Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Summer-Fall - Flipbook - Page 22
PARTNERSHIP
EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH
GET TO KNOW THE BARNEGAT BAY PARTNERSHIP
To those who live, work, or play along the Jersey Shore, the
Barnegat Bay is more than just a scenic backdrop. It supports
wildlife, recreation, tourism, and the region’s quality of life.
Protecting this vital ecosystem is the mission of the Barnegat
Bay Partnership (BBP), a collaborative organization that
brings together scientists, government agencies, educators,
businesses, and community members to safeguard one of
New Jersey’s most valuable natural resources.
Among its current initiatives are two new Watershed Protection
and Restoration Plans, one focused on the Toms River subwatershed and another covering the Cedar Creek, Forked River,
and Oyster Creek watershed complex. These plans identify
water quality challenges within each watershed and recommend practical strategies for improving conditions. They
are currently under review by the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection and other stakeholders.
The Barnegat Bay Partnership is one of 28 National Estuary
Programs in the United States, established under the Clean
Water Act. Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and administered by Ocean County College, the BBP and its
many partners work across the watershed to restore, maintain,
protect, and enhance the health of the Barnegat Bay estuary.
The BBP also maintains a network of continuous water quality monitoring stations throughout Barnegat Bay. Since 2017,
these stations have collected valuable information that supports statewide Clean Water Act assessments while providing
scientists, educators, and residents with access to reliable environmental data. An online Environmental Monitoring Portal
allows users to explore monitoring sites across the watershed,
see what information is being collected, and access publicly
available data.
The BBP’s work is focused on four priority areas: water quality,
water supply, living resources, and land use. These efforts are
interconnected, because what happens on land directly affects
the health of the water and the fish, wildlife, and people who
depend on it. The BBP collaborates with researchers and partner agencies to better understand the estuary through science
and research, in order to inform restoration and management
decisions.
22 Summer-Fall 2026
Protecting wildlife is another essential part of the BBP’s mission. By monitoring key aquatic species and tracking changes
in their populations, researchers gain valuable insight into
the overall health of the estuary. This information helps guide
habitat restoration projects and provides local resource
