On the Expedition
Explore one of the most extensive salt marsh ecosystems on the East Coast in search of this ornate turtle.
With the coastal sprawl of New Jersey’s Ocean County bearing down on beautiful Barnegat Bay, this is a rare opportunity to contribute to environmental sustainability in the face of rampant development. Working from a motorized boat, your team will help capture, tag, and track terrapins in their rich estuary environment. You’ll monitor turtle nests on marsh island beaches, measure sound disturbance, and collect samples and temperature data to determine preferred habitat. Later teams will mark and tag hatchlings and determine hatching success. In your recreational time, you may choose to canoe in the spectacular Pine Barrens (one of the most unique and undeveloped ecosystems in the northeastern U.S.), visit Old Barney (one of North America’s most photographed lighthouses located on Long Beach Island), snorkel for invertebrates or take a swim at Island Beach State Park.
Meals and Accommodations
Your team will stay at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, situated on 180 acres of undeveloped coastal habitat, with beautiful views of Barnegat Bay and opportunities to explore some of the last remaining natural scenery of the New Jersey shore. The center provides double rooms, air conditioning, laundry facilities, a computer lab, lounge, and shared bathrooms with hot showers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be catered by a local chef and served in the dining room.
About the Research Area
Earthwatch teams will work within the Barnegat Bay Estuary, in the marsh systems of the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, the Sedge Island Wildlife Management area, and sites within the Forsythe Refuge. Barnegat Bay is an extremely rich ecosystem and is home to an array of bird and fish species.
Ocean County, New Jersey, is characterized by a rich history that is greatly influenced by the resources of Barnegat Bay. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, cannon balls and other iron products, charcoal, and glass were produced using local resources and industry. The commercial growth and harvest of cranberries and blueberries was also an important contributor to the regional economy. The area was then and continues to be a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. Today, tourism is a very important industry and people are still moving to the area, attracted to the bay and its beauty. The Barnegat Bay area is approximately an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City.