Restoring Critical Delaware Bay Habitat for Rare Wildlife
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey is a vital part of a cross-sector team that is leading the efforts to restore the local ecology and economy of New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore region.
Photo Credit: Jan Van der Kam
On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New Jersey. Its devastating impact on the Atlantic coast was well-publicized, but the storm surge also destroyed most of the beaches on the Delaware Bay.
In response, a coalition of biologists, conservation groups, including Conserve Wildlife Foundation, and government agencies sprang into action, and in 2012, successfully restored five Delaware Bay beaches with nearly 30,000 tons of sand.
Additional work after 2012 restored another mile of shoreline, including two new beaches of poor quality even before Sandy. Our restoration work will continue over the coming years, but meanwhile, we, together with American Littoral Society, are pioneering new ways to create a more resilient Delaware Bay shoreline.
For the first time, all Bay communities are taking part in the protection of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. Concerned citizens are also taking part alongside seasoned professionals with new and expanded volunteer programs like bird banding, horseshoe crab tagging, beach stewardship and the construction of protective oyster reefs.
Together, we can create a resilient Delaware Bayshore teaming with horseshoe crabs, shorebirds and a thriving natural ecosystem that benefits the local economy and Bayshore communities.
Delaware Bay is critical habitat for:
- Federally listed Red Knots
- Horseshoe Crabs
- Ruddy Turnstones
- Semipalmated Sandpipers
- Dunlins
- And so many other migratory shorebirds!
The time-honored migration of Red Knots to reach the eggs of ancient horseshoe crabs is a wildlife spectacle of global significance in Delaware Bay. Red Knots come to New Jersey’s Delaware Bay from as far away as the southernmost tip of South America to feed on horseshoe crab eggs. It is vital that we promote coastal resiliency projects to support the largest population of horseshoe crabs in the world, and the human communities of the Delaware Bayshore alike.
Learn More:
- Visit RestoreNJBayshore.org for more information about our restoration work
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Bay Shorebird Project
- Read our most recent Delaware Bay blog posts
- In the News: Latest Delaware Bay Headlines
 | 2015 Beach Restoration Infographic - 470.4KB |
| 2015 Delaware Bay Shorebird Project Infographic - 198.3KB |
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Contacts:
David Wheeler, Executive Director
- 609.292.1276
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