SUBAQUEOUS SOIL SURVERY AND TRACE METAL ANALYSIS OF THE BARNEGAT BAY, NEW JERSEY

Subaqueous soil is a new frontier in soil science, and Barnegat Bay is one of the first estuaries on the east coast to be the subject for a study such as this. This research seeks to assist in the assessment of the benthic environment at certain locations for dredge management, submerged aquatic vegetation restoration, shellfish habitat, carbon storage capacity, and other applications by focusing on data such as soil taxonomy and profiling, depth, slope, and other physical and chemical characteristics in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resource Conservation Service. In his subaqueous soil survey of the Barnegat Bay locations from the Point Pleasant Canal down to Forked River were studied and mapped. Trace metal analysis was conducted in every horizon of every core taken, totaling forty cores with up to seven horizons in each core. These soils were examined for trace metal levels of arsenic, lead, zinc, and copper specifically, but were also monitored for other contaminants. Moderately high levels were found in multiple locations throughout the Barnegat Bay. The subaqueous soils of the Barnegat Bay estuary have been deemed to be somewhat healthy in regards to trace metal concentrations, in contrast to the bay’s reputation as a impaired body of water.