April 27, 2026

Get Your Paddles Ready: 2026 Paddle for the Edge Registration Opens May 3rd!

by Nina Sassano

The sun is getting warmer, the ospreys are returning, and it’s finally time to mark your calendars for Barnegat Bay’s favorite community science tradition. We are thrilled to announce that registration for the 2026 Paddle for the Edge event will officially open on May 3rd!

Whether you are a seasoned kayaker, a casual canoeist, or a stand-up paddleboard enthusiast, this is your chance to get out on the water and make a real difference for our coastal environment.

image 2 (1)
Paddles hit the bay to collect data, photo: Andrea Rinaldi

A Decade of Impact

Since its inception in 2015, Paddle for the Edge has grown into a powerhouse of community-driven data collection. To date, our dedicated volunteers have gathered over 11,000 data points across Barnegat Bay, Great Egg Harbor, and the Seven Mile Island watersheds.

image 1
photo: Andrea Rinaldi

This information; ranging from bank shapes and vegetation types to the presence of shellfish, is more than just numbers. It is vital “ground-truth” data that helps researchers and restoration managers understand how our shorelines are changing. In fact, we recently launched the Paddle for the Edge Portal, an interactive tool that allows anyone to explore ten years of this community science work to support better restoration and conservation decisions.

Choose Your Adventure: Three Ways to Volunteer

This year, we are making it easier than ever to participate by offering three distinct volunteer roles. No matter your skill level or time commitment, there is a way for you to contribute:

  • Scouts: Perfect for those who want to explore at their own pace. Scouts take photos only in the locations they choose, providing a visual record of the bay’s beauty and condition.
  • Scribes: For the data enthusiasts! Scribes focus on “locations of special interest,” taking full, detailed data sets to help us monitor critical areas of the marsh.
  • Skippers: Looking for a guided experience? Skippers will be escorted as a group to visit different sites, working together to collect data across various locations.

Why Your Voice Matters

Our wetlands are our first line of defense against storms and a critical habitat for local wildlife. By participating in Paddle for the Edge, you aren’t just enjoying a day on the water; you are providing the Barnegat Bay Partnership with the evidence needed to protect these vulnerable marshes for the next decade and beyond.

DSCN9799
Photo credit: Paddler Linda Turi

Ready to join the movement? Set a reminder for May 3rd to grab your spot. Keep an eye on our Community page for the registration link and more event details. We can’t wait to see you on the water!

Explore More Insights from Barnegat Bay

Dive deeper into the ongoing efforts to protect and restore our environment with more updates and initiatives that you can take part in. Check out our latest blog posts for valuable tips and insights.

View All

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.

 

Get Your Paddles Ready: 2026 Paddle for the Edge Registration Opens May 3rd!

The sun is getting warmer, the ospreys are returning, and it’s finally time to mark your calendars for Barnegat Bay’s favorite community science tradition. We are thrilled to announce that registration for the 2026 Paddle for the Edge event will officially open on May 3rd!

Whether you are a seasoned kayaker, a casual canoeist, or a stand-up paddleboard enthusiast, this is your chance to get out on the water and make a real difference for our coastal environment.

image 2 (1)
Paddles hit the bay to collect data, photo: Andrea Rinaldi

A Decade of Impact

Since its inception in 2015, Paddle for the Edge has grown into a powerhouse of community-driven data collection. To date, our dedicated volunteers have gathered over 11,000 data points across Barnegat Bay, Great Egg Harbor, and the Seven Mile Island watersheds.

image 1
photo: Andrea Rinaldi

This information; ranging from bank shapes and vegetation types to the presence of shellfish, is more than just numbers. It is vital “ground-truth” data that helps researchers and restoration managers understand how our shorelines are changing. In fact, we recently launched the Paddle for the Edge Portal, an interactive tool that allows anyone to explore ten years of this community science work to support better restoration and conservation decisions.

Choose Your Adventure: Three Ways to Volunteer

This year, we are making it easier than ever to participate by offering three distinct volunteer roles. No matter your skill level or time commitment, there is a way for you to contribute:

  • Scouts: Perfect for those who want to explore at their own pace. Scouts take photos only in the locations they choose, providing a visual record of the bay’s beauty and condition.
  • Scribes: For the data enthusiasts! Scribes focus on “locations of special interest,” taking full, detailed data sets to help us monitor critical areas of the marsh.
  • Skippers: Looking for a guided experience? Skippers will be escorted as a group to visit different sites, working together to collect data across various locations.

Why Your Voice Matters

Our wetlands are our first line of defense against storms and a critical habitat for local wildlife. By participating in Paddle for the Edge, you aren’t just enjoying a day on the water; you are providing the Barnegat Bay Partnership with the evidence needed to protect these vulnerable marshes for the next decade and beyond.

DSCN9799
Photo credit: Paddler Linda Turi

Ready to join the movement? Set a reminder for May 3rd to grab your spot. Keep an eye on our Community page for the registration link and more event details. We can’t wait to see you on the water!

Contact Get Your Paddles Ready: 2026 Paddle for the Edge Registration Opens May 3rd!Contact Get Your Paddles Ready: 2026 Paddle for the Edge Registration Opens May 3rd!