Climate Ready Estuary Workgroup Members

 

 

Primary Workgroup Members:

Advisory Workgroup Members:
Workgroup Cordination
  • Ray Najjar - Penn State
  • Danielle Kreeger - PDE
  • Priscilla Cole - PDE
 
Climate Predictions
  • Ray Najjar
 
Tidal Wetlands
  • Dave Velinsky - Academy of Natural Science
  • Kurt Phillip - Wetlands Research Service
  • Danielle Kreeger – PDE
  • Angela Padeletti –PDE
  • Priscilla Cole - PDE
  • Allison Allen - NOAA
  • Greg Breese - USFWS
  • Dave Carter - DNREC
  • Jack Gallagher -UDel
  • Amy Jacobs - DNREC
  • Lawrence Malizzi – Matrix New World
  • Christine Mozzarella - US EPA
  • Bart Wilson - DE Coastal Program
  • David Wolanski - DNREC
  • Jack Gallagher - UDel
  • Nat Weston - Villanova
Drinking Water
  • Paula Conolly - PWD (Chair)
  • Lance Butler - PWD
  • Alysa Suero - US EPA
  • Chris Linn - DVRPC
  • Chuck Kanetsky - US EPA
  • Sue Kilham - Drexel
  • Ray Najjar – Penn State
  • Allison Allen - NOAA
  • Carol Collier - DRBC
  • Christine Mazzarella - US EPA
  • Amy Shallcross - DRBC
Bivalve Shellfish
  • John Kraeuter - Rutgers (Chair)
  • Danielle Kreeger - PDE
  • Priscilla Cole - PDE
 
GIS Team
  • Andrew Homsey – Water Resources Agency (UDel)
  • Paula Conolly - PWD
  • Chris Linn - DVRPC
  • Priscilla Cole - PDE
 
Natural Capital Team
  • Priscilla Cole - PDE (Chair)
  • Anthony Dvarskas
  • James Bennett – DVRPC (former intern)
  • Irene Purdy – EPA Region 2, ESRP
  • Lawrence Malizzi – Matrix New World
  • Jerry Kauffman – Water Resource Agency (UDel)
  • Jessica Rittler Sanchez -DRBC
Other Workgroup Participants
  • Jeremy Martinich - US EPA
  • Ann Jones - Industrial Economics

Tidal Wetland Work Group:


(Habitat Case Study). Extensive tidal marshes line much of the Delaware Estuary where they play a pivotal role in preserving water quality, preventing flooding, and supporting fish and wildlife species. Currently, the health of these tidal marshes appears to be compromised over much of the region. Tidal marsh extent and condition are affected by sea level, salinity, temperature, freshwater inputs, sediment supply, tidal flooding, and the physical characteristics of the landscape. Climate change is expected to lead to increased storm energy, increased rates of sea level and salinity rise, decreased sediment supply, and increased erosion. Hence, the loss and deteriorating health of this hallmark feature of the Delaware Estuary is a major concern of PDE our partners.

Drinking Water Work Group:


(Human Impacts Case Study). The Delaware Estuary and its watersheds provide drinking water for about 16 million people. Much of this is derived from water intakes from the tidal freshwater portion of the Delaware River where sea level and salinity rise from climate change, combined with other potential shifts in freshwater-seawater balance in the watershed, may pose a threat. Population growth, development, land subsidence, freshwater diversions, channel deepening and salt water intrusion into aquifers may also affect drinking water more broadly across the region. The vulnerability of drinking water supplies to various combinations of these factors is not well known.

Shellfish Work Group:


(Living Resource Case Study). Freshwater and estuarine bivalves represent some of our best sentinel indicators of ecosystem conditions. Where they are still abundant they also furnish important ecosystem services by forming complex habitats, stabilizing the bottom, and filtering water. A few species are commercially (and historically) important, most notably oysters which still support a multi-million dollar industry despite being depleted in numbers. Hence, bivalve shellfish are living resources having high natural capital value in the Delaware Estuary. Increased salinity and temperature, altered water quality, increased storm intensity and altered weather patterns may all affect these resources in various ways, including indirect factors such as disease and non-native species introductions.




Work Group Members
Products & Results Meetings & Activities

Work Group Facilitators: Danielle Kreeger & Priscilla Cole