Protecting the Waters of LBI

We did not inherit the Earth from our parents, We are borrowing it from our children. Native

American Proverb

down at Earth from outer space, most of what you see is water. Our planet is often called “the water planet” because 71% of its surface is covered by ocean. More than one-third of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of a coastline, and one in every nine people in the world is an islander.

Ask someone who lives on a coastal island, “What makes it so special?” Chances are, the answer will have something to do with the senses. It could be the smell of the fresh, salty air, the sound of the crashing waves, the sight of a lone sea bird over the glistening water, or the warmth of the unobstructed sunlight.

Geography shapes who we are. Live on an island and you develop an “island state of mind.” You pay more attention to the weather, to the heat of the sun, to the direction of the wind, and to the condition of the sea. Living within definite boundaries can be captivating. You know where everything begins and ends—and there is something reassuring about that.

Life on an island is beautiful, unpredictable, and sometimes threatening. Surrounded by water, you learn to both love and respect the sea. Islanders depend on the water’s pleasures—swimming, surfing, boating, fishing—or a meditative walk along its shore. Islanders are also aware of the dangers—the fierce storms, the floods, the vulnerability to destructive forces.

It’s all about the surrounding waters. People have found their nourishment from it; some have made their living from it; some depend on it for recreation and pleasure. The health and welfare of the water is essential to island existence today.

Cross the causeway to Long Beach Island (LBI) and your senses fill up. One can’t help but take in the water view and a deep breath of salt air rising from Barnegat Bay. As LBIslanders, we get possessive about our little deposit of sand in the sea. It is our island, our Bay—and we are its guardians.

LBI is a barrier island, a long, narrow piece of land, separated from the mainland by a shallow bay that parallels the coastline. Barrier islands are found mostly along the eastern coast of North America.

And as a barrier island, LBI is dynamic—it is always changing. Storms and the nature of the sea have shaped this barrier island. Waves and currents remove sand from one part of the island and deposit it on another part. The constant tides transform LBI. The beach sometimes erodes and the bay sometimes fills in. Historically, great storms have had dramatic effects on the characteristics of this particular barrier island.

There is a charm and a culture to each island. Here on LBI, we have a sense of quiet casualness that dates back to early days. There is a slow pace and an appreciation for the beauty and power of nature. For all the conveniences we don’t have here, we are richly rewarded in natural amenities and peacefulness.

Life is obviously seasonal on this island. In the late spring, we have the return migrations—of birds and people. In the winter, there is a kind of cocooning that occurs, when we insulate ourselves. Fewer than 9,000 people make LBI their year-round residence. With the summer heat, the number of people swells to more than 150,000 visiting the various towns that make up the Island.

In 1835, a 40 ft. lighthouse was erected at the northern tip of LBI. Mariners found the fixed, unblinking light quite inadequate for the rough, shallow inlet waters. The tides eroded its foundation, and the original lighthouse fell into the sea.

A new, more stable 165 ft. high, it had a 1858. Standing a soaring structure was built in rotating light. A glass enclosure held the light mechanism that blinked every 10 seconds. “Old Barney’s” light could be seen by a ship at sea 25 miles away.

As LBIslanders, we seek out familiar sights and sounds—Old Barney Lighthouse rising up in the north, the squawking of gulls all along the shores. The cool breezes remind us that we are distinct from the mainland but connected by the water. We take for granted that our glorious Bay will be there for us. But, are we there for the Bay? We all need to become aware of the challenges to the health of our Bay. With this knowledge, we can help Barnegat Bay thrive. We can take action to protect our island and its waters before it’s too late. Now is the time. It’s our Bay—our responsibility.