OCEAN COUNTY –Members of the Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP) recently released their State of the Bay Report.
The BBP the National Estuary Program for the Barnegat Bay is one of 28 National Estuary Programs and comprises federal, state, county, municipal, academic, business, and community stakeholders working together to help restore, maintain, protect, and enhance the water quality and living resources of the Barnegat Bay and its contributing watershed.
The State of the Bay Report is issued every five years and is prepared by a technical work group of Barnegat Bay scientists who review data from recent and continuing research to assess the current environmental conditions of the bay and its watershed.
State of the Bay Report 2021 compares the bay’s current conditions with eight Ecosystem Targets identified in the 2021 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Barnegat Bay – Little Egg Harbor Estuary.
According to the BBP, specific environmental outcomes can be monitored to measure progress. The targets address public beach openings, hard clam restoration, approved shellfish harvesting areas, wetlands protection, water conservation and reuse, submerged aquatic vegetation extent, wetland and riparian buffer preservation, and ecological water flows.
In last year’s State of the Bay Report, the eight Ecosystem Targets are used to describe the overall physical, chemical, and biotic conditions of the bay. The report uses recent and ongoing research by academic, government, and private-sector scientists and engineers to determine the status and trends of each of the targets.
The report provides a summary of the report’s findings. Issues can be explored in more detail by referring to the sections about each Ecosystem Target. Helpful figures, maps, and other graphics illustrate the text, and stunning photographs show the beauty of Barnegat Bay and its watershed.
BBP Director Dr. Stan Hales said, “the Barnegat Bay Partnership will continue to use the best science available to protect and restore this unique ecosystem that we all treasure. We hope you will join us in these endeavors and help us build on the successes of the past five years.”
For additional information, visit the BBP website to view and/or download the 2021 State of the Bay Report. You can e-mail bbp@ocean.edu to request a print copy.
