Specialty Areas: Commercial and Recreational Fisheries, Shellfish Aquaculture, Marine Resources Management
Our Marine Extension Agent is Dr. Douglas Zemeckis, County Agent II (Associate Professor), who delivers educational programming and conducts applied research on issues related to commercial and recreational fisheries, shellfish aquaculture, and marine resources management. In addition to serving Atlantic County, Dr. Zemeckis also serves Ocean County and Monmouth County.
Current educational programs which serve clientele in Atlantic County and throughout New Jersey include:
- Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH)
- Coastal Stewardship Course, Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program (BBSRP)
- Marine Extension Program Seminar Series (MEPSS)
Rutgers Cooperative Extension has a wide range of fact sheets and bulletins available on marine fisheries, aquaculture, and resource management issues.
Dr. Zemeckis is also currently involved in a wide range of research projects related to marine issues here in Atlantic County and throughout the coast, including:
- Climate Change Resiliency of New Jersey’s Commercial Fishing Ports
- Structured Habitat Survey , Bottom Trawl Survey , and Hard Clam Dredge Survey – Fisheries Monitoring Plan of Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Windfarm
- Offshore Wind Farm Contributions to a Regional Environmental And Ecological Monitoring System
- Can Cutting Bar Modifications Reduce Bycatch and Increase Catch Efficiency in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery?
- Sand Ridge Structuring of Fish Habitat Function on the Continental Shelf of New Jersey
- Evaluating the Feasibility of Macroalgae and Finfish Mariculture in New Jersey
- Increasing the Capacity and Profitability of US Aquaculture by Matching Practical Seafood Attributes with Post-Pandemic Consumer Demand
- Shell Recycling Program in Atlantic City