Barnegat Bay is "an ecological treasure and tourism asset that is important to all of New Jersey," DEP Commissioner Robert Martin said Wednesday.
The studies will fill in "data gaps" that will help define the actions needed to bring the bay "back from many decades of decline," Martin said. "We are extremely fortunate to have such a pool of talent and expertise in marine sciences so close at hand. . . ."
Partnering with the DEP will be the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, and Montclair State, Rider University, and Monmouth Universities.
"These studies represent the most comprehensive research commitment to the Barnegat Bay in the past 30 to 40 years, perhaps ever," said Stan Hales, executive director of the Barnegat Bay Partnership. "They should provide us with a more complete understanding of the bay's current condition and the extent to which the bay's ecology has changed."
Gov. Christie issued a plan last year to help the bay, including the early closure of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant and changes to the composition of fertilizer sold in the state to let less polluting nitrogen enter the bay.
