The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program

The Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP)
is one of 28 Congressionally designated National Estuary Programs throughout the United States working to improve the health of nationally significant estuaries. The program is sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and Ocean County College.

Mission Statement In cooperation with our community, the BBNEP is committed to action to restore, maintain, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Barnegat Bay estuary and its contributing watershed through the 21st century.

If so, this is a crab that has been tagged as part of a study to examine the movements of adult blue crabs in Barnegat Bay, and we'll need you to help us record the information on the tag. Click here to find out how you can help. Or visit http://njbluecrabs.wordpress.com/ for instructions on how to provide the recorded information and claim the reward for the tag ($5 for a pink tag and $20 for a yellow tag).

The American Littoral Society (ALS) is sponsoring a contest for residents of the Barnegat Bay watershed...pick a spot of lawn in your yard to replant with low maintenance, Bay friendly, native plants. Win a free "Bayscaping" consultation with an expert gardener and free plants to make your yard more Bay friendly. ALS will feature your completed bayscaping project on their web site as an example for others to follow. Submission deadline is JULY 25, 2008, 5 pm. A winner will be drawn at random from all entries that meet the requirements and will be announced on the Shawn and Sue WOBM morning show on or about August 7, 2008. Go to www.protectbarnegatbay.com for contest rules and information and download an entry form!

OR take the "BARNEGAT BAY BUDDY CHALLENGE" to see if your family, home, business or municipality can take on small but important actions to protect Barnegat Bay!

Save Barnegat Bay, Clean Ocean Action, and the many organizations of the Nitrogen Pollution Action Project encourage you to download the Barnegat Bay Buddy Challenge brochure and become a "certified" Bay Buddy this summer. Bay Buddy certificates can then be proudly displayed at your home or business and in The Barnegat Bay Beat.

Pump-out boats will begin operation Memorial Day weekend and run through the end of September, with hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays through Mondays. Boaters can reach the pump-out boats through VHF Radio Channel 9 by identifying the boat, its location and service requested. The boats are also in operation on holidays and special events. There is no charge for the service.