It’s finally time to cast your vote for New Jersey’s favorite beach! The fate of our beaches is in your hands. Choose your favorite local “hotspots” from a list of amazing beaches throughout the Jersey Shore’s four coastal counties – Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean. New Jersey Sea Grant (NJSGC) will announce the winners around the July Fourth holiday.
Debuting in 2008 as New Jersey’s “Top Ten Beaches,” the survey was initially designed to encourage friendly competition and camaraderie amongst popular Jersey Shore communities along the coast. Following Hurricane Sandy, the contest was rebranded “Favorite Beaches” to diversify results so that ALL areas of the Garden State’s gorgeous oceanfront are recognized, inspiring a refreshing sense of unity and support.
Be sure to share NJSGC’s highly-anticipated “Favorite Beaches” poll with family and friends, and stay tuned for the official results later this summer. Send them this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/favoritebeach2023
Connect with New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter for more updates. Thank you for your continued support!
Spring is in the air and Summer is so close you can practically taste it. While It’s obvious that the locals and tourists of New Jersey are ready for this summer, the question remains: Are our beaches? Well, according to our State of the Shore Report they most certainly are! Our beaches are in good condition after a few relatively mild winters in a row. Not to mention that New Jersey has taken steps to improve resilience, including developing a statewide coastal resilience strategy, creating buyout programs and elevation solutions, and embracing living shorelines and other natural infrastructure.
In terms of coastal flooding, erosion, and wave activity, this winter was relatively uneventful. However, two large storms made quite the splashes in our home state. Although no longer a Category 5 by the time it reached New Jersey, Hurricane Ian not only caused billions of dollars in damages, but also created some of the largest impacts of the season. During a storm in a Spring tide in December, water levels measured by the tide gauge at Sandy Hook reached their highest since Hurricane Sandy.
The summer forecast is a bit more complicated and comes with a high level of uncertainly based on developing El Niño conditions and unusually warm surface water in the Atlantic Basin, which can both increase the likelihood of formation and the intensity of hurricanes. We will have to wait and see how the Spring and Summer season progresses, so please remember to be safe and prepared when it comes to the coast. Read more in this year’s State of the Shore Report.
Dr. Jon Miller gets interviewed by NBC News
From right to left: Dr. Tom Herrington, Dr. Peter Rowe, Shawn LaTourette, and Dr. Jon Miller.
Media at the State of the Shore
NJSGC invites media and tourism representatives to learn more about the ever-changing conditions of our shoreline from our group of local scientists and environmental managers. Like past years we hosted the State of the Shore press event at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club located on the iconic Asbury Park boardwalk, with guest speakers including NJSGC Coastal Processes Specialist Dr. Jon Miller, NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, and Coastal Community Resilience Specialist, Dr. Tom Herrington.
Want to see maps of each day’s location? Click here for the Island Beach State Park set-up for Saturday, May 20. Click here for directions to Island Beach State Park. Click here for Sandy Hook/Sea Grant Consortium’s set-up for Sunday, May 21. (Subject to change.) Click here for directions to Sandy Hook.
Enter the 2023 Ocean Fun Days Jenkinson’s Family Fun Pack Sweepstakes here! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Begins May 10, 2023 and ends May 21, 2023. Open to Legal residents of New Jersey at least 18 years of age. Void where prohibited. Read the Official Rules here.
GET SOCIAL by using the #OFD2023 or #OceanFunDays2023 hashtags!
New Jersey is not only home to 130 miles of beautiful coastline, but also millions of fantastic photographers who love documenting it. If you have a great shot that celebrates and embraces the natural elements of the Garden State’s beautiful coastline, submit the image to NJSGC’s “Favorite Beaches of the Jersey Shore” photo contest! Ultimately, the top twelve photos will be used to create New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s annual desktop calendar for 2024.
About the Contest:
New Jersey Sea Grant’s graphic design team will select photos from all entries received up until Thursday, June 8th by 5 pm EST. Those finalists will then be posted on the NJSGC website where visitors can vote for their favorite throughout the month leading up to the July Fourth holiday.
NJSGC’s “Jersey Shore” Photo Contest Submission Guidelines: (If your submission does not meet the following guidelines, it will not be considered)
Only one (1) photo submission per person.
Entries should be submitted as an attachment via email to [email protected].
The email entry should include: name, email, photo location, and image title.
Stick to the contest theme: Nature’s Beauty on New Jersey Beaches. We welcome both traditional and innovative approaches to this subject, but please no family portraits.
Photo files must be .JPG or .PNG format and a minimum of 300 DPI saved at a quality setting of “10” or higher and 8 ½” for the longest side.
Images should be horizontal (landscape).
Entries will be accepted until 5 pm (EST) on June 8th, 2023 on World Ocean Day.
Submit only your own original work.
Photos should be appropriate for a general audience. Explicit content is expressly prohibited.
Post-processing and digital manipulation is not allowed, but minor adjustments to contrast, filtration, subtle burning, and dodging are acceptable.
All entries become the property of NJSGC and may be used by the organization for other educational or marketing materials.
Do not include any logos or text on the photo.
By submitting your photo to this contest, you grant NJSGC permission to publicly display, reproduce, and use the photographs in all manner and media for any and all purposes, including related promotional purposes, in perpetuity. You also warrant that the photo is your original work and does not violate the copyright or any other personal or property right of any third party, and that you may be required to and can obtain any and all releases and permissions necessary for its use in the production of our calendar, including releases for any recognizable faces, unless they are incidental to a larger scene (e.g., a group of sunbathers on the beach).
Winners will be announced prior to the July Fourth holiday. These images will be used to create the 2024 NJSGC downloadable desktop calendar (https://njseagrant.org/desktop-calendars/), which will also feature useful coastal facts and information to help locals and visitors learn more about and appreciate the Jersey Shore.
NOAA Sea Grant has just announced $27 million in projects that will address the prevention and removal of debris in marine and Great Lakes environments throughout the U.S. Using Sea Grant’s partnered approach to bring science together with communities for solutions that work, the projects will support transformational research and the creation of local coalitions to address urgent marine debris prevention and removal needs.
The projects were competitively selected through two opportunities supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and leveraging funds from the Inflation Reduction Act: The Marine Debris Challenge Competition and The Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions. Complementary to the work of the Challenge projects, the Community Action Coalitions will engage communities, groups and localities, especially those that have been traditionally underserved, to transfer research into action and inform collaborative on-the-ground marine debris removal and prevention efforts. A total of 19 projects were chosen, including one from New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. The full list of Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions and descriptions is available here.
Trash found on a beach in NJ.
For this project, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) will partner with Columbia University through its Eco Ambassador program and with New York Sea Grant (NYSG) to develop effective marine debris curricula while expanding environmental literacy outreach to K-12 students from marginalized communities located in New Jersey and New York urban watersheds.
NJSGC Executive Director, Dr. Peter Rowe states that “We are thrilled to lead this project with our partners from New York Sea Grant and the Earth Institute of Columbia University’s Climate School. The project not only strengthens our regional partnerships but will help us expand our curricula in marine debris, in particular microplastics. Most importantly, the project will deliver this curricula to schools in marginalized communities to increase environmental literacy of a current coastal issue, but will also allow students to participate in experiential, hands-on learning.”
NJSGC Director of Education Diana Burich, adds “We are very excited to be collaborating with our partners to expand environmental literacy and plastic pollution awareness throughout the NY-NJ area’s urban watershed communities. Through the EcoEmbassadors Program, K-12 students from traditionally underserved and marginalized communities will learn about the pervasive problem of plastics in their local waterways and will become empowered to find solutions and take action to create a more sustainable environment, which will ultimately have long-term effects on human health and the blue economy. We are grateful for the resources to work with the community and to have the opportunity to collaborate with a great group of colleagues in this important effort.” Diana Burich, who is lead principal investigator (PI) on the project, is excited to work with co-PI Radhika Iyengar, Ph.D., Director of Education, Center for Sustainable Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia University.
This work is a component of nearly $3 billion in targeted investments for NOAA in the areas of habitat restoration, coastal resilience and weather forecasting infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help America build resilience to climate change. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a historic, federal government-wide investment that furthers NOAA’s efforts to build a Climate-Ready Nation. The law’s significant investment in NOAA – with funding leveraged from the Inflation Reduction Act – will help to meet the needs of a nation that is ready for and resilient to climate change. The projects announced today represent Sea Grant’s initial efforts to support marine debris prevention and removal over the next five years through this legislation.
The purpose of this solicitation is to invite research proposals for the upcoming NJSGC’s omnibus grant period that best reflect the current science and policy needs of New Jersey’s stakeholders, coast, estuaries, and watersheds. Original, innovative proposals that target the research priorities and principles described below are welcomed. NJSGC is interested in funding proposals from all qualified investigators, particularly those from institutions with a history of under-funding from Sea Grant and/or from under-represented populations that:
Engage and support students and promote workforce development.
Demonstrate an integrated approach to research, outreach, and engagement.
Engage NJSGC’s extension, communications, and/or education professionals to support the transition of applied research into useful applications that address the needs of New Jersey’s coastal residents and stakeholders.
Involve stakeholders and end-users throughout all phases of the project, including identifying need and the statement of the problem at the pre-proposal stage.
Strive to contribute to increased STEM literacy, greater stewardship, and the ideals of diversity and inclusion.
Funding Period: February 1, 2024 – January 31, 2026
Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due May 2, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET
Full Proposals due June 20, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET
For this solicitation, NJSGC anticipates funding:
Up to eight (8) proposals with a maximum budget of $70,000 per year for two (2) years.
Up to seven (7) proposals with a maximum budget of $20,000 per year for two (2) years.
Total funding available combined is up to $560,000 per year for two (2) years.
Proposals will be reviewed as two separate groups according to funding requested.
To view the proposal please click here or download the PDF. For general submission questions: Ms. Lisa Aromando, Sea Grant Program Associate, 732-872-1300, ext. 10, [email protected]. For questions on collaborations, priorities, evaluation criteria, data management: Dr. Peter Rowe, Executive Director, Director of Research and Extension, 732-872-1300, x 31, [email protected].
It may be spring, but don’t forget to read all about our work from over the winter in our Winter 2023 ‘COASTodian’ newsletter! Stay up to date on what we’ve been up to during the season! New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s ‘COASTodian’ newsletter Winter 2023 is now available online here.
Check out some highlights from this edition of the COASTodian:
-With summer less than 100 days away, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium would like to remind all beachgoers about the importance of staying safe at the beach. Our Rip Current Awareness Program’s “Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety: Sharks vs. Rip Currents” presentation educates learners of all ages about the perils of rip currents and how to stay safe when faced with one.
– The 20th annual Ocean Fun Days takes place May 20-21st, so be sure to join our official Facebook event page for special highlights and updates.
– Research spotlight: New Jersey Salt Marsh Ponds as Harmful Algae Reservoirs
– Interested in a job where you get to explore Sandy Hook while teaching children about marine science? NJSGC is hiring part-time field instructors. Are you interested in learning the ins and outs of science communications? NJSGC is also hiring a summer communications intern!
The purpose of this solicitation is to invite research proposals for the upcoming NJSGC’s omnibus grant period that best reflect the current science and policy needs of New Jersey’s stakeholders, coast, estuaries, and watersheds. Original, innovative proposals that target the research priorities and principles described below are welcomed. NJSGC is interested in funding proposals from all qualified investigators, particularly those from institutions with a history of under-funding from Sea Grant and/or from under-represented populations that:
• Engage and support students and promote workforce development.
• Demonstrate an integrated approach to research, outreach, and engagement.
• Engage NJSGC’s extension, communications, and/or education professionals to support the transition of applied research into useful applications that address the needs of New Jersey’s coastal residents and stakeholders.
• Involve stakeholders and end-users throughout all phases of the project, including identifying need and the statement of the problem at the pre-proposal stage.
• Strive to contribute to increased STEM literacy, greater stewardship, and the ideals of diversity and inclusion.
Funding Period: February 1, 2024 – January 31, 2026
Application Deadlines: Letters of Intent due May 2, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET , Full Proposals due June 20, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET
For this solicitation, NJSGC anticipates funding:
• Up to eight (8) proposals with a maximum budget of $70,000 per year for two (2) years.
• Up to seven (7) proposals with a maximum budget of $20,000 per year for two (2) years.
• Total funding available combined is up to $560,000 per year for two (2) years.
• Proposals will be reviewed as two separate groups according to funding requested.
To view the proposal please click here or download the PDF. For general submission questions: Ms. Lisa Aromando, Sea Grant Program Associate, 732-872-1300, ext. 10, [email protected]. For questions on collaborations, priorities, evaluation criteria, data management: Dr. Peter Rowe, Executive Director, Director of Research and Extension, 732-872-1300, x 31, [email protected].
Attention schools, libraries and community groups in Monmouth and Ocean County: FREE Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety: Sharks vs. Rip Currents programs are available! With summer less than 100 days away, New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium would like to remind all beachgoers about the importance of staying safe at the beach. Our Rip Current Awareness Program’s Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety: Sharks vs. Rip Currents presentation educates learners of all ages about the perils of rip currents and how to stay safe when faced with one.
Mindy Voss, Education Specialist, presents the sharks vs. rip currents program to a group of interested students.
We all know rip currents can be dangerous, but are they more dangerous than SHARKS? Find out with a lively presentation and interactive Jeopardy-style game that compares rip current mechanics and safe practices to shark biology and ecology, participants gain knowledge and insight that will help to keep them safe while enjoying the beach at the Jersey Shore.
Have fun and keep your community out of harm’s way with the Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety: Sharks vs. Rip Currents program. Suitable for children in grades 3-12 and accessible for all, these are free, hour-long programs that can take place in person at your school/library/center or online in the comfort of your own home. They are only available for a limited time so reserve yours today!
Our Summer Field Trip Programs give your group the unique opportunity to spend a fun AND educational day learning about the beach and other marine environments. Participants will explore the shore with a combination of hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, field work, and maybe even some crafts. Learning about the shore is a fun way to spend the Summer! Learn more by downloading the Summer Program Flyer or by clicking here!
Marsh and Ocean Environments: This full-day outdoor program introduces students to the salt marsh and ocean beach environments through a variety of hands-on activities.
Secrets of the Salt Marsh: Students will explore the most productive ecosystem on earth, the salt marsh, during this half-day program. Go seining and sieving in this very special environment.
Sea Shell Science: Students will learn all about local mollusks during this half-day program. Each student will “make and take” a seashell collection and enjoy age appropriate learning activities. A shell craft can be requested in advance, time permitting.
On Sandy Shores: This half-day program offers age appropriate activities all about sand. Students will experiment with microscopes to examine sand from around the world. Activities include making sand sample cards to take home.
Happiness is a Horseshoe Crab: Often called a living fossil, this half-day program focuses on the horseshoe crab. Through “hands-on” activities, children will learn about the care, importance, and unique habits of this ancient animal. For younger children a story may be included.
For more information contact Julie Lang, K-12 Program Coordinator at [email protected] or via phone at (732) 872-1300, ext. 13.
