On November 7, a diverse group of nonprofit, state, public, and academic partners gathered on the Kean @ Ocean campus to share results from a suite of NJDEP-funded projects. (Note: federal representatives were not in attendance due to the government shutdown.) Each project fell under Phase Two of the state’s Barnegat Bay Restoration, Enhancement, and Protection Strategy, with additional insights into the forthcoming 303(d) List of Impaired Waters for the Atlantic Coastal Water Region.
The morning kicked off with a welcome and introductions from the NJDEP and BBP, and led into 25-minute talks from each of the grantee organizations.
The first to present were Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis and the Barnegat Bay Partnership; each providing results of forthcoming watershed management plans, and future collaboration opportunities for projects to address water quality issues. Rick Lathrop, Director of the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis and Johnson Family Chair in Water Resources and Watershed Ecology shared results from the Southern Barnegat Bay watershed management plans while Ceili Pestalozzi, Wetlands and Watershed Manager with the Barnegat Bay Partnership, shared results from the extensive analysis of both the Toms River and Cedar, Forked, and Oyster Creek Watershed Management Plans Both presentations presented next steps for projects and implementing ideas for cleaning the waterways.
Britta Forsberg, Executive Director of Save Barnegat Bay, presented on their Nonpoint Education of Municipal Officers (NEMO) project, highlighting their work to educate law enforcement and municipal leaders on addressing nonpoint source pollution through Barnegat Bay–specific outreach. The organization developed municipal MS4 report cards that identify if key information from towns is easily accessible. Notably, every municipality in the watershed received an “A” for accessibility.
Swarna Muthukrishnan, PhD. Water Quality Research Director for Clean Ocean Action presented on their source track-down efforts through their campaign to Identify and Eliminate Pathogen Pollution from Sanitary Sewage Sources in the Toms River watershed. Students from schools and partner organizations helped collect bacteria samples across Toms River’s North and South shores. Some efforts even included trained dogs used to detect human waste and guide investigators to precise problem areas. Clean Ocean Action has identified several locations ready for municipal follow-up, and the organization is urging towns to remain engaged. The Barnegat Bay Partnership has approximately $900,000 available to support nutrient and pathogen reduction projects, with a notice of funding opportunities coming soon, and encourages Towns with pathogen issues to apply.
Following a short intermission, Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Unit spoke about their initiative, Stop the Sting which aims to reduce bay nettle populations in the bay by removing jellyfish polyps from bulkheads before they can mature. The team plans to expand into more communities in the watershed. Even though their grant funding has wrapped up, the work will continue and they encourage interested volunteers or towns to reach out to learn more.
Stevens Institute of Technology then provided an update regarding their partnership with Cattus Island County Park to continue the living shoreline restoration projects along Page’s Point and Yellow Bank. The team recently received permits for the Page’s Point project, with construction expected to begin in fall 2026. To support these efforts, the Barnegat Bay Partnership is conducting seagrass and vegetation monitoring before, during, and after construction to evaluate ecological impacts.
The NJDEP wrapped up the symposium with two presentations. First, Bob Schuster, Director of NJDEP’s Division of Watershed Protection and Restoration, spoke on the WatershedNJ tool. The WatershedNJ tool is suite of online data and tools designed to support watershed education and watershed management activities. WatershedNJ can create reports, maps, and recommendations that can be used by members of the public and watershed experts to understand and improve the health of water bodies and watersheds across NJ. Finally, Frank Klapinski, Environmental Specialist at the NJDEP, presented the results of the upcoming 303(d) list of impaired waters with an emphasis on the Atlantic Coastal region.
The symposium highlighted the broad, coordinated efforts underway to restore and protect Barnegat Bay, showcasing results from research, education, planning, and on-the-ground restoration initiatives. By bringing these partners together, the event reinforced the value of collaboration and underscored the need to move from planning to implementation. As these projects advance, continued engagement from municipalities, organizations, and community members will be essential to achieving a healthier, more resilient bay.
