A Living Shoreline Coming Soon to Raritan Bay!

NY/NJ Baykeeper and our partner, the Rutgers University Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability (CUES), will be installing a 0.91 acre Living Shoreline adjacent to Ware Creek at Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWSE) in NJ  this spring! We'll be testing whether an artificial oyster reef installation parallel to the mouth of the creek will reduce soil erosion. We'll be using oyster castles (concrete homes for the oysters) to construct the reef.

Coastal erosion along shorelines is a natural process that is threatening the expanding population within the coastal zone of NJ. Vertical oyster reef structures can reduce storm energies. However, it is not known if this is an effective technique in urban estuaries, which is why we will be conducting this important research to strengthen our coasts!

Other activities occurring at NWSE this summer include setting oysters at our aquaculture facility, monitoring the oysters and structures in the ¼ acre experimental plot to assess overwinter survival and growth, repeating our successful biodiversity study, and continuing to collect water quality data. We're thankful for all the help the US Navy has provided over the years through our unique partnership! Stay tuned for updates!