What lies beneath the water’s surface?

What swims and crawls below, both mystifying and inspiring us?

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary recently held its first three-part webinar series: “What lies beneath? Signature species of the Delaware Estuary.” The webinars were held on July 28, Aug 11 and Aug. 25, 2020. If you missed the live webinars, recorded versions are available through the links on this page.

Whether you are just curious about some unique wildlife species or well-versed on benthic estuarine life, our experts have knowledge to share with you!

The topics are:

FRESHWATER MUSSELS: Ecosystem Engineers

 OYSTERS: Beautiful Bivalves

HORSESHOE CRABS: Humble Healers

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Part 3 of the webinar here:

Meet our Aug. 25 Speakers:

Glenn GauvryGlenn Gauvry, founder and director of the Ecological Research & Development Group Inc. (ERDG)

Glenn Gauvry is the founder and director of the Ecological Research & Development Group Inc. (ERDG), a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization established in 1995. Its mission is the conservation of the world’s four extant horseshoe crab species, the only such organization in the world. Gauvry is a founding member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group and head of the Trade, Industry and Use working group. He is also a founding member of the international series of workshops on the science and conservation of horseshoe crabs held in the USA – 2007, Hong Kong – 2001, Japan – 2015 and China – 2019.

Prior to ERDG, Gauvry served as Senior Technical Coordinator on an internationally recognized oil spill rapid response team, focused on mitigating the impact of oil spills on native wildlife species. He is the Mayor of the town of Little Creek, Delaware, where he has served three terms. Originally trained as an industrial designer, Gauvry has an extensive background in product design and manufacturing. Glenn is also veteran of the United State Air Force, where he served as an Air Traffic Controller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burgenson

Allen L Burgenson, Global Subject Matter Expert, Testing Solutions
Chair, Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel, ASMFC

Allen L. Burgenson has over 35 years of experience in industries related by the FDA, including foods, drugs, biologics, medical devices, and cosmetics. He has workd in R&D, QC, QA, Regulatory Affairs, and now Marketing as a SME for endotoxin detection.

Burgenson is involved in several scientific organizations. For example, he is Chair of the Horseshoe Crab Advisory Panel for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and is the immediate Past President of the Capital Area Chapter of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA). Previously, Burgenson was Chair of the 2004 PDA Annual Meeting. He is a co-author for three PDA Technical Reports including, TR-50 and 51 regarding Mycoplasma detection and filtration, and TR-82 regarding Low Endotoxin Recovery (LER). He also contributed to USP Informational Chapter <1228.5> on Endotoxin Indicators.

Burgenson has a BA in Microbiology from Rutgers University, and a MS in Biotechnology Management from the University of Maryland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Part 2 of the webinar here:

Meet our Aug. 11 speakers:

Dr. Dave Bushek, Director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University

Dave Bushek: Dr. David Bushek is the Director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University where he is also a Professor of Marine and Coastal Sciences.  He is an expert in shellfish ecology, parasitology and aquaculture, and is perhaps best known for his work on Dermo disease in the eastern oyster, which is native to the Atlantic Coast of North America.

Bushek holds a Doctorate in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, a Master’s in Biology (emphasis in Marine Biology) from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor’s in Zoology from The Ohio State Univeristy. After completing his doctorate, he joined the University of South Carolina where he served as the Assistant Director of the Belle W. Baruch Marine Field Station for 10 years before returning to Rutgers and the Haskin Lab in 2003 as a faculty member in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.  In April 2011, he became the sixth Director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory (HSRL) in its 130-year history.

As HSRL Director Bushek leads the Annual Delaware Bay Oyster Stock Assessment which determines the sustainable harvest level for the New Jersey Delaware Bay oyster fishery.  Dr. Bushek is a Past-President of the National Shellfisheries Association, serves on the New Jersey Aquaculture Advisory Council, and is a Board Member for the Partnership for Delaware Estuary where he also serves as a member of PDE’s Science and Technical Advisory Committee.

 

 

 

Sarah Bouboulis, Habitat Projects Coordinator, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Sarah Bouboulis is PDE’s Habitat Projects Coordinator. She installs clean-water investments like rain gardens and natural shorelines. She also works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to beautify their landscapes, manage polluted runoff, and engage their employees and neighbors. A prime example is the Corporate & Community Environmental Stewardship Program.

Bouboulis has a variety of experience working as a field biologist and project manager. She has worked for the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife managing bat, bog turtle, and amphibian projects. She has also worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna, Delaware. There she helped improve salt marshes, manage databases, and monitor both bats and birds.

Bouboulis has a M.S. from Bucknell University, where she studied how bats adapt and behave. She also has a B.S. from East Stroudsburg University. Bouboulis is originally from the Lehigh Valley but now lives in Newark, Delaware with her husband and daughter. She enjoys hiking, birding, and farmers markets.

Lisa CalvoLisa Calvo, Aquaculture Program Coordinator at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium

Lisa Calvo serves as Aquaculture Program Coordinator at the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and Marine Scientist at Rutgers University where she supports aquaculture development in New Jersey. She has worked in the field of shellfish research and extension for 30 years, serving as a Marine Scientist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science prior to working at Rutgers University. Calvo received her undergraduate degree in Biology and Geography from the University of Delaware and her Masters Degree in Marine Science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary.

View Part 1 of the webinar here:

Meet our July 28 speakers:

Kurt Cheng

Kurt Cheng, Shellfish Coordinator, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Kurt Cheng is a Shellfish Coordinator at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. His chief responsibility is to research the natural benefits provided by various shellfish found in the Delaware River Basin. He also helps to monitor coastal wetlands along the tidal Delaware River and Bay.

Cheng received his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from Drexel University in 2015. His master’s thesis focused on the ecology of the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea. Later, he earned his B.S. in Marine Science from Rutgers University in 2011, and he previously worked for the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory in Port Norris, New Jersey.

Cheng is from Edison, New Jersey. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball and cooking.

Matt GentryMatt Gentry, Shellfish Specialist, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Matt Gentry is PDE’s Shellfish Specialist.  At PDE, his work focuses on the restoration of bivalve shellfish such as oysters and freshwater mussels, and the evaluation of their ecosystem services.  He works extensively with propagation and reintroduction studies of freshwater mussels to support the Partnership’s Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program.  Before coming to PDE in 2018, Gentry worked as a staff scientist at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

Gentry spent most of his life in southeastern Connecticut, but moved to west Philadelphia for college in 2012, where he still happily resides.

Gentry has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in 2017 from Drexel University. In his free time, he enjoys backpacking, foraging, gardening, and pretty much anything else outdoors.

 

 

 

 

Big thanks to Ramboll for sponsoring this webinar series!