University Calendar
Benthic Invertebrate Communities of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey: Effects of Hard-Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria L.) Aquaculture Grow-outs on Benthic Communities
About Rebecca
Rebecca Shell is a Ph.D. candidate in the Doctoral Program in Environmental Management and a research technician in Marine Biology and Ecology at Montclair State. Rebecca previously worked as a research assistant in Malacology at the American Museum of Natural History. Her dissertation focuses on the impacts of shellfish aquaculture on benthic invertebrate biodiversity and community structure. Her work has involved collaborations with NJDEP, ReClam the Bay and the Ocean County Extension, and was funded by the New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute.
Ms. Shell has a Master’s degree from James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, AUS.) in Tropical Marine Ecology and Fisheries Biology, and a BA in Environmental Biology from Barnard College, Columbia University. Her work has appeared in the American Malacological Bulletin (2015), and Northeastern Naturalist (2012).
About Rebecca's Research
Aquaculture operations necessarily maintain target-species at densities many magnitudes higher than those found naturally. Aquacultural densities of other species have had inconsistent, and often negative, environmental impacts. Experimental plots were maintained for three years in order to quantify the impacts of the three-year “grow-out” phase on local benthic biodiversity and invertebrate community structure. Results from this work may inform New Jersey policies around shellfish acreage leasing.
Dissertation Committee
- Dr. Robert S. Prezant, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Southern Conn. State Univ. (Chair)
- Dr. Scott L. Kight, Professor, Department of Biology
- Dr. Paul A. X. Bologna, Professor, Department of Biology
- Dr. Judith S. Weis, Professor Emerita, Rutgers University
- Dr. Michael P. Weinstein, President & CEO Emeritus, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium