![](https://rowlrs.marine.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Daphne-Munroe.png)
Daphne Munroe
![](https://rowlrs.marine.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Rose-Petrecca.webp)
Rose Petrecca
![](https://rowlrs.marine.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Douglas-Zemeckis.png)
Doug Zemeckis
![](https://rowlrs.marine.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/hard-clam-768x1024.webp)
In collaboration with fisheries scientists at the New Jersey Bureau of Shellfisheries, a hard clam survey will be conducted before and after laying Ocean Wind 1 export cables in Barnegat Bay. The survey will use standardized hydraulic dredge tows and benthic grabs to sample hard clams in export cable area and along a gradient of control locations. These tows will provide information about clam abundance, population structure, and overall condition.
Research Questions
* What is the abundance and population structure of hard clams within the area where cables will be laid, and control areas?
* What are the sediment characteristics in the area of cable laying?
* Do we observe any substantive changes in hard clam abundance, overall health, or habitat after the cables have been installed?