by Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation
From wave-surfing skates to iridescent shellfish to singing whales, the Atlantic Ocean is part of what makes New Jersey special. The aquatic wilderness that meets our shoreline is home to a cornucopia of incredible animals and plants.
Many of our oceanic neighbors rely on one of New Jersey’s most precious ecosystems to survive: tidal wetlands. These soggy safe havens are nature’s nurseries. They make up over 20% of our state’s land area and provide myriad benefits to all of us, and are found around much of the peninsula known as New Jersey – from Trenton to Cape May to Jersey City.
Tidal wetlands are the lifeblood of New Jersey’s coastal ecosystems, serving as breeding grounds for over 75% of the state’s fisheries species, including crabs and shellfish. The shallow waters, rich in nutrients and sheltered from the open sea, provide the perfect environment for young marine life to grow and thrive. These wetlands are home to an abundance of plant and animal species, including rare and endangered plants, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. They provide food and shelter for countless critters, making them a cornerstone of biodiversity.
Despite their importance, tidal wetlands are facing unprecedented threats, and without immediate and proactive conservation action, we stand to lose one of the most vital resources we have for the future.
The tidal wetlands of today represent only a fraction of what existed a few hundred years ago. Over the years, human development – residential, commercial, and industrial – has encroached dramatically on these sensitive areas. To drive down the New Jersey Turnpike is to travel through miles of what used to be pristine, thriving tidal wetlands. In some regions, like the Meadowlands, vast areas have been drained or filled in to make way for oil refineries, airports, warehouses, and other sprawling infrastructure. If you’ve ever flown out of Newark International Airport, you’ve had a bird’s eye view of the destruction.
During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, tidal marshes helped prevent an estimated $625 million in storm damage by absorbing floodwaters and mitigating the impact of the storm surge. That’s because these wetlands are natural stormwater retainers, effectively reducing flooding in adjacent communities. They also play a critical role in water filtration, improving water quality by trapping pollutants from runoff before they can reach open waters.
And they make an outsized contribution in the fight against climate change, continuously sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide at rates that are ten to hundreds of times higher than terrestrial forests!
These ecosystems are resilient, a vital characteristic as the effects of climate change continue to change our landscape. As sea levels rise, tidal wetlands capture sediment and increase in vertical height. And if adjacent upland areas have gradual slopes, tidal wetlands can even migrate inland (yes, they can travel, albeit slowly)! But their resilience does not make them invincible. In some areas, wetlands are already beginning to drown as they fail to keep pace with rapidly rising tides. Without sufficient space to migrate inland, many tidal wetlands will disappear altogether, taking with them the critical services they provide to humans and non-humans alike.
So, what can we do to protect these vital “nurseries” of nature? New Jersey must double down on its commitment to coastal conservation. The Tidal Wetlands Act, passed in 1970, laid the foundation by requiring the creation of maps showing the boundaries of all coastal wetlands and regulating activities within these areas. Now we need to expand upon these efforts with more robust protections and proactive restoration projects. Ensuring that tidal wetlands have room to adapt in response to rising sea levels is crucial for their long-term survival. We need to preserve dry lands adjacent to tidal marshes so that the marshes can move inland instead of banging up against buildings and other development. And quickly, before these critical areas are lost to development.
The New Jersey Coastal Management Program has made strides in managing and protecting coastal zones, but with increasing pressure from urban sprawl and climate change, we need more resources dedicated to the cause. Supporting habitat restoration projects – where tidal wetlands are being rebuilt by spreading thin layers of material dredged from shipping channels to slowly elevate the marsh plain and keep it ahead of sea level rise – will help restore the natural resilience of these ecosystems.
Tidal wetlands are life-sustaining, vital parts of our environment, and an insurance policy to help protect us against severe storms and rising tides. The health of our coastal ecosystems, the safety of our communities, and the lives of countless species now depend on our willingness to do more to protect these invaluable resources. Their continued decline should be an alarm bell to action.
To learn more, or to get involved in coastal restoration, please visit https://www.littoralsociety.org/.
To learn more about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at njconservation.org or contact us at info@njconservation.org.
