Bringing back bivalves in Barnegat Bay

"Many times people are being told what they should do, but are never given the chance to understand the how and why of it," said Simkins, a summer intern with Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Ocean County.

"This project allows people to get up close whether they want to just come to a lecture and learn about it, or want to get directly involved with the program."

Simkins said a simple thing such as being taught that using fertilizer on a lawn in North Jersey can hurt the bay and the ocean in South Jersey may make some people alter how they garden.

Science teacher Fran Zak, of Montvale, Bergen County, is a ReClam the Bay volunteer who teaches children about the species in the bay.

"You really never know what spark you can inspire in these kids or adults," Zak said. "Maybe something they learn here today will lead them to make important changes in their lives.

"Or maybe one of these kids will one day choose a career in environmental science. Or, at the very least, be better stewards of the environment in the future."

Clam Facts

The hard clam, or Mercenaria mercenaria, is a bivalve mollusk also known as the Northern quahog.

Bivalves have two shells that are joined together at a hinge called the umbo. The shells are opened and closed by two pairs of muscles on the inside.

The clam resides just below the surface of the sand or mud. It has a foot to dig its way in.

Hard clams are filter-feeders. With two small tongues, they simultaneously siphon and filter the small plants and animals, known as plankton, that float in the water.

SOURCE: "The Island Blue Pages, A Guide to Protecting LBI's Waters," published by the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, 2008.

If You Go

ReClam the Bay will hold programs Wednesday and Thursday mornings through August on Long Beach Island. For information, call 732-349-1152 or go to .

Information about Alliance for a Living Ocean, including a program in which nets are used to pull creatures from the Barnegat Bay, may be obtained by calling 609-492-0222.