Understanding the Challenges

When the well is dry, we know the value of water.

Benjamin Franklin

Barnegat Bay significant challenges.

is a beautiful water environment that supports a unique and rich habitat of plant and wildlife species. We can no longer take this fragile ecosystem for granted. Changes in the life of the Bay are resulting in habitat loss and deterioration of water quality. We have tampered with nature, and the consequences present us with

Both point and non-point sources (NPS) of pollution affect the Bay. Operation of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, an example of point source pollution, is responsible for low-level radioactive waste, thermal discharges, and increased mortality of organisms. The biggest problem influencing the health of our Bay today is called non-point source pollution because it comes from many different sources. NPS pollution is mainly caused by rain and snow runoff encountering and picking up pollutants. This polluted water ends up in our rivers, wetlands, and coastal waters. NPS pollution is often called “people pollution” because it results mostly from people’s everyday activities and household habits.

Even the ways people landscape can cause this problem. By using impervious landscape-cover like cement driveways and nonporous pavers, ground water is prevented from being absorbed and filtered in the sand and soil. Impervious surfaces cause NPS water pollution problems by repelling water and allowing pollutants to be washed into the Bay in storm water runoff.

Pesticides and fertilizers in storm water runoff are a major source of contamination. The number one culprit is nitrogen—too much nitrogen. Although nitrogen is a nutrient for plants, too much nitrogen-loading of the Bay estuary results in severe problems for plant and marine life. Nitrogen is a main ingredient in fertilizer, and it has the same effect in water that it does on land: it makes plants grow. In the Bay, it causes unwanted algae blooms so thick that they shade—and kill—the sea grass beds below. As the algae die, they decay and rob the water of oxygen. This process is called eutrophication. They also prevent sunlight from penetrating the water. Inevitably, submerged vegetation, deprived of light, is lost. Fish and shellfish that depend on sea grasses for food, shelter, and oxygen leave the area or die.

Air pollution also affects the health of the Bay by adding to the nitrogen-loading of the water. The source of this air contamination is the burning of fossil fuels used to power cars, trucks, boats, farm equipment, and industry. About 54% of the nitrogen (3.2 million tons) emitted by the burning of fossil fuels falls into U.S. watersheds every year. When the contaminants fall from the sky into our waters, either as rain or snow or dry particles, it is called atmospheric deposition.

When nitrogen gets into the Bay, it can’t get out easily. Because of the small exchange ratio of Bay water in each tidal cycle, a complete turnover takes about 70 days. Because Barnegat Bay takes so long to completely flush out, it is especially susceptible to nitrogen-loading.

Many everyday products we use in our cars, on our boats, and at home are poison to the Bay. Trash and marine debris pose danger to the animals in the Barnegat Bay system. Even something as “natural” as animal waste can upset our waters.

When motor oil, pet waste, trash, and other pollutants are not disposed of properly, they are washed by rain into storm drains and flow directly into the Bay. During storms and severe high tides, LBI storm drains back up and leave considerable pollution floating around.

What goes down storm drains is a problem in our Barnegat Bay community. They collect gasoline and oil, cigarette butts, and lots of other harmful substances. LBI is one area that has put warning signs on storm drains. You can see this program in action—just look at the signs. They are there to remind you that everything ultimately ends up in our Bay.

Marinas and boating activities can also contribute to NPS pollution. The wakes produced by boats and personal watercraft (jet skis) can erode shorelines, disturb sensitive shoreline vegetation, and degrade fish and wildlife habitats. Birds scared off their nests by the noise of a nearby motor may not return to fledge their dependent chicks. Marine life are known to ingest or become entangled in debris that has been thrown overboard. Unfortunately, plastic pieces and plastic bags are often mistaken for food by fish, turtles, and other animals. Chemicals used to maintain and repair boats, such as solvents, oils, paints, and cleansers, may spill into the water or make their way into the Bay. As little as one quart of oil or gasoline can contaminate up to 250,000 gallons of water.

Many natural phenomena threaten the health of the bays and coastal wetlands. Storms, erosion, invasion of foreign types of plant species that try to push out native wetland plants are among them. Typically, the environment adjusts to such natural hazards.

How do we know when our Bay is healthy ?

T • he water is clean and clear.

• abundantly.

Native plant life grows

Invasive species are controlled.

•

• The wetlands are pollution-free.

T

• here’s no habitat loss.

• The marine life population is

Eelgrass beds are thriving.

• growing.

Deterioration of Barnegat Bay’s natural estuarine environment and water quality is directly related to overdevelopment. It has caused habitat loss and pollution, and impairs the natural ability of the wetlands to purify and filter the waters of the Bay. Wetlands also have the ability to migrate farther inland to accommodate sea-level rise. But, with development of waterfront properties and bulkheading, there’s no place for the wetlands to go, and they can “drown,” which means all of their potential benefits are lost.

According to the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP), during the 1990s the municipalities surrounding Barnegat Bay reported population growth and development that on average exceeded 20% per year. Boat traffic in Barnegat Bay has also grown, raising concerns about its impact on the Bay’s water quality.

The summer flounder (Paralichthysdentatus) , or fluke, is a flatfish found in coastal waters from the southern Gulf of Maine to Florida. Like other species of flatfish, a fluke has both eyes on one side of its head and rests on the ocean floor on its side. This is a very active, fast-growing predator fish. Flounder feed on smaller fish of various sorts, on squid, crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans as well as on smallshelled mollusks, worms, and sand dollars.

Summer flounder are called the chameleons of the sea because of their ability to change color to match the bottom on which they lie. It takes them only an instant to bury themselves up to their eyes in the sand. Generally they are white below and darker above, but they can turn various shades of gray, blue, green, orange, and almost black.

There are two things we need to think about when it comes to our fresh and salt water—keeping them clean and conserving them. New Jersey receives an average of 44 inches of precipitation annually, much of which is lost as a source of drinking water because impervious surfaces prevent it from getting back into the ground and aquifers. Water should not be wasted at any time. Water conservation reduces stress on the aquifers, the watershed ecosystem, and the water supply.

Quality of life on LBI depends on a healthy Barnegat Bay. How can we tell whether the Bay is healthy? Like humans with an illness, there are symptoms when the Bay is not doing well. The clear water gets cloudy and murky. Algae blooms color the water red or brown. The shellfish populations are down. There are new eruptions of stinging sea nettles. One of the best barometers of the health of the Bay is the sea grass, which is also called submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV).

SAV beds are the sentinels of the Bay. Not only do they protect bay life, they are the most sensitive indicators of the health of the Bay. SAV depends on good water visibility. As Barnegat Bay waters become more turbid, there is less light for photosynthesis. Reduced photosynthesis also means there is less oxygen available for marine life. Unfortunately, SAV is declining.

Nitrogen is an element that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It is not only in all living organisms, it is essential for life and growth. Nitrogen is in water and soil as part of the nitrogen cycle. Most of the air we breath is nitrogen. Because everything needs it, it is essential for nitrogen to be on the Earth. Unfortunately, too much nitrogen causes problems.

Humans are unbalancing the global nitrogen cycle. Our activities have at least doubled the amount of nitrogen available for uptake by plants. In other words, we are overfertilizing the Earth. Nitrogen-loading is causing fundamental damage to our ecosystems. Rising nitrogen loads have led to unwanted plant and algae growth in coastal areas. This causes eutrophication—rapid plant growth in water resulting in oxygen deprivation for other species.

Everything in the natural world is connected. Some changes are part of nature’s plan. Nature doesn’t take a day off or even stay still. This is most obvious along the coast. For millions of years the wind, waves, tides, and currents have built up the sand beaches and then wiped them out. Nature’s whims have changed the shape and dimension of the shoreline. Other changes, however, are caused by humans.

History tells us that the first people on LBI had great admiration for their natural environment. The Lenni Lenape believed that humans were only a small part of Nature’s design. Therefore, they treated everything in their world, the waters, plants, and animals alike, with abundant respect. It is an example we need to follow and a message we need to heed.