Current Activities

Dr. Peter Rowe: Research and Extension Director

Marina Display Case Program

Coordinated by NJMSC/NJSGEP and funded through I BOAT NJ, the Marina Display Case Program offers free outdoor display cases to New Jersey’s public and private marinas. The project educates boaters, many of whom are also fishers, about annual changes in catch regulations. One side of the display case showcases an annually updated poster of the marine recreational fishing limits, while the other side offers space for the marina and the recreational boating community to post announcements and educational and outreach materials for boaters and anglers. Currently, nearly 300 marinas participate in the program.

Participating marinas from the first two years were surveyed to assess the project’s effectiveness and discover what kind of information and resources could be produced in the future for display. Over 48% of the marinas responded to the survey, rating the display cases a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 for their usefulness. Additionally, 97% of marina owners estimated over 50% of their boaters noticed or read the contents of the display cases. As part of the survey, marina owners also provided their thoughts on other marina- and coastal-related issues. The survey will be repeated in late 2008, also targeting boaters in the effort. For more information about the display case project, contact Dr. Peter Rowe

Dr. Jon Miller: Coastal Processes Specialist

Rip Current Awareness

Five years ago, the NJMSC/NJSGEP launched a comprehensive rip current awareness campaign for New Jersey which included designing, producing and distributing thousands of metal signs in English and in Spanish, warning swimmers about the danger of rip currents and illustrating what to do if caught in one. The signs were posted at high-traffic beach access and bathing points in essentially every shore community along the New Jersey coast. Thousands of rip current awareness brochures were printed and distributed at municipal buildings, beach badge check-points and other strategic locations from Sandy Hook to Cape May. The initial rip current awareness project was a partnership effort between NJMSC/NJSG and the NJDEP, NJDOT, NJ Travel and Tourism, NOAA-NWS and the NJ State Police OEM.

Under the direction of Dr. Miller, NJMSC/NJSGEP recently revamped and revved up its campaign to promote rip current safety statewide. A revised (2009) downloadable rip current awareness brochure and other resource materials are now available and New Jersey is now also producing and distributing compatible resource materials created as part of a national campaign by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service.

State of the Shore Report

Each year, a variety of weather events affect the condition of New Jersey’s beaches. Dr. Miller prepares the annual State of the Shore Report which summarizes New Jersey coastal storm impacts from September to April. He presents his data at the State of the Shore Media Event which takes place the week before the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Chronic Impacts of Climate Change to Urban Coasts and Economies Workshop

Global climate change is as much an issue for urban coasts as it is for any other portion of the shore; unfortunately, little research has been directed toward addressing these chronic issues and how to effectively manage them. Jon was instrumental in planning the Chronic Impacts of Climate Change to Urban Coasts and Economies Workshop which took place in November 2007. International experts in climate change and sea level rise convened at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey to discuss these impacts and outline possible solution. Jon is currently working on developing the proceedings which will be available on the Chronic Risk website. To view participant presentations.

Amy Boyajian and Jillian Thompson: Program Associates for Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program and NJMSC/NJSGEP Water Resources Agents

Restore-a-Waterway

The Restore-a-Waterway program in New Jersey was established to provide hands-on technical assistance to citizen groups wanting to take action in restoring the quality of a waterway. The NJMSC/NJSGEP provided assistance to this program through physical, biological and chemical monitoring; interpretation and analysis of data; designing solutions to mitigate the identified problems and securing funds to implement the designed solutions. To date, over $120,000 has been secured from non-profit foundations in collaboration with citizen groups. Restore-a-Waterway also conducts technical workshops on watershed restoration topics.

Stormwater Management in Your Backyard (Rain Gardens)

Stormwater Management in Your Backyard is an education program that builds upon the existing capacity of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) system to deliver stormwater management education to local communities. The main goal of the program is to make homeowners better stewards of water resources by teaching them how to properly manage stormwater and reduce pollution on their own properties. A major component of the program is the construction of demonstration rain gardens in high visibility areas (municipal, buildings, libraries, schools, etc). Extension workshops led by the Water Resources Agents are designed around the demonstration sites so residents can learn hands-on how to maximize the use of rain gardens

Michael J. Danko: Marine Recreation Agent - Fisheries & Boating

New Jersey Clean Marina Program

NJ Clean Marina

The New Jersey Clean Marina Program (NJCMP) is a voluntary, incentive-based initiative that encourages marinas to adopt environment-friendly business practices to reduce pollution in local waterbodies. The NJCMP is managed by the Coastal Management Office of the NJDEP and has entered into a formal agreement with the NJMSC/NJSGEP to carry out additional tasks such as outreach to marina owners, yacht clubs and boatyards, coordination of educational workshops and provision of technical assistance.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s I BOAT NJ Program recently awarded over $400,000 to NJMSC/NJSG to expand the efforts of the NJCMP including establishing a mini-grant program and conducting activities that will enhance the marina industry.

You can learn more about the NJCMP by downloading a copy of the brochure, requesting a copy of the NJ Clean Marina Guidebook, or visiting njcleanmarina.org

To learn more about the mini-grant program and other Marina Industry Enhancements (M. I. E.) planned by the NJMSC/NJSG, visit our M.I. E page.

New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program

Since 1995, the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program has provided marina owners in New Jersey with an opportunity to apply for funds to install vessel pump-outs at their facilities to collect and dispose of vessel-generated sewage. With the assistance of NJMSC/NJSGEP there are now 177 pump-outs and five (5) pump-out vessels serving boaters throughout the state. Marina owners can contact the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey at 732-292-1051 or info@mtanj.org for an application for funds to construct a pumpout facility. Boaters can visit njfishandwildlife.org for information on the location of pumpout facilities or for an interactive mapping version visit http://ims.rutgers.edu/pumpout.The New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program is pleased to announce the availability of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) funding to New Jersey marinas for the 2008 boating season. If you chose to participate and have marina staff conduct the pumpout, the Program requires that you keep pumpout usage logs.

Boat Ramp Count and Condition Assessment

The NJMSC/NJSGEP recently conducted a count and condition assessment of all boat ramps located in tidal waters of New Jersey supported by funds from I BOAT NJ. Type of ramp surface, ramp condition, accessibility, parking, facilities available at or near the ramp, and other pertinent information was collected. This data was used to produce the New Jersey Boater’s Ramp Guide for ramps located on tidal fresh and marine waters in the state of New Jersey. Click here to request a hard copy of the Guide. An online version is available at njboatramps.org

Shrink Wrap Plus

Improving Recycling in the Recreational Boating Industry

In 2007, the NJMSC/NJSGEP and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Office partnered to increase the number of shrink wrap recycling locations and launch an education and outreach effort to promote recycling shrink wrap and other materials used to store and maintain boats. This initiative was made possible by a grant from the I BOAT NJ Program. The following fact sheets contain information on recycling and shrink wrap recycling locations: Marine Business Version, Boater Version.

Jenny McCormick: Coastal Communities Agent

Educational Signage Projects

Bradley Beach Series

The NJMSC/NJSGEP has partnered with several coastal communities to develop signage projects educating the general public on the coastal environment, its animals and plants and the importance of preserving this natural resource. The Treasure Trail in Belmar, developed with the Belmar Environmental Commission, features a series of ten full-color interpretive signs to teach beachgoers about coastal ecosystems. A treasure hunt activity provides visitors with an opportunity to take a fun quiz about what they learned, and even win a “treasure” for their efforts.

In Bradley Beach, a series of five signs were developed with the Bradley Beach Environmental Commission to educate residents and visitors about local dunes and the overall beach environment. Currently, the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension Program is working with the Shark River Cleanup Coalition and the Neptune Environmental Commission to develop educational signs for the Shark River watershed in Neptune. More recently, Jenny and NJMSC/NJSG worked with a local student to produce an interpretive sign for a local student's Eagle Scout project. The student created a picnic area that included a sign about birds and waterfowl that is now part of the Belmar Treasure Trail sign project. For more information on the Educational Signage Program, please contact Jenny McCormick.

Coastal Heritage New Jersey Web Guide

Historic and cultural treasures exist up and down the New Jersey coastline, but are widely unknown. To better inform visitors and residents of tourism opportunities in maritime heritage, NJMSC/NJSGEP developed the Coastal Heritage New Jersey Web Guide (coastalheritagenj.com). A steering committee comprised of 15 organizations including the project’s funding partners, county tourism and cultural representatives and other relevant groups contributed to the project’s development. Funding for the project was provided by several sources including the NJMSC/NJSG, DOC-Office of Travel and Tourism, NJDEP-Coastal Management Program, and NOAA-NMFS.

The Guide will provide information on coastal attractions, monuments and memorials, museums, historic districts and other places that allow visitors to explore New Jersey’s maritime heritage and culture. Information includes the location of the site and easy-link access that will provide all the information needed to plan a day trip or longer vacation to the Jersey Shore or Delaware Bay area. This Guide brings much-needed attention to many of the undiscovered cultural and historical sites the Jersey Shore and Delaware Bay areas.

New Jersey Coastal Access Web Site

The New Jersey Coastal Access web site, located at njcoastalaccess.org, offers specific legal information and tools that address defined coastal access needs and issues and enables New Jersey waterfront users, coastal communities, and land owners to deal with those issues cooperatively and hopefully without litigation. The project was funded through a mini-grant from the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC).

The site is designed to help users understand how the law might apply to their needs but does not provide legal advice, which is the application of law to someone's specific circumstances. The site will be monitored and updated regularly to reflect the frequent changes in legal rulings and state regulations affecting public access.

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