The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $1,271,506 in federal funding to the new jersey coastal management program through the FY2023 bipartisan infrastructure law…

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $1,271,506 in federal funding to the new jersey coastal management program through the FY2023 bipartisan infrastructure law coastal zone management habitat restoration and conservation competition. This funding will increase climate resilience of coastal communities within coastal counties through habitat restoration planning, engineering and design projects, habitat restoration implementation projects, and land conservation projects. Specifically, the new jersey coastal management program will use these funds to expand the scale of new jerseys successful atlantic city shell recycling and oyster reef restoration program. Funding will support increased shell material collection and expanded restoration efforts within the mullica river-great BAY estuary. This expansion will create additional resilience in the existing oyster reefs while increasing the footprint of the reef system by 10 acres through coordinated shell planting efforts. The project team will also collaborate with local schools in the region to develop academic programs that allow students to engage in habitat-related scientific work.