Articles by Ben
-
ChatGPT educates me on "Black people in the environmental movement"
ChatGPT educates me on "Black people in the environmental movement"
By Ben Fertig
-
Customer service is critical for volunteer retention.
Customer service is critical for volunteer retention.
By Ben Fertig
-
Birthday Fundraiser for Irvine Nature Center
Birthday Fundraiser for Irvine Nature Center
By Ben Fertig
Activity
-
Hey everyone - Omar Lloyd is looking for #volunteers for a #cleanup and #gardening at the #FortMcHenry #wetlands in October. This is a great chance…
Hey everyone - Omar Lloyd is looking for #volunteers for a #cleanup and #gardening at the #FortMcHenry #wetlands in October. This is a great chance…
Shared by Ben Fertig
-
Thank you to all who attended our Chesapeake Bay Trust Open House last evening, including a special shout-out to my Baltimore City Delegate, Regina…
Thank you to all who attended our Chesapeake Bay Trust Open House last evening, including a special shout-out to my Baltimore City Delegate, Regina…
Liked by Ben Fertig
-
#Communityengagement events like these are a great way to boost the impact of #restoration projects in the works. I love being able to talk about our…
#Communityengagement events like these are a great way to boost the impact of #restoration projects in the works. I love being able to talk about our…
Shared by Ben Fertig
Experience
Education
-
-
Activities and Societies: Students for Environmental Action (SEA), Brandeis University Recycling Program (BURP!)
Science and Technology Intern, Northeast Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Invasive Species Education and Outreach Fellowship , Massachusetts Bay Program, Boston, Massachusetts
Whale Watch Naturalist Intern , Center for Oceanic Research and Education, Essex, Massachusetts
Semester in Environmental Science, Marine Biological Laboratory, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Environmental Systems Intern , IBM, Essex Junction, Vermont
Licenses & Certifications
-
State of Maryland Erosion & Sediment Control Certification
Maryland Department of the Environment
IssuedCredential ID No. RPC028266 -
-
Volunteer Experience
-
Board Member
Baltimore Community ToolBank
- Present 3 years 9 months
Member of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
Member of Hammers and Ales Annual Fundraiser Committee
Member of Executive Committee -
GIVE Alumni Committee
Business Volunteers Maryland
- 1 year 11 months
Economic Empowerment
Peer Mentor, 2021
Social Committee, 2022 -
Board Member
ATLANTIC ESTUARINE RESEARCH SOCIETY INC
- 13 years
Science and Technology
Past President 2022-2023
President, 2020-2022
President-Elect, 2019-2020
Member At Large, 2017-2019
Program Co-Chair or Chair, 2011-2017
-
Committee Member
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
- 10 years 5 months
Science and Technology
Broadening Participation Committee, 2019-2022
Affiliate Society Presidents Committee, 2020-2022
Development and Corporate Sponsorship Committee, Chair, 2020-2022
Scientific Program Committee, 2014-2015
Social Media Committee, 2013-2014
Student Activities Committee, Co-Chair, 2012 -
Volunteer
Standing Up For Racial Justice
- 1 year
Civil Rights and Social Action
Recruiting and talent acquisition for SURJ Baltimore to increase capacity in Baltimore County, MD. Using Google products including Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Meet, Zoom, and other distributed, shareable online software to organize people and resources to promote social justice and equity.
-
Volunteer
Irvine Nature Center
- 10 months
Environment
I volunteered 6-8 hours per week at Irvine Nature Center for ~10 months.
You might see me there on weekdays weeding out invasive plants, monitoring kestrel and other bird nests, setting up or taking down items for special events, or just generally helping out wherever I can and spreading awareness through social media.
I volunteer my fundraising services including researching potential corporate partnerships, securing sponsorship for large events, etc.
Additionally, as a…I volunteered 6-8 hours per week at Irvine Nature Center for ~10 months.
You might see me there on weekdays weeding out invasive plants, monitoring kestrel and other bird nests, setting up or taking down items for special events, or just generally helping out wherever I can and spreading awareness through social media.
I volunteer my fundraising services including researching potential corporate partnerships, securing sponsorship for large events, etc.
Additionally, as a Volunteer Naturalist I lead school field trips around the property to explore creature features, explain the importance of pollinators and how they fit in to Maryland's ecosystems. Recently I've been trained to assist with the Nature in the Classroom program, which provides hands-on learning modules about geology, the Chesapeake Bay, birds of prey and Native Americans in the region. -
Pro Bono Environmental Science Subject Matter Expert
Chesapeake Legal Alliance
- 1 year
Environment
Serve pro bono as environmental science subject matter expert
-
Board Member
Karina Association
- 1 year 3 months
Social Services
Publications
-
A Socio-Ecological Imperative for Broadening Participation in Coastal and Estuarine Research and Management
Estuaries and Coasts
Full author list: Harris, L.A., Grayson, T., Heckles, H.A., Emrich, C.T., Lewis, K.A., Grimes, K.W., Williamson, S., Garza, C., Whitcraft, C.R., Beseres Pollack, J., Talley, D.M., Fertig, B., Palinkas, C.M., Park, S., Vaudrey, J.M.P., Fitzgerald, A.M., Quispe, J.
For most of the scientific disciplines associated with coastal and estuarine research, workforce representation does not match the demographics of communities we serve, especially for Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Indigenous…Full author list: Harris, L.A., Grayson, T., Heckles, H.A., Emrich, C.T., Lewis, K.A., Grimes, K.W., Williamson, S., Garza, C., Whitcraft, C.R., Beseres Pollack, J., Talley, D.M., Fertig, B., Palinkas, C.M., Park, S., Vaudrey, J.M.P., Fitzgerald, A.M., Quispe, J.
For most of the scientific disciplines associated with coastal and estuarine research, workforce representation does not match the demographics of communities we serve, especially for Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Indigenous peoples. This essay provides an overview of this inequity and identifies how a scientific society can catalyze representational, structural, and interactional diversity to achieve greater inclusion. Needed changes go beyond representational diversity and require an intentional commit- ment to build capacity through inclusivity and community engagement by supporting anti-racist policies and actions. We want to realize a sense of belonging on the part of scientists in society at large and enable research pursuits through a lens of social justice in service of coastal communities. Minimally, this framework offers an avenue for increased recruitment of individuals from more diverse racial and ethnic identities. More broadly, the mechanisms described here aim to create a culture in scientific societies in which social justice, driven by anti-racist actions, produces systemic change in how members of scientific societies approach, discuss, and address issues of inequity. We have written this essay for members of the coastal and marine science community who are interested in change. We aim to call in new voices, allies, and champions to this work.Other authorsSee publication -
Data Infrastructures for Estuarine and Coastal Ecological Synthesis
Estuaries and Coasts
Holistic understanding of estuarine and coastal environments across interacting domains with high-dimensional complexity can profitably be approached through data-centric synthesis studies. Synthesis has been defined as "the inferential process whereby new models are developed from analysis of multiple data sets to explain observed patterns across a range of time and space scales." Examples include ecological—across ecosystem components or organization levels, spatial—across spatial scales or…
Holistic understanding of estuarine and coastal environments across interacting domains with high-dimensional complexity can profitably be approached through data-centric synthesis studies. Synthesis has been defined as "the inferential process whereby new models are developed from analysis of multiple data sets to explain observed patterns across a range of time and space scales." Examples include ecological—across ecosystem components or organization levels, spatial—across spatial scales or multiple ecosystems, and temporal—across temporal scales. Though data quantity and volume are increasingly accessible, infrastructures for data sharing, management, and integration remain fractured. Integrating heterogeneous data sets is difficult yet critical. Technological and cultural obstacles hamper finding, accessing, and integrating data to answer scientific and policy questions. To investigate synthesis within the estuarine and coastal science community, we held a workshop at a coastal and estuarine research federation conference and conducted two case studies involving synthesis science. The workshop indicated that data-centric synthesis approaches are valuable for (1) hypothesis testing, (2) baseline monitoring, (3) historical
perspectives, and (4) forecasting. Case studies revealed important weaknesses in current data infrastructures and highlighted opportunities for ecological synthesis science. Here, we list requirements for a coastal and estuarine data infrastructure. We model data needs and suggest directions for moving forward. For example, we propose developing community standards, accommodating and integrating big and small data (e.g., sensor feeds and single data sets), and
digitizing ‘dark data’ (inaccessible, non-curated, non-archived data potentially destroyed when researchers leave science).Other authors -
Fertig, B., Kennish, M.J., Sakowicz, G.P., Reynolds, L.K. 2014. Mind the Data Gap: Identifying and Assessing Drivers of Changing Eutrophication Condition. Estuaries and Coasts. 37 (Suppl. 1): S198-S221
Estuaries and Coasts
This study identified drivers of change in Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor Estuary, NJ, USA over multiple long-term time periods by developing an assessment tool (an “Eutrophication Index”) capable of handling data gaps and identifying the condition of and relationships between ecosystem pressures, ecosystem state, and biotic responses. The Eutrophication Index integrates 15 indicators in 3 components: (1) water quality, (2) light availability, and (3) seagrass response. Annual quantitative…
This study identified drivers of change in Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor Estuary, NJ, USA over multiple long-term time periods by developing an assessment tool (an “Eutrophication Index”) capable of handling data gaps and identifying the condition of and relationships between ecosystem pressures, ecosystem state, and biotic responses. The Eutrophication Index integrates 15 indicators in 3 components: (1) water quality, (2) light availability, and (3) seagrass response. Annual quantitative assessments of condition and its consistency for three geographic segments range from 0 (highly degraded) to 100 (excellent condition). Eutrophication Index values significantly declined (p < 0.05) by 34 and 36 % in central and south segments from 73 and 71 in the early 1990s to 48 and 45 in 2010, respectively. Ongoing declines despite periods of improvement (e.g., 1989–1992, 1996–2002, and 2006–2008) suggest these estuarine seg- ments are currently undergoing eutrophication. The north segment had highest nutrient loading and lowest Eutrophication Index values (2010 Eutrophication Index val- ue=37) but increased over time (from 14 in 1991 to 50 in 2009) in contrast to trends in central and south segments. Rapid initial declines of Eutrophication Index values with increasing loading highlight that the estuary is sensitive to loading. Ecosystem response to total nutrient loading, as described by the Index of Eutrophication, exhibited nonline- arity at loading rates of >1,200 and <5,000 kg TN km−2 year−1 and >100 and <250 kg TP km−2 year−1, values similar to responses of seagrass to nutrient loading in many ecosystems. While nutrient loading is initially a critical driver of ecosystem change, other factors, e.g., light availability and drive ecosys- tem condition, yield nonlinearity. Empirical evidence for switches in the driving factors of ecosystem stress adds com- plexity to the conceptualization of ecosystem resiliency due to feedback from multiple dynamic, nonlinear stressors.
Other authorsSee publication -
Fertig, B., Carruthers, T.J.B., Dennison, W.C., Meyer, K.A., Williams, M.R. 2014. Isotopic values in oysters indicate elemental sources constrained by multiple gradients. Ecological Indicators 46:101-109
Ecological Indicators
Stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes (ı15N and ı13C) and elemental content (% nitrogen, % carbon) in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) grown by a network of 132 citizen–scientists (11,600 km2 , 87.9 km2 site−1 ) were examined to test effects of land use, salinity, flushing time, and oyster size on bioindication of human and/or animal nitrogen sources. Oyster ı15N sampled from shallow waters sites throughout Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries exhibited nested spatial patterns: (1) decreasing toward…
Stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes (ı15N and ı13C) and elemental content (% nitrogen, % carbon) in oysters (Crassostrea virginica) grown by a network of 132 citizen–scientists (11,600 km2 , 87.9 km2 site−1 ) were examined to test effects of land use, salinity, flushing time, and oyster size on bioindication of human and/or animal nitrogen sources. Oyster ı15N sampled from shallow waters sites throughout Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries exhibited nested spatial patterns: (1) decreasing toward the mouth of Chesapeake Bay (1000s km2 ) and (2) decreasing, increasing, and not changing toward tributary mouths (100s km2 ). Distinct isotopic ‘signatures’ in tributaries were associated with the composition of land use, water quality in tributaries and freshwater streams, human and/or animal nitrogen sources, and marine vs. terrestrial nitrogen and carbon sources. Yet at 1000s km2 , oyster ı15 N varied with flushing time, salinity, and bioindi- cator size, thus constraining the upper extent for inferring nitrogen sources from bioindicator ı15N to the scale of gradients in these confounding physical and biological factors. Nevertheless, at 100s km2 isotopic ‘signatures’ can be used to infer nutrient sources and transport mechanisms and might have implications for fishery management/enforcement. Ultimately, ı15 N and ı13 C in bioindicators distributed to citizen–scientists may add substantial value to existing and ongoing programs, networks, monitoring and databases, and might have some use for imputing data gaps where intensive water quality monitoring is lacking.
Other authorsSee publication -
Lathrop, R.G.Jr., Haag, S.M., Merchant, D., Kennish, M.J., Fertig, B. 2014. Comparison of remotely-sensed surveys vs. in situ plot-based assessments of sea grass condition in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey USA. J of Coast Conserv 18:299-308
Journal of Coastal Conservation
With the increasing appreciation that sea grass habitats are in global decline, there is a great need to be able to efficiently and effectively assess and characterize the status and trends of seagrass in our coastal ecosystems. This paper examines the utility of remotely sensed vs. in situ plot-based monitoring using the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB-LEH), New Jersey, USA estuarine system as a case study. Eelgrass (Z. marina) is the dominant species, while widgeon grass (R. maritima) is…
With the increasing appreciation that sea grass habitats are in global decline, there is a great need to be able to efficiently and effectively assess and characterize the status and trends of seagrass in our coastal ecosystems. This paper examines the utility of remotely sensed vs. in situ plot-based monitoring using the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor (BB-LEH), New Jersey, USA estuarine system as a case study. Eelgrass (Z. marina) is the dominant species, while widgeon grass (R. maritima) is also common in lower salinity regions of the BB-LEH. Aerial imagery collected during the months of July & August 2009 was interpreted & mapped using object based image analysis techniques, similar to techniques used in the 2003 mapping survey of this system. Boat-based in situ monitoring data were collected concurrently with aerial photography to assist image interpretation & for an independent accuracy assessment. We compared the remotely-sensed mapping of seagrass cover change (in 2003 vs. 2009) vs. in situ plot-based monitoring conducted from 2004-2009. Comparison of the remotely-sensed vs. the in situ plot-change analysis suggests that the two methodologies had broadly similarly results, with the % area showing declines in seagrass cover greater than those that exhibited increases. The two studies provide corroborating evidence that seagrass has declined in percent cover in the BB-LEH system during the decade of the 2000’s. While remotely-sensed surveys provide synoptic information for a “big picture” view on sea grass distribution, site specific in situ sampling is needed to determine other aspects of sea grass status, e.g. above vs. below-ground biomass, blade length, shoot density, epiphytic loading, etc. Each method gives an incomplete picture. To fully characterize the spatial extent, health, and density of sea grass meadows across the entire estuary, combining remote sensing surveys concomitantly with comprehensive in situ assessment provides the most robust approach.
Other authorsSee publication -
Tuckerton Peninsula salt marsh system: A sentinel site for assessing climate change effects
Bulletin of the New Jersey Academy of Science
The Tuckerton Peninsula forms a large expanse (~2,000 ha) of highly inundated Spartina alterniflora salt marsh habitat along the southern New Jersey coast. Temporal and spatial changes in emergent salt marsh vegetation were characterized in three segments (northern, central, and southern) of the peninsula as part of a larger investigation to establish this salt marsh system as a sentinel site to assess future climate change effects in New Jersey. Monthly quadrat sampling at 90 plots along 9…
The Tuckerton Peninsula forms a large expanse (~2,000 ha) of highly inundated Spartina alterniflora salt marsh habitat along the southern New Jersey coast. Temporal and spatial changes in emergent salt marsh vegetation were characterized in three segments (northern, central, and southern) of the peninsula as part of a larger investigation to establish this salt marsh system as a sentinel site to assess future climate change effects in New Jersey. Monthly quadrat sampling at 90 plots along 9 transects in the peninsula during the June–September period in 2011 recorded 7 species of marsh plants (Spartina alterniflora, S. patens, Distichlis spicata, Salicornia spp., Limonium carolinianum, Morus rubra, and Symphyotricum tenuifolium). Measurements collected on maximum canopy height, shoot density, and percent areal cover of the marsh plant community in the heavily ditched northern segment were compared to those of the marsh plant communities in the shoreline-altered southern segment and the less impacted central reference segment. In general, species com- position was similar between segments, and no significant differences were found in maximum canopy height or percent cover for any individual species, though shoot density of S. alterniflora varied by location. Spartina alterniflora was the dominant species. For all species combined, maximum canopy height was higher and percent cover lower in the heavily ditched northern segment than in the other segments. Significant differences were found between the northern and central segments for all of the three variables. Changes occurring in the demographic and ecological characteristics of the emergent salt marsh habitat in the peninsula are important for understanding future habitat change in other coastal wetlands of New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region subjected to rising sea level and inundation.
Other authorsSee publication
Courses
-
Earth Science
ERSC 101
-
Exploring Biology
BIOL 100
-
Foundations of Service Learning
SVC 101
-
General Biology I: Cell Biology and Genetics
BIO 113
-
Geographic Information Systems
ENV 285
-
Introduction to GIS
GEOA 101
-
Physical Geography
GEOG 101
Languages
-
English
Native or bilingual proficiency
-
Spanish
Full professional proficiency
-
Hebrew
Limited working proficiency
Organizations
-
Atlantic Estuarine Research Society
-
- PresentMy multi-year engagement with this regional professional society culminated in my election as 2020/2021 president. In this volunteer role, I am committed to continuing a longstanding history of scientific excellence, strong fiscal stewardship, and inclusion of diverse intersectional membership. From 2011 to 2017, I chaired the program committee where I oversaw planning and execution of multiple conferences and events, including the most engaging scientific program in its 70-year history.
-
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
-
- PresentI have served in numerous capacities for this national science society over the course of my involvement. Committee involvement and leadership has included affiliate society membership, underrepresented minority involvement, international affairs, and scientific programs. Additionally, I worked directly for the society in 2015 and managed its abstract databases, conference-related society media outreach, and submission coordination.
Recommendations received
13 people have recommended Ben
Join now to viewMore activity by Ben
-
Over the weekend, SRA Restoration Manager Ben Fertig showed #kids at the Kids on the Creek event held at the Eastport Yacht Club how to measure…
Over the weekend, SRA Restoration Manager Ben Fertig showed #kids at the Kids on the Creek event held at the Eastport Yacht Club how to measure…
Liked by Ben Fertig
-
Don't miss Irvine Nature Center's 15th annual Eat, Drink & Learn speaker series, sponsored by Biohabitats! Starting this fall with…
Don't miss Irvine Nature Center's 15th annual Eat, Drink & Learn speaker series, sponsored by Biohabitats! Starting this fall with…
Liked by Ben Fertig
-
The plan had been for a "continuous" job announcement with application review starting on Monday 8/19. Given there are 102 applications, we decided…
The plan had been for a "continuous" job announcement with application review starting on Monday 8/19. Given there are 102 applications, we decided…
Liked by Ben Fertig
-
How awesome to be a small part of putting 12.5 million oysters back into the Severn River today! Feeling incredibly grateful to SRA’s donors and…
How awesome to be a small part of putting 12.5 million oysters back into the Severn River today! Feeling incredibly grateful to SRA’s donors and…
Shared by Ben Fertig
-
COMING THIS NOVEMBER....Moana 2!!! So excited to be working on this movie. Check out the trailer! #Moana2 #disneyanimation
COMING THIS NOVEMBER....Moana 2!!! So excited to be working on this movie. Check out the trailer! #Moana2 #disneyanimation
Liked by Ben Fertig
Other similar profiles
Explore collaborative articles
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
Explore MoreOthers named Ben Fertig in United States
-
Ben Fertig
Influencer/Content Creator at TikTok // Owner of HailMaryFootball, HailMaryBaseball, HailMaryBasketball & HailMaryHockey
-
Ben Fertig
President at Constructive Loans
-
Ben Fertig
--
-
Ben Fertig
--
7 others named Ben Fertig in United States are on LinkedIn
See others named Ben Fertig