Littoral​ Society

  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Advocacy
    • Fish Tagging
    • Presentations
  • Where We Work
    • Sandy Hook
    • Barnegat Bay
    • Delaware Bay
    • Jamaica Bay
    • Sarasota Bay
    • National Policy
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Staff
    • Officers & Trustees
    • Financial Accountability
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
    • Contact
  • Newsroom
    • Littoral News
    • Press Releases
    • Videos
    • Publications
    • Reports
  • Blog
  • Join Us
    • Donate
    • Membership
    • Sponsor
    • Sign Up for Littoral Updates
    • Littorally Local
    • Lobster Run
    • Upcoming Events
    • Field Trips
    • Volunteer
    • Jobs
  • Store
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Advocacy
    • Fish Tagging
    • Presentations
  • Where We Work
    • Sandy Hook
    • Barnegat Bay
    • Delaware Bay
    • Jamaica Bay
    • Sarasota Bay
    • National Policy
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Staff
    • Officers & Trustees
    • Financial Accountability
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
    • Contact
  • Newsroom
    • Littoral News
    • Press Releases
    • Videos
    • Publications
    • Reports
  • Blog
  • Join Us
    • Donate
    • Membership
    • Sponsor
    • Sign Up for Littoral Updates
    • Littorally Local
    • Lobster Run
    • Upcoming Events
    • Field Trips
    • Volunteer
    • Jobs
  • Store

The Society Blog

Water Champions Program Wraps at Rossi Elementary

3/17/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
With the help of students, teachers and school staff, the Littoral Society recently wrapped up our Water Champions program with Anthony Rossi Elementary School.

The program has been ongoing since 2017 and has has involved teaching students at five South Jersey Schools about the importance of water conservation.

Saving water is critical for maintaining aquifers in coastal areas and surface water flows. So, as part of the Water Champions program we taught students how to conduct water audits at home, school, and local businesses to identify areas for improvement.

Using grant money provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, we installed high efficiency fixtures in the two restrooms at Rossi Elementary that student audits indicated had the greatest potential for water savings. Those audits calculated that these upgrades could save nearly 65,000 gallons of water per year!

“What a wonderful job done by all involved, especially the students who conducted the hands-on audits and calculated the numbers needed to get this grant going!” said Amber Egorov, the teacher we worked with at Rossi Elementary.

0 Comments

Littoral Society Thanks Staff During Women's History Month

3/17/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​March is Women’s History Month and a great time to celebrate the impacts that women have had on the environmental movement.

Among the women to be celebrated are Dr. Eugenie Clark, one of the founding members of the Littoral Society and a pioneer in coastal conservation. Last month, the Littoral Society also highlighted some of our brilliant female scientists in a blog post honoring women in STEM.
​

Now, we’d like to take a moment to thank the female staff members who keep the Society running on a daily basis as it continues to care for the coast.

Read More
0 Comments

American Littoral Society's Official Statement on Whales

3/13/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
We — like many other ocean advocates — are following the news around the recent whale deaths in our region. We deeply cherish the marine life found along our coast, and the deaths of these whales is disturbing and of great concern to us.
 
At this moment, we don’t know conclusively what combination of natural or human causes may be responsible for the deaths. Many experts believe that the growing number of whales in this area – which has some of the busiest ports and shipping lanes in the world – has contributed to an increase in vessel strikes. Notably, the Port of NY and NJ increased its trade volume substantially in the last several years, increasing shipping traffic and the potential for increased vessel strikes. According to the marine mammal experts responding to the strandings, a large number of the whales have been killed by ship strikes.
 
The American Littoral Society’s work includes protecting the coast from a changing climate. We support investment in clean, renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel use which is harming the ocean in many ways. To meet the need for green energy and the protection of wildlife, the Littoral Society continues to call for meaningful and robust stakeholder engagement and responsible siting around offshore wind projects.
 
It's clear that the whales off our coast are in harm’s way, and we must act to protect them to the extent that they are endangered by human activities.
 
Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are well established as the two predominant sources of whale mortality due to human impacts. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed new rules to expand slow speed zones and to increase the number of vessels subject to these reduced speed requirements. Similarly, rules to reduce fishing gear entanglement have been developed. Both are pending adoption.
 
While at this time there is no readily available evidence linking wind-power development activities to the death of these whales, understanding the interactions among all offshore human activities and coastal resources is critical to their protection.
 
We recommend that decision-makers at the state and federal level:
  • Evaluate vessel traffic patterns in the near shore for interactions with whales and institute changes in approaches, vessel speed and traffic that would decrease the likelihood of vessel strikes;
  • Review and share with the public the possibility of conflict from current activities so that they can be assured that all appropriate measures are in place to protect marine life and habitats, including the whales off our coast. The sustainability of offshore wind depends on appropriate siting and development.
1 Comment

Ocean Intermediate Students Turn Shells Into Amazing Gift

3/7/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Ten eighth-grade students from Ocean Township Intermediate School got into the holiday spirit last year by raising money to help restore oyster reefs in New Jersey.

The students, from teacher Meghan Edson's Environmental Engineering course, raised money by making clam shell decorations that were sold during school lunches and given to some school staff as holiday presents. According to Ms. Edson, students taking the course learn about human-related environmental issues, then devise ways to make them better. 

"We did [the decoration sale] for the first time last year and the students loved it, so we decided to continue again this year." Ms. Edson said. "It was a big hit for the students in school to buy ornaments for their families for Christmas and the students that made the shells learned a lot about the importance of being a good environmental steward." 

The American Littoral Society was honored to be the recipient of an $800 donation from the students.

"We are very grateful for the donation which will help our efforts to restore oysters and improve the quality of coastal waters," said Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society. "We owe these students even greater thanks for their interest in coastal conservation and their leadership in raising awareness and empowering conservation efforts." 

0 Comments

Jamaica Bay Guardian & Friends Rescue Entangled Lesser Scaup

3/7/2023

10 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Just before the turn of the season, Don Riepe, the Littoral Society's Jamaica Bay Guardian, found himself involved in some Spring cleaning, as well as a late winter rescue.

​The cleaning effort revolved around preparations for the return of Barn Owls and Osprey to the Jamaica Bay area, which typically occurs around the middle of March each year.

A number of nesting platforms and owl boxes have been set up support natural roosting and nesting behaviors of these important raptors. Don and staff from the Littoral Society, with additional support from the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, took some time in early March to clean and repair one of the favorite boxes in the neighborhood.

More than 30 pounds of pellets, containing the remains of countless rodents, were removed and the box was restored to prime summer-residence condition.

On Sunday, March 5, Don received a call from a birder friend, Michele Truong, regarding a duck tangled in fishing line in Sheepshead Bay. 


Read More
10 Comments

NJ Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Permanently Protect Atlantic Coast from Drilling

3/2/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
​NJ Congressman Frank Pallone has reintroduced a bill to permanently ban exploration, development or production of oil along the Atlantic coast.
 
Called the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act, it would ban offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. The bipartisan COAST Anti-Drilling Act permanently prohibits the U.S. Department of Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
 
“Coastal communities depend on a healthy ecosystem to thrive, and an oil spill would threaten the economic vitality of the Jersey shoreline and communities up and down the Atlantic Coast,” Pallone said. “In my home state of New Jersey, the fishing and recreation industry supports over half a million jobs – jobs that would be put at immediate risk if Washington Republicans open up our coast to offshore drilling that could drench the Jersey Shore in oil.”
 
Nearly all members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation have joined Pallone’s bipartisan effort to stop offshore drilling by signing onto the COAST Act as original cosponsors. U.S. Senator Bob Menendez has been a leader in the fight against drilling in the Atlantic and will introduce the Senate companion bill. It is also supported by numerous environmental organizations, including the American Littoral Society.

Read More
1 Comment
    BLOG HOME

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

     Subscribe in a reader

    Categories

    All
    5k
    Action
    Advocacy
    Amazon
    Art
    Asbury Park
    Ballot Question
    Barnegat
    Bay
    Beach
    Benefit
    Biomedical
    Breakfree
    Camp
    Celebration
    Cleanup
    Climate
    Coast
    Conservation
    Crafts
    Delaware Bay
    Delbay
    Drilling
    Dune
    Dune Grass
    Earthday
    Earth Day
    Economy
    Eggs
    Election
    Estuary
    Event
    Family
    Fishing
    Fun
    Global Warming
    Horseshoe Crab
    Jamaicabay
    Legislation
    Litter
    Live Music
    Lobster
    Long Beach Island
    Marine Science
    NJ
    NY
    Oil
    Open Space
    Oyster
    Oystere
    Parade
    Party
    Plastic
    Policy
    Pollution
    Protect
    Race
    Rain Garden
    Red Knot
    Reef
    Restoration
    River
    Run
    Sandy Hook
    Shark Fin
    Shell-a-bration
    Shell Bagging
    Shore
    Shorebird
    Summer
    Superstorm Sandy
    Surfcasting
    Tag
    Tagging
    Tourism
    Volunteer
    Wetlands
    Wreck Pond

     Subscribe in a reader

Picture
18 Hartshorne Drive
​Highlands, NJ 07732

What We Do

Education
Conservation
Restoration
Advocacy
Fish Tagging

Where We Work

Sandy Hook
Barnegat Bay
Delaware Bay
Jamaica Bay
Sarasota Bay
National Policy

Who We Are

History
Staff
Officers & ​Trustees
Financials
Contact

Newsroom

Blog
Press Releases
Videos
Publications
Reports

Join Us

Memberships
Donate
Sponsor
Upcoming Events
Field Trips
Volunteer
Jobs
Donate
Membership
Mailing List
Volunteer
Privacy Policy
Copyright ​© 2017, American Littoral Society, All Rights Reserved
Photo used under Creative Commons from A. Strakey