Barnegat Bay Environment
The Watershed
The Barrier Islands
Island Beach
Island Beach
The Barnegat Peninsula, also known as the Island Beach Peninsula or Barnegat Bay Island and colloquially as “the barrier island”, is a 20-mile long, narrow barrier peninsula located on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, that divides the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a vacation destination and summer colony area and is heavily dependent on tourism, real estate and fishing.
Since the Point Pleasant Canal was built in 1925 connecting the Manasquan Inlet with the Barnegat Bay, the peninsula is technically an island.
The southern 10 miles of the barrier island are preserved in their natural state as Island Beach State Park, New Jersey’s longest stretch of undeveloped coastline.
Notable communities on the peninsula include Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head, Mantoloking, Lavallette, Ortley Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and the South Seaside Park section of Berkeley Township.
Fun Fact The American (MTV) reality television series “Jersey Shore” featured housemates in a summer share in Seaside Heights, NJ.
Island Beach State Park
Despite being located a relatively short drive from some of the the most densely populated areas in the United States, Island Beach State Park is shaped more by natural forces than by the hand of man.
The ocean, bay, sand dunes, plants, animals, and physical forces that shape Island Beach State Park can all be found in other places outside the park’s boundaries.
What is unique is that all of these elements are found together in a relatively large expanse of preserved barrier island.
Most of the land within Island Beach and the aquatic habitats that surround much of the park’s terrestrial habitats are protected from large scale human disturbance.
Sedge Island – Island Beach State Park
Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, located in Barnegat Bay off Island Beach State Park, in New Jersey’s only marine conservation zone offers residential environmental education programs to participants 12 years of age and older.
A short 15-minute boat ride from the Sedge Dock at Island Beach State Park takes you to the island. The renovated duck hunting lodge dates to over 100 years old, and is full of history of famous sportsman, historians and conservationists.
Sedge Island continues to fuel memories as it is home to scientists, researchers, and explorers who wish to experience the “magic of sedge.” Each day the sunrise wakes the house and the marsh comes alive around it
Fun Fact – Sedge -a grasslike plant with triangular stems and inconspicuous flowers, growing typically in wet ground.
Marine Conservation Zone
The Sedge Islands/Island Beach State Park Marine Conservation Zone as example of marine zoning in New Jersey
As New Jersey’s first Marine Conservation Zone, the Sedge Islands/Island Beach State Park Marine Conservation Zone was designed to reduce the environmental impacts of personal watercraft and better manage wildlife, recreation and traditional uses of the area.
Protecting and preserving this sensitive marine habitat and the natural vegetation of this shallow tidal marsh area of Barnegat Bay is critical for the environmental health of the bay and its resources.
The Marine Conservation Zone plays an important role in protecting sensitive habitat, including bird-nesting and foraging sites, and successfully resolves conflict issues between personal watercraft and living resources within the area
Long Beach Island LBI
Long Beach Island
Colloquially known as LBI is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States.
Aligned north to south, the northern portion has generally more expensive low-density housing.
The southern portion possesses higher-density housing and considerable commercial development. The primary industries include tourism, fishing, and real estate.
The only access point to the island by land is by the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, familiarly known as the Manahawkin Bay Bridge or (while technically inaccurate) “The Causeway”.
Long Beach Island
In the north part of the island is Barnegat Light, which encompasses Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and the commercial fishing port of Viking Village.
The east of the island is the Atlantic Ocean.
To the west is The Barnegat Bay Complex
The Barnegat Bay complex contains the open water and tidal wetlands of Barnegat Bay, Manahawkin Bay, and Little Egg Harbor (bay)
Long Beach Island view from Barnegat Light
Southern Long Beach Island
The Holgate Unit of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is located at the southern tip of Long Beach Island and is part of Forsythe’s designated Wilderness Area.
It consists of more than 400 acres of barrier beaches, dunes and tidal salt marsh.
