Post on 22-Dec-2015
Dr. Kirk Barrett, PE, PWS, MERI Research DirectorDr. Kirk Barrett, PE, PWS, MERI Research DirectorDr. Francisco Artigas, MERI Assistant DirectorDr. Francisco Artigas, MERI Assistant Directoremail: meri@cimic.rutgers.edu; web: http://cimic.rutgers.edu/meri
Data and Information Issues of Data and Information Issues of the Meadowlands Environmental the Meadowlands Environmental
Research InstituteResearch Institute
Hackensack Hackensack Meadowlands Meadowlands
DistrictDistrict
Important and Distinctive FeaturesImportant and Distinctive Features• Administered by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, a NJ Administered by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, a NJ
state agency, created in 1969 state agency, created in 1969
• River, tidal creeks, human-made channels, wetlands cover 3400 River, tidal creeks, human-made channels, wetlands cover 3400 hectares (8400 acres) or 40% of District’s 32 sq mileshectares (8400 acres) or 40% of District’s 32 sq miles
• Legacy of past industrial waste discharge and solid waste disposal Legacy of past industrial waste discharge and solid waste disposal -- 520 ha (1300 ac) of landfills, >100 contaminated sites-- 520 ha (1300 ac) of landfills, >100 contaminated sites
• Intense transportation infrastructure; large existing developments; Intense transportation infrastructure; large existing developments; intense development pressure intense development pressure
• Supports 250 bird, 31 fish and 23 invertebrate species including 21 Supports 250 bird, 31 fish and 23 invertebrate species including 21 threatened or endangered speciesthreatened or endangered species
• Active wetland enhancement and environmental education Active wetland enhancement and environmental education programs by NJMCprograms by NJMC
• Carefully watched by environmental advocatesCarefully watched by environmental advocates
Meadowlands Environmental Meadowlands Environmental Research InstituteResearch Institute
• Established in 1998 by NJMC (HMDC) and Established in 1998 by NJMC (HMDC) and Rutgers - CIMIC Rutgers - CIMIC
• Research center for environmental issues Research center for environmental issues significant to the Meadowlandssignificant to the Meadowlands
• Administered by Rutgers--CIMICAdministered by Rutgers--CIMIC• NJMC provides funding, laboratory equipment NJMC provides funding, laboratory equipment
and analyses, GIS support, office space, access and analyses, GIS support, office space, access to sites, guidance for research agenda to sites, guidance for research agenda
MERI MissionMERI Mission
• Conduct and sponsor research in Conduct and sponsor research in ecology, environmental science and ecology, environmental science and information technology to monitor, information technology to monitor, preserve and improve ecological and preserve and improve ecological and human health and welfare in the human health and welfare in the Meadowlands Meadowlands
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Focus areasFocus areas• Environmental monitoring
• Remote sensing/GIS for land use planning
• Plant and animal inventory and assessment
• Salt-marsh and landfill characterization and restoration
• Assessment and remediation of contaminated sediments
• Land use information management
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Question researchers/managers/ regulators/public might want to askQuestion researchers/managers/ regulators/public might want to ask• Has is it been unusually hot for October?Has is it been unusually hot for October?• How much did it rain last weekend? How big of storm is that? How much did it rain last weekend? How big of storm is that? • How bad is the drought we are having?How bad is the drought we are having?• What’s the water quality of the River? What’s the water quality of the River? • What explains spatial and temporal variations in metal concentrations in the What explains spatial and temporal variations in metal concentrations in the
River? River? • Will building a mall cause flooding?Will building a mall cause flooding?• How are contaminants in sediment affecting biota?How are contaminants in sediment affecting biota?• What causes fish kills in the Summer?What causes fish kills in the Summer?• Is the fish community becoming more diverse/abundant? If so, what is Is the fish community becoming more diverse/abundant? If so, what is
causing it?causing it?
Representative Project:Aquatic Animals
Inventory and Assessment
Purpose: Assess the abundance, diversity and health of fish and other aquatic animals in the Meadowlands
InventoryInventory• Collect fish and crustaceans over a 2 year Collect fish and crustaceans over a 2 year
period, beginning August 2001, from 21 period, beginning August 2001, from 21 locations locations
• Identify, count and measure catchIdentify, count and measure catch
• Compare results with those of a fish Compare results with those of a fish inventory in the late 80sinventory in the late 80s
• Collect sediment samples, count and Collect sediment samples, count and identify benthosidentify benthos
• Terrapin population inventory in Sawmill Terrapin population inventory in Sawmill CreekCreek
AssessmentAssessment• Analyze fish and crab tissue and sediment Analyze fish and crab tissue and sediment
for bioaccumulative contaminants: heavy for bioaccumulative contaminants: heavy metals, pesticides, PCBs metals, pesticides, PCBs
• White perch reproductive and hormonal White perch reproductive and hormonal health -- compare results with concurrent health -- compare results with concurrent study in Chesapeake Bay study in Chesapeake Bay
• Food habits -- Stomach contents of White Food habits -- Stomach contents of White PerchPerch
Questions• Has fish community changed? (analyze
abundance and diversity; compare with 1987/88)
• Are contaminants accumulating in fish and crab tissue?
• What are White Perch finding sufficient food sources?
• Are chemicals interfering with reproduction in White Perch?
• What plants form base of food web?
Some Recently Assessed Marshes
•Skeetkill Creek Marsh
•Riverbend
•Secaucus HS
•Oritani Marsh
•Kearny Marsh
•Saw Mill Creek WMA
•Eight Day Swamp
Ecological Risk Assessment from Toxic ContaminationEcological Risk Assessment from Toxic Contamination
Task 1: Develop a web-accessible, Task 1: Develop a web-accessible, geographic database of data from already geographic database of data from already
assessed marshesassessed marshes
Typical Data availableTypical Data available
• Sediment chemistrySediment chemistry– Metals…..13 MetalsMetals…..13 Metals– Volatile organics…. 30 compoundsVolatile organics…. 30 compounds– Semi-Volatile Organics… 56 compoundsSemi-Volatile Organics… 56 compounds– Pesticides ….18 compoundsPesticides ….18 compounds
• Surface water chemistry…19 compoundsSurface water chemistry…19 compounds• Macroinvertebrates… 9 OrdersMacroinvertebrates… 9 Orders• Bird inventoryBird inventory• Mammal inventoryMammal inventory
Task 4. Attempt to correlate benthic Task 4. Attempt to correlate benthic diversity/abundance with sediment diversity/abundance with sediment
contaminant concentrationscontaminant concentrationsPlot Benthic diversity against co-located Plot Benthic diversity against co-located
sediment chemistrysediment chemistry
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
Online Data at Online Data at www.digitalmeadowlands.orgwww.digitalmeadowlands.org
• Monitoring Data Monitoring Data • Satellite images Satellite images • Interactive mapsInteractive maps• Catalog of reports (some full Catalog of reports (some full
text)text)• Videos Videos
Quarterly Water Quality Monitoring:Quarterly Water Quality Monitoring:Variation of water quality with time, Variation of water quality with time,
for 5 different sites in the Hackensack Riverfor 5 different sites in the Hackensack River
Lead ConcentrationLead Concentration
Lead concentration distribution by site:Lead concentration distribution by site:““Box and Whiskers” plotBox and Whiskers” plot
Is one variable correlated to another?Is one variable correlated to another?(If so, is it a causal relationship?)(If so, is it a causal relationship?)
Scatter plot: concurrent, colocated values of two variablesScatter plot: concurrent, colocated values of two variables
Continuous, Automated Continuous, Automated Monitoring of Weather and WaterMonitoring of Weather and Water
Continuous Water Quality Continuous Water Quality Monitoring DataMonitoring Data
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20
4/7/020:00
4/8/020:00
4/9/020:00
4/10/020:00
4/11/020:00
4/12/020:00
Salinity, ppt
Water Temperature, C
Turbidity, ntu
Dissolved oxygen, mg/L
pH
Water depth, m
This looks like a lot of bad data!This looks like a lot of bad data!
•DO/conductivity sensor turned out to be broken
•Excessive cable length between sensor and logger caused some erratic readings
Need an Need an automatedautomated validation system validation system to check validity of data and alert to check validity of data and alert
managers to problemsmanagers to problems
• continuous data collection continuous data collection
• large amounts of data large amounts of data
• real-time posting to WWWreal-time posting to WWW
Simple Validation TestsSimple Validation TestsIs the current value…Is the current value…
• missing? missing? • above maximum acceptable value?above maximum acceptable value?• below minimum acceptable value?below minimum acceptable value?• above maximum acceptable step change?above maximum acceptable step change?
(too large a change from one value to next)(too large a change from one value to next)
Are last 10 values…Are last 10 values…• above maximum acceptable standard deviation? (excessive variability)above maximum acceptable standard deviation? (excessive variability)• below minimum acceptable standard deviation? (unchanging or “stuck” sensor)below minimum acceptable standard deviation? (unchanging or “stuck” sensor)
Future WorkFuture WorkMore Sophisticated TestsMore Sophisticated Tests
• Context-sensitive maxima and minima, varying with location and seasonContext-sensitive maxima and minima, varying with location and season
• Spatially consistency tests: temperature at Sta. 1 should be within 5C of Spatially consistency tests: temperature at Sta. 1 should be within 5C of the temperature at Sta. 2the temperature at Sta. 2
• Multivariate tests: IF solar radiation > 0 AND water temperature > 10C, Multivariate tests: IF solar radiation > 0 AND water temperature > 10C, THEN dissolved oxygen should be increasing THEN dissolved oxygen should be increasing (at what rate?)(at what rate?)
InformationInformation
DataData
KnowledgeKnowledge
WisdomWisdom
Data is at the bottom of the mountain!Data is at the bottom of the mountain!How can we add value to data How can we add value to data
and climb the mountain?and climb the mountain?
+ context+ context
+ significance+ significance
+ understanding+ understanding
Some Ways of Adding ValueSome Ways of Adding Value– Contextualization Contextualization – ValidationValidation– Statistical toolsStatistical tools– VisualizationVisualization– Prediction/modelingPrediction/modeling
ContextualizationContextualizationPutting data in relation to other thingsPutting data in relation to other things
• Metadata -- the who, when, where, why and howMetadata -- the who, when, where, why and how• Exposition-- what the variables/numbers mean Exposition-- what the variables/numbers mean • Comparison with data from other times/locationsComparison with data from other times/locations• Classification/ratings Classification/ratings
– high, medium, low WRT historic datahigh, medium, low WRT historic data– good, medium, badgood, medium, bad– in compliance, out of compliance w/ regulatory in compliance, out of compliance w/ regulatory
standardsstandards
Data without contextData without context
68.0, 67.7, 66.5, 66.6, 66.6, 68.0, 67.7, 66.5, 66.6, 66.6, 66.5, 64.8, 64.0, 63.9, 63.866.5, 64.8, 64.0, 63.9, 63.8
Data with (some) metadataData with (some) metadata
10/14/00 18:45:10/14/00 18:45: 68.068.0
10/14/00 19:00:10/14/00 19:00: 67.767.7
10/14/00 19:15:10/14/00 19:15: 66.566.5
10/14/00 19:30:10/14/00 19:30: 66.666.6
10/14/00 19:45:10/14/00 19:45: 66.666.6
10/14/00 20:00:10/14/00 20:00: 66.566.5
Air temperature (deg F) at the NJMC Air temperature (deg F) at the NJMC headquartersheadquarters
Data with contextData with context
allowsallows- comparison specific data points with other data- comparison specific data points with other data- assessment of range and variability- assessment of range and variability
Data with more contextData with more context
Data visualizationData visualization
• Maps, graphs, animationsMaps, graphs, animations
• Use GIS and spatial statistics to Use GIS and spatial statistics to visualize datavisualize data
Dot MapDot Map
Isarithmic map of water depth of the NJ coastIsarithmic map of water depth of the NJ coast
from Rutgers U Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Animation of Ozone Concen-trations
Visualization: Webcam showing surf conditions, Visualization: Webcam showing surf conditions, allowing visualization of real-time wave height dataallowing visualization of real-time wave height data
GIS, Spatial Analysis and GIS, Spatial Analysis and Remote SensingRemote Sensing
Web-based GISWeb-based GIS
InteractiveInteractiveMapsMaps
Satellite Image DownloadSatellite Image Download
Query of Satellite Image Database
LandSat Image
Map of Duration of Flooding in Oritani MarshMap of Duration of Flooding in Oritani Marsh
darker blue means flooded more hours per daydarker blue means flooded more hours per day
… … likely correlated with benthic diversitylikely correlated with benthic diversity
Model of the salinity gradient in the Hackensack River. •Mean of more than 300 measurements between 1989-2002 (surface derived from Kriging)
•Intensity of red color indicates salinity concentration.
•Salinity decreases from the mouth of the river inland
Digital Elevation Model with 1 m resolution aerial photoDigital Elevation Model with 1 m resolution aerial photo
Mill Creek SiteMill Creek Site
Wire frame diagram of Hackensack River salinity data
12-18 inches
6-12 inches
0-6 inches
Example of visualization of sediment chemistry variation with depth
Green = low concentration ; Red = high concentrationGreen = low concentration ; Red = high concentration
End
Choropleth MapChoropleth Map
(usually not most appropriate visualization (usually not most appropriate visualization method for environmental data)method for environmental data)