Amanda Boddy, an expert with a decade of experience conducting ecological restoration and coastal resilience projects on New Jersey and New York waterfronts, has joined the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) as its marine biology technician. In this role, Boddy will contribute to the portfolio of projects that fall under the umbrella of the UCI’s Coastal Community Resilience Initiative (CCRI), including the installation and monitoring of artificial reefs along Naval Weapons Station Earle’s shores and an investigation of how fouling on oyster castles impacts their capability to recruit larvae.
Boddy worked on these projects and other efforts to restore oyster populations in the region’s waters in her previous position as manager of the Coastal Restoration Program for NY/NJ Baykeeper, where she collaborated for several years with UCI Coastal Resilience and Restoration Practitioner Meredith Comi. Through a 2023 agreement, that program’s management was transitioned to Monmouth University, where it has continued to expand. Boddy’s work will be funded through a combination of external grants.
Boddy first got involved with the Naval Weapons Station Earle project as an intern and marine science student at Rutgers University in 2015. Initially, her work focused on studying the types of structures and materials that were most effective for retaining oyster larvae, a line of research she said is an excellent gateway for students to get started in the field. Later, her work transitioned to studying the sedimentation patterns around the oyster castles to determine whether certain arrangements are better than others for accumulating sand.
“We looked at erosion versus accretion, because even if the castles didn’t produce oysters, they were still meant to dampen wave energy and hold sand that had been pulled away from shore by waves,” she said.
Boddy traces her passion for marine science back to her childhood days summering at her grandparents’ home in Manahawkin. There she spent long days on the beach and the bay, earning her boater’s license at age 13.
However, her career nearly went in a much different direction. Boddy recalled that she was initially a psychology major and intended to pursue a master’s in hospital social work, but the classes never resonated with her. An elective introduction to oceanography class she took as a first-year student would change that trajectory.
“I remember thinking, I’m actually really good at this, I like it, and everything makes sense because I know how water and marine life work,” she recalled. “I was tutoring a lot of my friends in that class who found it difficult.”
Today she looks forward to working with Monmouth students and feels her projects present excellent opportunities for experiential learning.
“As someone who started off as an intern, I really like helping interns out, because marine science can be a difficult field to get your start in,” she said.