Working collaboratively to protect the Barnegat Bay Estuary Systems

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is one of 28 congressionally designated National Estuary Programs established to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance.

The Barnegat Bay Partnership
Our Mission

Become the Barnegat Bay Partnership's Next Citizen Representative

The BBP is recruiting a Citizen Representative as well as 1-3 individuals to serve as Alternates to the Citizen Representative. Alternates will work independently and collaboratively with the Citizen Representative to assist with advocacy and outreach. Alternates also serve in the place of the current Citizen Representative when he/she/they are absent. 

The Citizen Representative and Alternates can be self-nominated or nominated by another party. They should possess a strong commitment to the Barnegat Bay and its watershed, strong intrapersonal skills, integrity, and a willingness to work with the community at large as a liaison to the Barnegat Bay Partnership.
Learn More and Apply Here
Master Naturalists
Citizen Representative Murray Rosenberg working with the Barnegat Bay Volunteer Master Naturalists.
mantoloking Small sailboat at yacht club

Protecting an Estuary of National Significance

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is one of 28 National Estuary Programs established to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. 

Though estuary regions compromise just 4 percent of the continental US land area, they house 40% of the US gross domestic product. The National Estuary Program was founded in 1987 as part of the Clean Water Act and was established to protect the integrity of estuaries of national significance.

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is a partnership of federal, state, municipal, academic, business, and private organizations that work together with the communities of the Barnegat Bay watershed to help restore, protect, and enhance the water quality and natural resources of the Barnegat Bay and its watershed.

The Barnegat Bay is roughly 75 square miles in Ocean County, New Jersey, and the watershed, which spans over 600 square miles, is home to over 560,000 people. The bay supports one of the most valuable economies of any estuary in the nation. It is an ecological treasure that supports a diverse $4 billion per year economy based on good jobs in tourism, fishing, recreation, industry, health care, and water resources.

The Barnegat Bay Partnership and its partners developed an ecosystem-based management approach to manage the water quality, water supply, living resources, and land use in the estuary. Barnegat Bay Partnership is committed to identifying priority corrective actions and timelines addressing point and nonpoint source pollution to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the estuary.​

What is the Barnegat Bay Partnership?
2025 Annual ReportComprehensive Conservation Management Plan

Shaping a Sustainable Future for Barnegat Bay

 Through research, community engagement, and educational initiatives, the Barnegat Bay Partnership and its partners developed an ecosystem-based management approach to manage the water quality, water supply, living resources, and land use in the estuary.

RESEARCH

Through collaborative research, the Barnegat Bay Partnership addresses environmental challenges impacting the estuary’s ecosystem. With contributions from staff and partners, research findings are shared widely, influencing management plans and driving restoration efforts.


EDUCATION

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is dedicated to improving coordination among partner organizations to maintain two-way interaction with stakeholders and target audiences.


COMMUNITY

The Barnegat Bay Partnership provides opportunities for the community to contribute to our mission through community science projects, outreach, education, and stewardship.


ENGAGEMENT

The Barnegat Bay Partnership welcomes volunteers for many of our initiatives. Volunteers receive training and contribute to conservation efforts through hands-on projects and community involvement.


What We Focus On

Water Quality

Safeguarding and enhancing water quality by addressing the root causes of pollution and degradation, ensuring a healthier ecosystem for all.

Water Supply

Safeguarding and enhancing water quality by addressing the root causes of degradation, ensuring clean and healthy water systems for all.

Living Resources

Conserving and restoring critical habitats within the watershed, promoting ecosystems that sustain diverse plant and animal species.

Land Use

Securing a reliable and sustainable water supply for both human communities and the surrounding ecosystems, now and in the future.

striped killifish fundulus majalis
mantoloking water quality
seine net seining
stan with other and picture
horseshoe crab
jj seining seine
bbvmn volunteer master naturalist
flower for JFY

Our Focus Areas

Water Quality

We work to protect and improve water quality by reducing the causes of water quality degradation to achieve swimmable, fishable, and drinkable water, and to support aquatic life.

Water Supply

We are working to ensure adequate water supplies and flow into the Barnegat Bay watershed for ecological and human communities now and in the future.

Living Resources

We aim to protect, restore, and enhance habitats in the bay and its watershed as well as ensure healthy and sustainable natural communities of plants and animals.

Land Use

We work to improve and sustain collaborative regional approaches to responsible land use planning and open space preservation and improve soil function, water quality, water supply and living resources.

Stewardship

The Barnegat Bay Partnership is committed to reaching the 560,000 people of the Barnegat Bay Watershed through a variety of different opportunities. From becoming a Jersey Friendly Yard Certified Citizen to a Volunteer Master Naturalist, it is our mission to empower stewardship throughout the Watershed Managament Area through hands-on experiences and opportunities.

Learn More

Paddle for the Edge Community Science

Join volunteers to paddle the bay and collect shoreline metrics. This data helps monitor shoreline health, predict environmental changes, and identify areas for restoration. 

paddle for the edge p4e

Barnegat Bay Blitz Community Cleanup

Volunteer for the annual cleanup event, that brings together hundreds of volunteers with one goal in mind – keeping our land and water clean by removing litter from our neighborhoods. 

blitz high school

Become a Master Naturalist

Learn about Barnegat Bay’s ecology and share your knowledge with others by becoming a Volunteer Master Naturalist. This program includes training in the skills and techniques volunteers use to help educate others about the bay and good stewardship of its valuable resources.

bbvmn volunteer master naturalist
jfy Kelly Austin

Create Your Jersey-Friendly Yard

Transform your outdoor space into a Jersey-Friendly Yard! Discover eco-friendly landscaping practices and get certified to show your commitment to a healthier environment.

Start Your Certification Journey

Feel free to reach out to us directly to learn more about our work

Explore the impactful initiatives that are shaping the future of environmental conservation and protection.

Get in touch
Address
Ocean County College,
1 College Drive,
Toms River, NJ, 08754
Phone
732-255-0472

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.