NEW JERSEY’S HIDDEN COAST – EPISODE 4
By Emily Hofmann, Assistant Communications Manager
Periodic storms are an unavoidable fact of life when you live along the coast. In rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, we realized we needed a new way of thinking about beach restoration on New Jersey’s Hidden Coast – the Delaware Bayshore. Storms like Sandy and Katrina have shown us that the most effective way to control storm surge is to follow Mother Nature’s lead. The restoration of tidal wetlands, or marshes, will help absorb the brunt of coastal storms, acting as a buffer between the beaches and the mainland.
Learn more about marsh restoration – one of the key components to rebuilding coastal beaches – in the fourth episode of our video series.
A new episode of our video series “New Jersey’s Hidden Coast” will air every two weeks throughout the summer! Catch a glimpse of the bay, the horseshoe crab at the center of the bay’s system, and the incredible relationship between horseshoe crabs and migratory birds, like the red knot. We will reveal the real value of horseshoe crabs, the challenges to the ecosystem, and the potential for a thriving regional economy along the Bayshore. We will show Hurricane Sandy as a catalyst for decisive action and the work being done to rebuild the area for both people and wildlife.
Over the next several weeks, we will explore the use of “living shorelines” instead of bulkheads and the central importance of marshes to the marine ecosystem. We will discover the on-the-ground, grassroots efforts of the community to build oyster reefs alongside veterans. And we will examine the future of the Bay and the work that needs to be done to preserve our conservation successes thus far.
Discover Delaware Bay:
- Explore cultural sites and other points of interest in Cumberland County
- Grab a meal and a place to stay in Cape May County
- Where to see horseshoe crabs and shorebirds
- Learn more about our work to restore Delaware Bay at RestoreNJBayshore.org
Tags: 2016, American Littoral Society, beach restoration, bird, bird migration, Conserve Wildlife Foundation, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, Delaware Bay, Delaware Bayshore, marsh restoration, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New Jersey, new jersey wildlife, New Jersey's Hidden Coast, NJ, red knot, red knots, Restore NJ Bayshore, Sandy, Shorebirds, wildlife