Dr. J. Frederick Grassle.

grassle@imcs.rutgers.edu

Education

B.S. Yale University

Ph.D. Duke University

Areas of Expertise

Relationship of sediment transport processes to benthic community structure; Measurement of biodiversity especially in the deep sea; Interdisciplinary studies of benthic ecosystems; Ecology

Research

Dredging and Remediation

The institute has been working with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, state and federal government agencies, and environmental groups to assess remediation technology to make contaminated dredged material cleaner and safer.

Waste Disposal in the Ocean

Investigations have been conducted prior to, during and after the disposal of sewage sludge at a site 106 miles off the coast of New Jersey. This major, interdisciplinary study has investigated the fate and effects of this material in the deep sea environment.

Long-term Ecosystem Observatories

The Institute has established three Long-term Ecosystem Observatories (LEOs) in and ocean corridor off the New Jersey coast. Each of these observatories will use advanced sampling and sensing tools to measure marine processes not detectable with conventional oceanographic techniques. Remotely operated vehicles, autonomous explorers and fiber optic sensors will be used to investigate marine processes important to fish survival, sediment transport processes involved in sand ridge formation and nearshore sediment dynamics, among other applications.