With N ational Sea Grant support, a team of Rutgers University researchers, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is using geospatial tools to weigh and analyze data about conditions affecting shellfish production to develop an interactive tool that can identify areas that are suitable for shellfish aquaculture in New Jersey. Such a tool can be used as a resource to inform planning and policy regarding the diversity of uses of the State’s coastal resources , and to identify potential conflicts with other uses of coastal waters. The project is not a comprehensive spatial plan for shellfish aquaculture in New Jersey; rather, it is a data-informed tool that can be used by state and federal agencies and the stakeholder community for aquaculture and coastal management policy , planning and applications for shellfish aquaculture operations.
D ata that are incorporated into the interactive tool include:
The project is complemented by funding from the Pew Charitable Trusts to survey areas for potential shellfish and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration, and to map areas of shellfish and submerged aquatic vegetation where data are lacking to inform development of the GIS tool .