Please accept our sincerest appreciation for your past support of Sea Grant and New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Last year, you reached out and told your elected officials how important Sea Grant is to you, our state, and the nation. You were most definitely heard. Congress soundly rejected the Administration’s proposal to eliminate all Sea Grant programs. This allowed us to continue to work with you on so many crucial issues including stormwater management, coastal resilience, supporting the shore tourism and boating industries, and providing environmental and STEM educational experiences for children, college students, and the public.
The Administration recently released its FY 2019 budget blueprint. Once again, it proposes the termination of the entire Sea Grant program and so, once again, we must ask for your help.
Please reach out to your elected officials as soon as possible to ask for their renewed support of the Sea Grant program. When you write or call your elected representatives, it is important to thank them for their past support and remind them why the Sea Grant program is crucial to New Jersey’s well-being and how our work has benefited you personally.
To help you develop your message, we have included a templatefor possible use in composing your message. To further assist you, this directory includes each of New Jersey’s elected officials, including email addresses for their aides. If you decide to write, please direct your letters to local offices (not DC). If you decide to call or fax, it is best to call both the local and Washington D.C. offices. If you decide to email, please write your message to your elected official, but use the email address provided in the directory for his or her aide. You can also locate your Senators and Representatives at https://callyourrep.co/ or text your home address to 520-200-2223 and you will receive a message containing the names and phone numbers of your representatives.
As an additional guide, please take a look at NJSGC’s year-in-reviewfact sheet developed by NOAA, and feel free to share!
We are forever grateful for your support and it is our pleasure to serve you.
It is widely known as the “Garden State,” but with 130 miles of ocean beaches and 1,792 miles of tidal shoreline, New Jersey could just as easily have been the “Coastal State.” Seventeen of New Jersey’s 21 counties border estuarine or ocean waters. NOAA defines all but one of those counties as coastal, and, under Section 6217 of the Federal 1990 Coastal Zone Management Reauthorization Act, all of New Jersey is considered coastal since all of its watersheds drain to the coast.
New Jersey is home to a number of extraordinary demographics. While it is the fourth smallest state area-wise, it is the most densely populated one in the nation. Like many coastal states, New Jersey is highly dependent upon its coastal resources. In addition to its coastal tourism, boating, and recreational fishing industries, New Jersey is home to nine commercial fishing ports and two of the nation’s largest commercial shipping ports. The value of these industries is enormous, with ports commerce supporting a $50 billion industry, coastal tourism at $28 billion, and total sales revenue in commercial (including aquaculture) and recreational fisheries accounting at nearly $10 billion. More than 1.5 million individuals with per capita incomes among the highest in the nation depend on these coastal-dependent industries for their livelihoods. The coast is also a source of recreation for New Jersey’s nearly 9 million residents and the 91 million-plus potential visitors who live within a four-hour drive.
These competing uses have created intense competition for New Jersey’s coastal lands, waters, and resources. The state’s coastal communities face enormous pressure to balance demand for revenue and growth with protection of marine and coastal resources. In addition, because New Jersey’s coastline is heavily developed, human safety, protection of property, and coastal hazard mitigation are areas of ever-increasing concern. Balancing economic growth, development, and redevelopment, with coastal resource quality and human safety is the critical issue for the future of New Jersey’s coastal communities.
Science-based management and effective public policy are essential to ensuring human health and safety and to preserving New Jersey’s ecological services and economically essential uses. Through this plan, NJSGC renews its commitment to advance knowledge and stewardship for New Jersey’s marine and coastal environments and provide New Jersey’s citizens, stakeholders, and policymakers with a trusted source of sound, unbiased, and evidence-based information and technical assistance to help them make well-informed decisions and take appropriate actions affecting the future of the state’s coastal resources and all who depend on them.
This plan aligns with the National Sea Grant College Program’s 2018- 2021 Strategic Plan and is organized in accordance with its four focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, Resilient Communities and Economies, and Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development. The plan also affirms New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s support of the National Sea Grant College Program’s core values and cross-cutting principles while drawing on the unique strengths and abilities of NJSGC to address critical state needs.
The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium recently announced its latest round of Sea Grant-funded research projects that are included in the program’s omnibus for 2018-2020.
As previously reported, NJSGC received a record-breaking number of research pre-proposals from a diverse array of institutions in early 2017, all seeking funding to conduct research to respond to the priorities identified in NJSGC’s most recent request for proposals. Of the 43 pre-proposals submitted, NJSGC’s Technical Review Panel (TRP) recommended that 17 move forward to the final round of review. Full proposals were submitted in June and assessed until the end of the year.
During the rigorous review process, priorities for funding such research were determined through a collaborative process that received input from stakeholders, NJSGC’s advisory boards and partners, and several other objective specialists. The final projects were selected based on relevancy and scientific rigor using a competitive, peer-reviewed evaluation. As a result, the select projects chosen for funding reflect local concerns and seek solutions to New Jersey’s most pressing marine and coastal issues. The current cycle covers a wide range of topics, including:
While these projects span a variety of topics, they all contribute towards NJSGC’s mission to provide sound scientific data to promote wise decision-making about New Jersey’s coastal and marine resources. Projects are funded in part through a grant from NOAA/National Sea Grant which NJSGC has successfully managed in the state of New Jersey since 1976.
The New Jersey Clean Marina Program is a voluntary, incentive-based initiative that encourages marinas to adopt environment-friendly business practices to reduce pollution in local waterbodies. The NJCMP is managed by the Coastal Management Office of the NJDEP and has entered into a formal agreement with the Extension Program to carry out additional tasks such as outreach to marina owners, yacht clubs and boatyards, coordination of educational workshops and provision of technical assistance.
The following marinas have been certified as New Jersey Clean Marinas by the New Jersey Clean Marina Program
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS MUNICIPAL MARINA MARINE MAX (BRANT BEACH)
BAKERS MARINA ON THE BAY YACHT CLUB MARINE MAX (BRICK)
BAYWOOD MARINA MARINE MAX (LAKE HOPTACONG)
BRENNAN BOAT COMPANY MARINE MAX (SOMERS POINT)
BRIDGE MARINA MORGAN MARINA
BROWN’S BOAT YARD MUNRO’S MARINA
CLARK’S LANDING MARINA NEW LIBERTY LANDING MARINA
CURTIN MARINA OCEAN GATE YACHT BASIN
DEEP WATER LANDING MARINA PERTH AMBOY HARBORSIDE MARINA
DILLON’S CREEK MARINA PIER 47 MARINA
FORKED RIVER STATE MARINA QUEEN CITY MARINA
GARDEN STATE YACHT SALES ROBBIES LOVELADIES MARINA
GOOD LUCK POINT MARINA SCHOONER ISLAND MARINA
GREEN COVE MARINA SHARK RIVER MUNICIPAL MARINA
HAGLER’S MARINA INC SHERMAN’S BOAT BASIN
HARBOR VIEW CLUB AND MARINA SHORE HAVEN YACHT CLUB
HOBBY LOBBY MARINE SHORE POINT MARINA
JERSEY SHORE MARINA BOATS SILVER CLOUD HARBOR MARINA
KAMMERMAN’S ATLANTIC CITY MARINA SOUTHWICKS MARINA
KEY HARBOR MARINA SPENCER’S BAYSIDE MARINA
LEAMINGS MARINA, INC SPRING GARDEN MARINA
LEONARDO STATE MARINA THE MARINA AT TALL OAKS
LIGHTHOUSE MARINA TWIN LIGHTS MARINA
LOCKWOOD BOAT WORKS VIKING YACHTING CENTER
LONG KEY YACHT CLUB AND MARINA WILBERT’S MARINA
For more contact information on each marina listed above, please click here.
Each facility has successfully implemented sufficient best management practices, earning a Clean Marina score of at least 80%, thus demonstrating a commitment to protecting water quality and coastal resources by preventing and reducing nonpoint sources of pollution. Congratulations to all on your effort and success!
You can learn more about the NJCMP by downloading a copy of the brochure, requesting a copy of the NJ Clean Marina Guidebook, or visiting njcleanmarina.org.
In honor of the July 4th holiday weekend, the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium announced the official winners of this year’s ‘Favorite Beaches’ poll during a gorgeous beachside ceremony held at Music Pier in Ocean City on Thursday, June 29. This popular shore town remains defending overall champion, snagging more than half the votes (which totaled 7,200).
The survey was first created in 2008 and initially deemed “New Jersey’s Top Ten Beaches,” to help encourage stewardship and pride in the state’s beaches while promoting a little healthy (and friendly) competition between NJ’s beloved beach towns. The contest has since become a highlight of the Garden State’s summer festivities.
But over the years we’ve come to realize something at NJSGC — New Jerseyans are passionate about visiting ALL different sand and surf hotspots throughout the state! So, in order to better recognize every part of our wonderful coastline, as of 2016 we picked individual victors from all four coastal counties (while still naming a top overall winner).
Voting really started to heat-up in June 2017. So without further delay, here is the official breakdown!
Overall:
Ocean City
Brigantine
Margate
Monmouth:
Asbury Park
Spring Lake
Sandy Hook – Gateway National Park
Belmar
Ocean Grove
Ocean:
Seaside Heights
Beach Haven
Point Pleasant Beach
Island Beach State Park
Ship Bottom
Atlantic:
Brigantine
Margate
Atlantic City
Longport
Ventnor
Cape May:
Ocean City
Sea Isle City
Wildwood Crest
Cape May
Wildwood
Thank you again for your participation, and stay tuned for more details about next year! Please also visit NJSGC’s official Facebook and Instragram.
June 2017 – On Friday (June 2nd), the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program joined in celebrating Ocean County for successfully operating its growing fleet of pumpout boats over the last 20 years. Such significant contributions have helped improve water quality throughout Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor for the past two decades.
The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium was represented at the Seaside Park Yacht Club by Assistant Director of Extension and the Marine Recreation Agent of Fisheries & Boating, Michael Danko.
The federal Clean Vessel Act was passed 26 years ago, thanks to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection/Division of Fish & Wildlife for requesting and managing the approval of such federal funds. State funds are also provided by “Shore Protection” license plate sales.
The New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program now operates as a partnership among the Division of Fish & Wildlife, the Monmouth County Health Department, the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, and Ocean County Planning Department (plus additional public and private entities).
Ocean County Department of Planning Director David J. McKeon was also recognized during the ceremony for such achievements.
Despite initial hurdles and reservations, the program’s first pumpout was successfully installed at Green Cove Marina located on the Metedeconk River. Nowadays, the approval, purchasing, and maintenance procedures for additional fleets run rather smoothly (with a current total of six operating boats). Services are offered free of charge.
The ongoing success of the Ocean County Pumpout Program relies heavily on partnerships with Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholder, Ocean County Planning Department, Ocean County Utilities Authority, Township of Brick, Borough of Seaside Park, Tuckerton Seaport, and the dedicated pumpout boat captains.
We wish the Ocean County Pumpout Program and all associates a very successful future in providing such phenomenal pumpout boat services.
For additional information, please visit the Ocean County Department of Planning website.
Learn more about the Clean Vessel Act Program here.
Please accept our sincerest appreciation for your support of Sea Grant and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consoritum. Earlier this spring, you reached out to your elected officials to tell them why Sea Grant is important to you and our state. Your efforts resulted in Congress and the President signing off on a budget for FY 2017 that includes adequate funding for us and the entire Sea Grant Program. For the rest of this fiscal year, this funding will enable our program to work with you on important issues including stormwater management, increasing coastal resilience, supporting shore tourism, and providing STEM education for youth, all to benefit New Jersey’s coastal economy and communities.
The Administration has just released its FY 2018 budget blueprint. It proposes the termination of the entire Sea Grant program. Once again, we must repeat our request to you to reach out to your elected officials as soon as possible to reiterate your request that they let the House and Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittees know of their strong support for Sea Grant, to reject the proposal to terminate the program in FY 2018, and instead fund the National Sea Grant College Program at $80 million.
When you write or call your elected representatives it is important to tell them why the program is important to you and our state’s environment and/or how our work has benefitted you personally.
To help you develop your message, we have included a template for possible use in composing your message.
To further assist you, this directory includes each of New Jersey’s elected officials, including email addresses for their aides. If you decide to write, please direct your letters to local offices (not DC). If you decide to call or fax, it is best to call both the local and Washington D.C. offices. If you decide to email, please write your message to your elected official but use the email address provided in the directory for his or her aide.
You can also locate your Senators and Representatives at https://callyourrep.co/ or text your home address to 520-200-2223 and you will receive a message containing the names and phone numbers of your representatives.
Thank you again for your ongoing support and effort.
Rally for the Navesink seeks to reduce river pollution and to instill community-wide “watershed mindfulness.” The Rally utilizes a grassroots approach to help track down sources of pollution while fostering collaborations with several talented groups throughout the 95 square mile watershed, including ongoing support from state and local elected officials and agencies.
The next phase of pollution track down is underway. Clean Ocean Action, in partnership with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Navesink River Municipalities Committee, seeks citizen volunteers to partake in a citizen science water quality sampling program in the Navesink River watershed. Sampling will focus on the microbial source tracking under ambient conditions.
This is part of the “Find It and Fix It” approach of the Rally for the Navesink:
Seventeen locations have been identified (four-five per town) in Tinton Falls, Red Bank, Middletown, and Fair Haven
Required time is Wednesday mornings between 8am and 10am
The sampling technique is basic and straight-forward, but training is required
The entire sampling process, including pick-up and drop-off, is approximately an hour
Volunteers will pick up and drop off sample bottles from designated locations within the watershed
The duration of this entire testing program is 52 weeks. However, the frequency of each volunteer’s involvement depends on many factors, such as total number of volunteers
All volunteers must attend at least one training session (conducted by NJDEP staff) where they will learn the protocol required for sampling. Such training is mandatory for all volunteers:
May 24, 2017, 6:00 pm at Red Bank Public Library (followed by field visit to a nearby location)
May 25, 2017, 5:30 pm at Bingham Hall (followed by regular Rally meeting at 6:30pm)
If interested, please contact Mae Henry, Marine Program Associate at Clean Ocean Action, for more information – email outreach@CleanOceanAction.org or call 732-872-0111.
Learn more about Rally for the Navesink here. Also visit their official Facebook page.
Rally for the Navesink is an alliance of groups coordinated by Clean Ocean Action (COA): American Littoral Society ~ Bayshore Anglers Association ~ Bayshore Regional Watershed Council ~ Conserve Claypit Creek ~ Hartshorne Woods Association ~ Monmouth Boat Club ~ Monmouth Conservation Foundation ~ Navesink Business Group ~ Navesink Maritime Heritage Association and River Rangers ~ Navesink Shrewsbury River Fishing Club ~ Navesink River Rowing Club ~ NJ Friends of Clearwater ~ NY/NJ Baykeeper ~ Oceanport Water Watch Committee~ Oceanic Free Library ~ Pirates Care ~ Recreational Fishing Alliance ~ Red Bank Business Alliance ~ River Rats ~ Riverview Medical Center ~ Rumson Garden Club ~ Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club ~ Sierra Club-Shore Group ~ Surfrider-Jersey Shore Chapter
The Extension Program manages a comprehensive Rip Current Awareness campaign for New Jersey which includes producing and distributing thousands of metal signs in English and in Spanish, warning swimmers about the danger of rip currents and illustrating what to do if caught in one.
The signs are posted at high-traffic beach access and bathing points in essentially every shore community along the New Jersey coast. Rip Current Awareness brochures are distributed at municipal buildings, beach badge check-points, and other strategic locations from Sandy Hook to Cape May. The initial Rip Current Awareness project was a partnership effort between NJSGC and the NJDEP, NJDOT, NJ Travel and Tourism, NOAA-NWS, and the NJ State Police OEM.
Municipal officials interested in obtaining additional signs in English and Spanish or copies of NJSGC’s rip current safety trifold brochure, please contact the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium at 732-872-1300 ext 10.
Please visit the National Weather Service website for all updated safety signs, multimedia, and handouts related to Rip Current Awareness.
Any municipality or organization interested in arranging for a speaker or special presentation about rip currents for workshops, conferences, or public meetings can contact Dr. Jon Miller.
A unique Jeopardy-style trivia game entitled “Sharks vs. Rip Currents” was specifically designed to educate children about the dangers of changing currents. Thousands of bookmarks inspired by “Sharks vs. Rip Currents” have been distributed to young beachgoers throughout the Jersey Shore area, with fun and easy-to-remember facts about safe and smart ocean swimming. Please contact us for more information. And be sure to always remember, “When in doubt, don’t go out!”
NJSGC is pleased to offer our popular “Ocean Hazards and Beach Safety” program virtually in Spring 2022. This FREE presentation was made possible by the generous support of Investors Foundation, the charitable institution of Investors Bank. Click here to read more.
Please accept our sincerest appreciation for your support of Sea Grant and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium. Earlier this spring, you reached out to your elected officials to tell them why Sea Grant is important to you and our state. Your efforts resulted in Congress and the President signing off on a budget for FY 2017 that includes adequate funding for us and the entire Sea Grant Program. For the rest of this fiscal year, this funding will enable our program to work with you on important issues including stormwater management, increasing coastal resilience, supporting shore tourism, and providing STEM education for youth, all to benefit New Jersey’s coastal economy and communities.
The Administration has just released its FY 2018 budget blueprint. It proposes the termination of the entire Sea Grant program. Once again, we must repeat our request to you to reach out to your elected officials as soon as possible to ask for their ongoing support of the Sea Grant program.
When you write or call your elected representatives it is important to tell them why the program is important to you and our state’s environment and/or how our work has benefitted you personally.
To help you develop your message, we have included a template for possible use in composing your message, which you can find below.
To further assist you, this directory includes each of New Jersey’s elected officials, including email addresses for their aides. If you decide to write, please direct your letters to local offices (not DC). If you decide to call or fax, it is best to call both the local and Washington D.C. offices. If you decide to email, please write your message to your elected official but use the email address provided in the directory for his or her aide.
You can also locate your Senators and Representatives at https://callyourrep.co/ or text your home address to 520-200-2223 and you will receive a message containing the names and phone numbers of your representatives.
HOW TO VOICE YOUR CONCERN FOR THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT PROGRAM AND THE NEW JERSEY SEA GRANT CONSORTIUM
(To follow is a sample letter that may help you prepare your own message to our Senators and Representatives. Thank you for your support!)
To the Honorable (insert your Senators or Representatives last name here):
I have recently learned that the President’s FY 2018would terminate the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant). As one of your constituents, and as a beneficiary of the New Jersey Sea Grant Program, I respectfully urge you to reject this proposal and support the continuation of the Sea Grant Program.
Sea Grant program is a joint federal-state investment that supports the health and resilience of the Nation’s coastal communities. The program yields quantifiable economic, social, and environmental benefits at the national, regional, state, and local level. Sea Grant is unique within NOAA in that it sends 95% of its appropriated funds to states including New Jersey where it is used to solve problems identified as locally critical by public and private stakeholders and coastal communities.
In 2016 Sea Grant helped generate an estimated $575 million in economic impacts; created or sustained nearly 21,000 jobs; provided 33 state-level programs and 534 communities with technical assistance on sustainable development practices; worked with about 1300 industry, local, state and regional partners; and supported the education and training of almost 2000 undergraduate and graduate students. The Sea Grant program achieved this with a Congressional appropriation in FY 2016 of $73 million, which is leveraged with matching funds provided by states, universities, and other sources.
(At this point, please consider writing about the program from your own personal standpoint, or delete this section before sending your message. You may want to talk about your experience with New Jersey Sea Grant, how you have benefitted from the program, how the state benefits from the program, how your institution, community, or students have benefitted, etc. You may also use, delete, or modify the text to follow as you see fit.)
What would the end of Sea Grant mean for New Jersey? Here are just a few consequences:
Nearly 25,000 New Jersey schoolchildren and thousands of teachers and youth leaders who depend on New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium for marine and environmental science education would lose the resource;
Research projects at New Jersey’s colleges and universities that respond to the needs of New Jersey’s coast and coastal economy would not occur. Currently NJSGC-funded research supports 42 scientists and 73 students at 8 different New Jersey facilities;
Dozens of community-based projects would end. These include beach and dune projects, flood prevention and living shorelines initiatives, rain gardens and other green infrastructure projects that improve water quality and quantity, repair of pump-out facilities at marinas statewide, and assistance to New Jersey’s growing shellfish aquaculture industry;
Another Fort Hancock historic structure, currently maintained and used by New Jersey Sea Grant as its headquarters, would be abandoned.
Please do not allow this important, highly effective program to be terminated.
I am grateful for your support of the Sea Grant Program including New Jersey Sea Grant thus far, and I thank you in advance for your continuing attention and support.
Sincerely,
(Be sure to include your home address along with your signature)
All of us here at NJSGC thank you again for your support and activism! For more information, please contact NJSGC Communications Specialist, Danica Bellini.
