Habitat

The sands at the edge of the sea are something that most visitors to LBI, and in many places along the Jersey shore, take for granted. These wonderful ribbons of sand along the coast are much different than the rocky coastline found just north along the shores of New England. Why are these sands here and where did they come from? Is there anything special about sand?

Origins

The Atlantic Ocean, relentlessly pounding the shoreline of Long Beach Island, boasts a number of different habitats right coast. These habitats are an important source of food both for ocean dwelling creatures and many non-marine animals. If we brake the shore and the water leading away from it into zones we can begin to understand both large and small differences between these habitats. Just like terrestrial habitats, marine environments vary in conditions that influence what plants and animals are able to live and thrive in each location.

There is lots to cover about Barnegat Bay. First we should mention the need to understand how fragile the bay environment is and how many threats it faces. You can go to Save Barnegat Bay to find out more about all of that.

There are three kinds of grasses that dominate, or should dominate, the bottom of the bay.

Eelgrass - The most important organism for a healthy bay.