March 27, 2026

A Year of Progress for Barnegat Bay: Our 2025–2026 Annual Report is Here

by Nina Sassano

Annual Report 2025 cover psge

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is proud to share the release of our 2025 to 2026 Annual Report, a reflection of the progress, partnerships, and people working together to protect and restore the Barnegat Bay watershed.

Each year, our annual report offers a snapshot of the work happening across the watershed, from scientific research and environmental monitoring to education, stewardship, and community engagement. This latest report highlights how collaboration continues to drive meaningful action in one of New Jersey’s most important coastal ecosystems. The Barnegat Bay is not only an ecological treasure, it also supports a vibrant coastal economy and more than half a million residents who depend on its health and resilience.

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pxl 20250515 152844786 portrait

Throughout the report, readers will find stories that bring this work to life. From long term water quality monitoring and new data tools that make environmental information more accessible, to hands on restoration projects and community science efforts, the report showcases how science and public participation go hand in hand. Investments in monitoring and research continue to fill key knowledge gaps and support smarter decision making across the watershed, including efforts to better understand pollution sources, restore habitats, and improve water flow and quality.

students on the beach exploring the seine net

This year’s report also highlights the growing role of community engagement in protecting the bay. Volunteers, students, educators, and partners all play a role in advancing stewardship, whether through collecting data in the field, participating in educational programs, or contributing to decision making that shapes the future of the watershed. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to connecting people to the bay in meaningful ways and ensuring that conservation is something everyone can be part of.

Readers will notice an emphasis on collaboration throughout the report. The Barnegat Bay Partnership works alongside local, state, academic, and nonprofit partners to address complex environmental challenges, from climate impacts to habitat restoration. Together, these partnerships are helping to build resilience across the watershed while protecting the natural resources that make Barnegat Bay unique.

In addition to highlighting progress, the report offers a transparent look at the work still ahead. Protecting the bay requires continued investment, innovation, and shared responsibility. By sharing both achievements and ongoing challenges, the report serves as a roadmap for where we are and where we are headed.

We invite you to explore the 2025 to 2026 Annual Report and learn more about the projects, data, and people shaping the future of Barnegat Bay. Whether you are a long time partner, a community member, or someone discovering this work for the first time, there is a place for you in protecting this watershed.

Read the full report and join us in continuing this work together.

Read the Report Here

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.

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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.

 

A Year of Progress for Barnegat Bay: Our 2025–2026 Annual Report is Here

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is proud to share the release of our 2025 to 2026 Annual Report, a reflection of the progress, partnerships, and people working together to protect and restore the Barnegat Bay watershed.

Each year, our annual report offers a snapshot of the work happening across the watershed, from scientific research and environmental monitoring to education, stewardship, and community engagement. This latest report highlights how collaboration continues to drive meaningful action in one of New Jersey’s most important coastal ecosystems. The Barnegat Bay is not only an ecological treasure, it also supports a vibrant coastal economy and more than half a million residents who depend on its health and resilience.

img 5519 (1)
pxl 20250515 152844786 portrait

Throughout the report, readers will find stories that bring this work to life. From long term water quality monitoring and new data tools that make environmental information more accessible, to hands on restoration projects and community science efforts, the report showcases how science and public participation go hand in hand. Investments in monitoring and research continue to fill key knowledge gaps and support smarter decision making across the watershed, including efforts to better understand pollution sources, restore habitats, and improve water flow and quality.

students on the beach exploring the seine net

This year’s report also highlights the growing role of community engagement in protecting the bay. Volunteers, students, educators, and partners all play a role in advancing stewardship, whether through collecting data in the field, participating in educational programs, or contributing to decision making that shapes the future of the watershed. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to connecting people to the bay in meaningful ways and ensuring that conservation is something everyone can be part of.

Readers will notice an emphasis on collaboration throughout the report. The Barnegat Bay Partnership works alongside local, state, academic, and nonprofit partners to address complex environmental challenges, from climate impacts to habitat restoration. Together, these partnerships are helping to build resilience across the watershed while protecting the natural resources that make Barnegat Bay unique.

In addition to highlighting progress, the report offers a transparent look at the work still ahead. Protecting the bay requires continued investment, innovation, and shared responsibility. By sharing both achievements and ongoing challenges, the report serves as a roadmap for where we are and where we are headed.

We invite you to explore the 2025 to 2026 Annual Report and learn more about the projects, data, and people shaping the future of Barnegat Bay. Whether you are a long time partner, a community member, or someone discovering this work for the first time, there is a place for you in protecting this watershed.

Read the full report and join us in continuing this work together.

Read the Report Here
Contact A Year of Progress for Barnegat Bay: Our 2025–2026 Annual Report is HereContact A Year of Progress for Barnegat Bay: Our 2025–2026 Annual Report is Here
Annual Report 2025 cover psge