Students from five diverse New Jersey high schools use kits purchased with funding from the EPA , the CMX Community Foundation and the RBC Blue Water Project of the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation to measure water quality variables such as dissolved oxygen, water clarity and phosphorus. They are also collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates such as dragonfly nymphs, blackfly larvae and snails that indicate pollution levels in a waterbody.
Students are entering their collected data into a Web-based program created by NJDEP that allows them to analyze data and compare it with data collected at other sites.
The Passaic River Institute PREEMO web site provides links to relevant educational materials and links to other data sets about the river. It will provide a forum where students can post their impressions and questions about ecology and environmental science.
At the end of the school year, the students come together at Montclair State University for a student conference where they present a study they have conducted involving their work on the Passaic River.