Barnegat Bay Shellfish Forum

The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Forum is designed for attendees to share information so that everyone can all work more closely together and leverage the many benefits that a healthy shellfish population can provide. This is the second forum – the first one was held in 2016.

The Forum is a place to share successes, concerns, and solutions in order to accelerate any activity that employs shellfish for commercial, ecologic or recreational purposes.

The Shellfish Forum is presented by MATES, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, ReClam the Bay and Save Barnegat Bay. It is designed to share ideas and make contacts that will enable people to identify, plan and implement shellfish related projects more quickly. This is a working session and the output will be a consensus of important issues requiring action in the near term and longer term.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP here.

Forum Schedule

11:00 – Chowder and Posters

Enjoy something to eat while you talk with the future marine biologists, environmental leaders, aquaculture farmers, commercial fishers, and students of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES.)

12:00 – Welcome and Open Remarks

Dr. Doug Zemeckis, Ph.D., Rutgers University and Steve Evert, Stockton University  

Kick-Off – Where we THINK we are headed  

Interactive Panel: Rick Bushnell Pres., ReClam the Bay, Britta Wenzel Exec. Director, Save Barnegat Bay and special guests.

12:45 A New Understanding of Value – Highlighting the services of Shellfish

Dr. Michael Kennish Ph.D., Rutgers University

• Environmental & Economic Benefits

1:15 Things to Consider

Three interactive presentations to engage the audience with Q&A and comments.

• Research – What is being done? How can it help?
• Tools – What can they do? How can they be used?
• Challenges – Regulations, Permits and Enforcement

2:00 Project Reviews 

5 Different Projects with Q&A. Each one will tell:

• What is being done?
• What help is needed?
• What help could be provided?
• What are the lessons learned or learning.

3:15 Working Group Review

Break into 7 person groups to identify:

• What will be vital over the next 4 years?
• What are the hurdles to overcome?
• Who or what can help with the hurdle?
• What would it take?

3:45 Working Group Wrap-Up  

Discussion with Work Groups to document output of the groups.

4:30 End