Pinelands Commission scientists completed an initial study of natural ponds, excavated ponds, and stormwater basins (Vulnerability and comparability of natural and created wetlands). In 2017, the Commission received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue to study these three types of wetlands. For the new study, Commission scientists will update the Pinelands-wide map of stormwater basins using the most current digital aerial photographs and utilize the pool of wetlands from the previous study to select natural ponds, excavated ponds, and stormwater basins that represent a range of surrounding land-use intensities. In each wetland, scientists will sample surface water for nutrients, metals, and pesticides, and characterize periphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and aquatic invertebrate assemblages.  The ultimate goal of the study is to assess the relationship between surrounding land use and the various water-quality and biological attributes and to more fully assess the comparability of natural and created wetlands in the Pinelands.