
– Sediment Fluxes and Composition
– Macroalgae surveys
• In 2005/2006 Battelle and EEA
conducted extensive water quality
and ecological studies:
– Water Quality
– Nutrients
– Finfish Survey
– Ichthyoplankton and Larvae Studies
– Benthic Studies

4. OVERVIEW OF NEW SAMPLING PROGRAM
• It is a requirement of the First Amended
Nitrogen Consent Judgment .
• Intended to assess water quality and
ecological improvements as a result of
ongoing nitrogen reductions to Jamaica
Bay
• Assessment will also include past studies
and historic data.
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• It was developed as part of a collaborative effort between DEP and DEC in
conjunction with a Technical Advisory Group “TAG” that consisted of:
̵ Linda Allen, Ph.D., P.E., NEIWPCC
̵ Anand Kumaraswamy, P.E., NYCDEP
̵ John Marra, Ph.D., Brooklyn College
• This post construction monitoring plan was submitted to DEC in June 2015 and
approved by DEC in August 2015.
• Anticipated to commence in summer of 2016 and sampling will continue for
three (3) years.

5. PHYSICAL AND HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION
• Bathymetric surveys of critical
areas within Jamaica Bay
• Collect additional data on tidal
stages and velocities for
calibration/validation of
hydraulic model
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6. WATER QUALITY & SEDIMENT SAMPLNIG
• Conduct additional discrete water
quality sampling to supplement the
existing Harbor Survey Sampling
Program
• Sampling parameters will include but
not be limited to:
– Nutrients
– Temperature
– Salinity
– pH
– Secchi Depth
– Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
– Turbidity
• Installation of remote sondes to collect
continuous readings
• Sediment nutrient flux surveys at 8
locations in the bay
– Solid-phase analyses
– Pore water analyses
– Gas analysis
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7. BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (1)
• Benthic phytoplankton or
microphytobenthos” can play an
important role in system metabolism
within coastal bays
• Sediment samples will be collected
using a Young grab sampler for
laboratory analysis
• Surveys will be conducted at fourteen
(14) shallow (< 3 m) stations located in
six (6) locations distributed around the
Bay
• Surveys should take place three (3)
times per year as follows: early May,
July, and mid-September
• Benthic invertebrate sampling shall be
performed quarterly (February, May,
July, October)
• Sampling will be performed at twelve
(12) locations in the Bay
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8. BENTHIC & BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING (2)
• Trawl and epibenthic sled surveys shall
be conducted at the twelve (12) locations
• Each survey shall consist of two days of
trawls followed by two days of sled tows,
tides and weather permitting.
• Water quality (temperature, DO, and
salinity) will be measured and recorded
at each sampling site, each day of
sampling.
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9. MACROALGAE & MARSH GRASS SAMPLING
• Ulva, a macroalgae, often indicative or
nutrient enrichment, has been
observed in Jamaica Bay
• Ulva samples shall be collected and
analyzed for dry weight at 5 locations,
with a subset of the samples analyzed
for nutrients from May thru October
• Intertidal and subtidal Ulva surveys
will also be conducted during this
same period
• Above-ground and below-ground
marsh-grass biomass and nutrient-
content measurements shall be made
• March grass surveys shall be
conducted at a total of eight (8)
locations from May thru October
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