Littoral Society Leads the Way at New Jersey’s Coastal & Climate Resilience Conference

Danielle McCulloch, the Littoral Society's Executive Director, speaks at the 2026 New Jersey Coastal & Climate Resilience Conference.

Last week, the American Littoral Society played a prominent role at the 2026 New Jersey Coastal & Climate Resilience Conference, a biennial gathering that convenes leaders, scientists, educators, and practitioners working to protect coastal communities and ecosystems in the face of accelerating climate change.

Held March 9 - 11 at the Seaview Hotel in Galloway, New Jersey, the conference brought together climate and resilience professionals from across New Jersey and beyond. Hosted by the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the event focused on advancing science based, collaborative solutions under the theme “Navigating Changing Tides.”

Throughout the three day program, Littoral Society staff were highly visible as session leaders, presenters, moderators, and panelists, demonstrating both our depth of expertise and our long standing commitment to climate-ready, community-driven coastal solutions.

Advancing Nature Based Solutions and Climate Ready Restoration
The Littoral Society has spent decades at the forefront of climate and coastal resilience work bridging scientific research, hands-on education, on-the-ground restoration, and community engagement.

Since Hurricane Sandy, the Society has led over 60 nature-based solution projects including large-scale beach and marsh restoration, green infrastructure, construction of reefs and other natural storm buffers. We also have led regional partnerships to restore ecological habitat function to Delaware Bay, plan resilience in the Shark River watershed, and connect students coast-wide through various program like Beach Grasses in the Classes and SeaQuest. Our experience and the impact of our work was on full display throughout the conference.

Littoral Society Education Director Michelle Rebilas (with microphone) was one of the speakers at the "Coastal Resilience Begins at School" session.

Our work also meshes public advocacy and climate literacy education with nature-based habitat engineering. Our flagship education programs — Beach Grasses in Classes, SeaQuest, and Stream Savers — integrate with New Jersey's state-mandated K-12 Student Learning Standards and provide place-based, experiential learning. These programs help students build practical skills, immerse themselves in nature, and inspire local action. They also inform students on pressing environmental issues in their communities and empower them to become part of the solution. 

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Shane Godshall, Habitat Restoration Project Manager for the Littoral Society, speaks at a sub-session on lessons learned through our habitat restoration work.

Multiple sessions featured Littoral Society Executive Director Danielle McCulloch, who also serves on the NJCRC board. Additional Littoral Society participants included: 

• Michelle Rebilas, Education Director, who presented on climate education partnerships during the panel "Coastal Resilience Begins at School: Building Partnerships to Transform Communities"; 

• Capt. Al Modjeski, Habitat Restoration Program Director, who led sessions on nature-based solutions and regional collaboration to address climate threats along NJ's Shark River; and 

• Shane Godshall, Habitat Restoration Project Manager, and Kerstin Axe, Restoration Technician, who provided a poster presentation on our restoration project at the mouth of the Maurice River. Shane also led a conference sub-session on lessons learned through our habitat restoration work. 

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Littoral Society Executive Director Danielle McCulloch takes the podium during a session on "Climate Resilience in NJ."

On March 9, McCulloch was part of the plenary session, "Climate Resilience in NJ: State of the Science - State of the Practice," which examined strategies to restore coastal ecosystems and included New Jersey's Chief Resilience Officer, the director of NJDEP's Division of Science and Research, and Rutgers climate scientists. Her presentation explored "Advancing Climate-Ready Restoration." 
 
Later that day, McCulloch moderated a session titled “Oyster Partnerships and a Program in Support of Coastal Resilience,” which examined collaborative work in North Carolina and New Jersey including how to overcome permitting hurdles. 
 
On March 10, McCulloch also joined a panel examining challenges and opportunities in ecological restoration, including how New Jersey can build on successful models from other states with the goal of sparking more oyster restoration in our state. She also fielded questions as part of a Q&A Panel with Nick Angarone, NJ Chief Resilience Officer, and other experts. 
 
On that same day, Rebilas presented on a climate change education panel alongside teachers, school administrators, municipality representatives, and staff from the New Jersey Department of Education's Climate Change Education Unit. The presentation highlighted the Littoral Society's partnership with Egg Harbor Township and Point Pleasant Borough school districts to facilitate student-led climate resilience projects in their local community supported by the NJDOE Climate Education funding. She discussed the Littoral Society’s role in advancing climate literacy and engaging students in community-based resilience projects. ​

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Capt. Al Modjeski, Habitat Restoration Program Director, addressed regional collaboration and climate threats along NJ's Shark River.

Also on March 10, Modjeski took part in a session on nature-based restoration solutions, which included leading a sub-session on how living shorelines strengthen coastal defenses while enhancing biodiversity. 
 
Finally, on March 11, Modjeski and Godshall participated in the session "Building Resilience for Municipalities." Modjeski highlighted the Shark River Roundtable as a model for regional collaboration, while Godshall presented lessons learned from habitat restoration projects across New Jersey. 
 
The conference provided a useful opportunity to strengthen partnerships, share expertise, and advance science-based solutions that protect coastal ecosystems and communities. The Littoral Society was proud to contribute expertise and collaborate with partners to help build a more resilient future for New Jersey’s coast. ​

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The Littoral Society's Kerstin Axe (L) and Shane Godshall (R) discuss the poster on "Restoring Ecologically Beneficial and Resilient Infrastructure at the Mouth of the Maurice River." Full poster is at right.