Paddle for the Edge Community Science Program

Advancing Barnegat Bay Marsh Restoration with Community-Collected Science

Established in 2015, Paddle for the Edge is a long-term community science initiative focused on monitoring the health and stability of the Barnegat Bay shoreline. Over the past decade, volunteer paddlers have surveyed 241 miles of shoreline, contributing nearly 11,500 individual data points. This high-resolution dataset provides essential insights into shoreline erosion, marsh retreat, and habitat change that would be impossible to capture through traditional monitoring alone.

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Why this Data Counts

The Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP) has officially launched the Paddle for the Edge Data Portal; an interactive online tool providing access to a decade of community science data collected by volunteer paddlers in New Jersey estuaries. The portal allows users, including past volunteers, restoration managers, wetland scientists, and more, to explore data that can inform restoration priorities, track marsh condition changes, and support ongoing conservation efforts. 

Together, the Barnergat Bay estuary spans miles of the shoreline of New Jersey. By crowd sourcing our data efforts, we can gather substantially more data than just the BBP team can on their own. Each contributing paddler brings data to the team that helps with future management decisions.

Explore the Portal
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“We tried our best and really enjoyed doing it. Seeing a whole bunch of fiddler crabs was so interesting – have never seen that before…I always joke that in my next life, maybe I’ll be a marine biologist, so I feel like I (sorta) fulfilled that dream in this life.”

– Linda Hochuli

“Our favorite part was being able to get out on the water and enjoy beautiful days together while also helping the shoreline. It was super easy to capture data and with the freedom of the collection time period it felt like a normal day out on the kayak with friends but with the satisfaction of giving back to the community.”

-Cheryl Labella & Friends

“I love paddling for Barnegat Bay Partnership because not only did I get to do my first year with my best friend, but I also got to learn about the tides and see the environment at a lot closer look. After about 6 years of living on the water it was really cool to learn about it more in depth and take data for it too!”

-Kali Findlow

Additional Resources

Weather & Tide Stations

Navigate these cards to see weather and tide station resources to use when planning your paddle.

  • Weather Stations

    • See the dropdown for weather resources! Conditions can change quickly, so be vigilant and stay safe. Heat, rain, and fog can be dangerous.

  • Tide Stations

    • Assessing at slack LOW TIDE is crucial for edge surveys. Use the dropdown to help you find the best time to paddle.

    Kayak Rental & Launch Sites

    See our Kayak Launch & Rental Portal. Explore locations in and around the Barnegat Bay watershed to help you get out on the water.

    View Map

    Paddle for the Edge Training Manual

    Click/Tap to open the Paddle for the Edge Training Manual.

    View Manual

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Although we always encourage paddling with others to ensure safety, only volunteers registering as Scribes are required to find a buddy. This will also ensure the data is of appropriate quality by having a second perspective. Scouts are allowed to paddle alone if they choose. Skippers do not need to find a buddy – a member of the BBP team will accompany them on a guided paddle.

    It doesn’t have to be a kayak! While that is the recommended vessel, stand-up paddleboards and canoes are also acceptable. Motorized boats are discouraged for use in data collection due to causing wake close to marsh edges but are encouraged to transfer smaller vessels to hard-to-reach locations.

    Volunteers registering as Scouts or Scribes need their own vessel. Check out our Kayak Launch and Rental Portal to help find resources near you. Skippers will be provided with a kayak, paddle, and PFD upon arrival at their scheduled site.

    Scouts: BYO gear, choose location, take photos

    Scribes: BYO gear, assigned location, collect data

    Skippers: BBP gear, assigned location, collect data

    Paddles should be scheduled around low tide to capture the most features of the marsh edge. We recommend launching an hour or two before the predicted low tide. Check out the Additional Resources section to help plan your paddle. 

    Click this link to register for the upcoming season of Paddle for the Edge! Registration is closed? Click this link to join our mailing list for the next season.

    Every data point is reviewed by BBP staff at the end of a Paddle for the Edge season. We look to make sure all information is filled in and photos are clear. BBP staff will revisit any priority sites that need additional clarification or photos. After review, the data is analyzed to categorize each point as “Moderate Erosion,” “Severe Erosion,” “Static,” or “Accretion” as well as document the historical rate of land use change. The reviewed and analyzed data is then uploaded to the Paddle for the Edge Data Portal where it can be viewed by the public.  

    Absolutely! Paddle for the Edge is a great way to educate students on their local environment, create team building experiences, or:

    Send an email to Paddle4TheEdge@gmail.com with your name, organization, and approximate number of participants, and a BBP staff member will be in contact to make arrangements. 

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    UNKNOWN

    There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

     

     Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

     Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


    IN PROGRESS

    New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

    The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

     

    TARGETS ACHIEVED

    No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

     

    NOT ACHIEVING

    Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

    While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

    Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

     

    Paddle for the Edge

    Experience Barnegat Bay’s beauty while raising awareness about its importance. Join paddling events to connect with nature and learn how to protect its unique waters.

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