RCTB, NJ.

[RichtheReefer21]

Hey all...

I havent experimented with the clams yet, waiting a a year or so to make sure I've got great stability and dialed in first.

But I am on the barrier island off of new jersey on a week vaca... and I ran into this woman on a walk to inland-side of the island near a small marina. Thought I'd share.



This woman was a volunteer for the project and ran down the entire conservation plan and workings. Was very cool to see these 2 HUGE containers with 4" pvc plumbed into the bay using straight sea water with nothing else to help grow the little guys to repopulate the bay. She said Salinty has been down around 1.016 the last few years and they've been losing the battle. These get grown about 10 miles south at a hatchery in the main channel (where conditions are better) and they bring them up here to grow in these systems from may to october.

Clams:

Oysters:

In October they plant the oysters in aerated buckets all over the area hanging from docks as oysters xant handle the muddy dirty water.. and the clams get planted in mud flats they have leased for this purpose.

Come spring, they are all dug back up and broadcasted across the bay.

Very cool imo... love seeing this kind of stuff. Fyi, this is just inland from Berkeley township, barrier island, New Jersey.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Very cool... thanks for sharing! Surprised at the low salinity, guessing its from glacier melting?

 

[Gareth elliott]

I was actually at Berkeley island yesterday [emoji23]

But about the salinity, Barnegat Bay is typically brackish. The barrier island separates it from the ocean for many miles and both Toms River and the Metedeconk rivers enter into it. I dont know the historical salinity but would imagine it fluctuates quite significantly during low and high tide and seasonally.

If up for a drive about 1.5 hours north of there. Sandy Hook, NJ is a breeding beach for horseshoe crabs. Not something you see many places in the world. But if in nj again runs from may to june.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Very cool... thanks for sharing! Surprised at the low salinity, guessing its from glacier melting?

River runoff and Not enough natural circulation from the ocean in the bay due to geography. 10 miles south where the ocean channel is it's normal levels.

Aka... not enough flow! Dead spot. LoL

 

[starypotter]

They do this all over as far as I know. My dad docks in Atlantic Highlands which is near Sandy Hook which is further north than Barnegat. He talks with all the locals and whatnot and there's many sorts of programs to clean up the water by adding clams and filter feeders with the intent of cleaning up the water in the areas.

I was actually at Berkeley island yesterday [emoji23]

But about the salinity, Barnegat Bay is typically brackish. The barrier island separates it from the ocean for many miles and both Toms River and the Metedeconk rivers enter into it. I dont know the historical salinity but would imagine it fluctuates quite significantly during low and high tide and seasonally.

If up for a drive about 1.5 hours north of there. Sandy Hook, NJ is a breeding beach for horseshoe crabs. Not something you see many places in the world. But if in nj again runs from may to june.

We used to go to on field trips to a learning center in Sandy Hook when I was in elementary school to learn about the horseshoe crabs though I didn't know that it's something rare.

 

[Gareth elliott]

They do this all over as far as I know. My dad docks in Atlantic Highlands which is near Sandy Hook which is further north than Barnegat. He talks with all the locals and whatnot and there's many sorts of programs to clean up the water by adding clams and filter feeders with the intent of cleaning up the water in the areas.

We used to go to on field trips to a learning center in Sandy Hook when I was in elementary school to learn about the horseshoe crabs though I didn't know that it's something rare.

Its rare because of how we have managed shorelines. In an attempt to manage where sand deposits we built jetties and other structures. Before we did almost every beach on the eastern seaboard was a breeding site.

 

[starypotter]

Its rare because of how we have managed shorelines. In an attempt to manage where sand deposits we built jetties and other structures. Before we did almost every beach on the eastern seaboard was a breeding site.

Gee why am I not surprised that once again humans are directly responsible for something like that.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Had to...