Dr. John Wnek, Ph.D

Dr. John Wnek is a supervisor of science and research at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES). John serves as a co-chair of the Save Barnegat Bay Student Grant Program and is a student research project coordinator. He is also a co-Principal Investigator of the Barnegat Bay Diamondback Terrapin research project at Barnegat Bay. John has several publications centered around diamondback terrapins, and coastal dune ecosystems. He has written several lessons incorporating the Barnegat Bay Watershed as a theme, and he has written curricula that focuses on Barnegat Bay in oceanography, aquatic ecology, and environmental science. He was raised on the Toms River and works to protect Barnegat Bay and its natural resources. One of his favorite projects is removing derelict fishing gear from Barnegat Bay waters.