August 11, 2026

The 2026 State of the Bay Report Is Here, Register Today for the Symposium

by Nina Sassano

state of the bay

What is the state of Barnegat Bay today, and what can decades of research and monitoring tell us about where it is headed?

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is excited to announce the publication of the 2026 State of the Bay Report, our latest comprehensive look at the health of the Barnegat Bay estuary and its watershed.

Visit the State of the Bay Webpage

Published every five years, the State of the Bay Report brings together years of environmental monitoring, research, and data from the Barnegat Bay Partnership and our many partners throughout the watershed. The report looks at the bay through a range of indicators that help us understand changes in water quality, living resources, habitats, land use, water supply, and other factors influencing the health of the watershed.

The report is more than a snapshot of where the bay stands today. By looking at long term trends, we can better understand where conditions are improving, where challenges remain, and where continued research, restoration, monitoring, and community action are needed.

Behind every indicator is also a much bigger story. Scientists, natural resource managers, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, educators, volunteers, and community members across the watershed all play a role in understanding and protecting Barnegat Bay.

We invite you to explore the 2026 State of the Bay Report and learn more about what the science is telling us about the estuary we all share. *Please note that the mobile version of the report is still under construction. It is best viewed on a desktop at this time.

But the conversation does not end with the report.

Join Us for the 2026 State of the Bay Symposium

To bring the findings of the report off the page and into the community, the Barnegat Bay Partnership is also hosting the 2026 State of the Bay Symposium.

The symposium will bring together scientists, resource managers, partners, and community members to take a closer look at the latest research and monitoring happening throughout the Barnegat Bay watershed. It is an opportunity to hear directly from the people doing this work, learn more about the science behind the State of the Bay, and be part of the conversation about the future of our watershed.

Whether you work in environmental science, live or recreate along the bay, volunteer in your community, or simply want to better understand the place you call home, we hope you will join us.

Register Here for Free
Ceili measuring depth at Nellie Bennett
pxl 20250603 151659516.portrait
nellie
pxl 20250603 141438401.portrait
Students learn from BBP staff in the marsh
baby clams in hand

We encourage you to explore the 2026 State of the Bay Report to learn more about the latest science, monitoring, and trends shaping Barnegat Bay. Then, join us at the State of the Bay Symposium to hear from researchers and partners working throughout the watershed and learn how this work is helping inform the future of the bay.

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.

 

The 2026 State of the Bay Report Is Here, Register Today for the Symposium

What is the state of Barnegat Bay today, and what can decades of research and monitoring tell us about where it is headed?

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is excited to announce the publication of the 2026 State of the Bay Report, our latest comprehensive look at the health of the Barnegat Bay estuary and its watershed.

Visit the State of the Bay Webpage

Published every five years, the State of the Bay Report brings together years of environmental monitoring, research, and data from the Barnegat Bay Partnership and our many partners throughout the watershed. The report looks at the bay through a range of indicators that help us understand changes in water quality, living resources, habitats, land use, water supply, and other factors influencing the health of the watershed.

The report is more than a snapshot of where the bay stands today. By looking at long term trends, we can better understand where conditions are improving, where challenges remain, and where continued research, restoration, monitoring, and community action are needed.

Behind every indicator is also a much bigger story. Scientists, natural resource managers, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, educators, volunteers, and community members across the watershed all play a role in understanding and protecting Barnegat Bay.

We invite you to explore the 2026 State of the Bay Report and learn more about what the science is telling us about the estuary we all share. *Please note that the mobile version of the report is still under construction. It is best viewed on a desktop at this time.

But the conversation does not end with the report.

Join Us for the 2026 State of the Bay Symposium

To bring the findings of the report off the page and into the community, the Barnegat Bay Partnership is also hosting the 2026 State of the Bay Symposium.

The symposium will bring together scientists, resource managers, partners, and community members to take a closer look at the latest research and monitoring happening throughout the Barnegat Bay watershed. It is an opportunity to hear directly from the people doing this work, learn more about the science behind the State of the Bay, and be part of the conversation about the future of our watershed.

Whether you work in environmental science, live or recreate along the bay, volunteer in your community, or simply want to better understand the place you call home, we hope you will join us.

Register Here for Free
Ceili measuring depth at Nellie Bennett
pxl 20250603 151659516.portrait
nellie
pxl 20250603 141438401.portrait
Students learn from BBP staff in the marsh
baby clams in hand

We encourage you to explore the 2026 State of the Bay Report to learn more about the latest science, monitoring, and trends shaping Barnegat Bay. Then, join us at the State of the Bay Symposium to hear from researchers and partners working throughout the watershed and learn how this work is helping inform the future of the bay.

Contact The 2026 State of the Bay Report Is Here, Register Today for the SymposiumContact The 2026 State of the Bay Report Is Here, Register Today for the Symposium
state of the bay