Press Release
Protecting New Jersey’s Vital Salt Marshes for Sharks and Communities
The Jersey Shore, renowned for its scenic beauty, is home to over 200,000 acres of vital salt marshes. These ecosystems play a crucial role in reducing tidal flooding, boosting local economies, and providing essential habitats for wildlife, including sand tiger and sandbar sharks. These species utilize the marshes as nurseries, where young sharks thrive in safety before venturing into the ocean.
The Nature Conservancy, in collaboration with Monmouth and Rutgers Universities, is conducting research to monitor shark populations and their movements in these coastal environments. Recent data indicate that these sharks are consistently using New Jersey’s estuaries each summer, highlighting the urgency of protecting these habitats, which are currently threatened by erosion, rising sea levels, and human activities.
To combat this, the Conservancy is advocating for innovative sediment management, which involves using dredged materials to restore and elevate marshlands. This method not only maintains navigation channels but also fosters healthier marsh ecosystems.
Community members are encouraged to support shark and marsh conservation by promoting awareness, advocating for restoration funding, complying with regulations, and even adopting a shark to fund coastal restoration efforts. Together, we can ensure that New Jersey’s salt marshes and their inhabitants thrive for generations to come.
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