Urban Coast Institute

08/26/2026

UCI staff joined the NJDEP, municipal and county officials, federal representatives, community organizations, and local residents for a Shark River Basin resilience tour on Monday. The tour, which coincided with New Jersey Flood Safety Week, included stops at Maclearie Park in Belmar, South Riverside Living Shoreline in Neptune Township, and Memorial Park in Neptune City.

“The science is clear: Sea level is rising, and will continue to do so into the future,” UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington said. “Heavy rainfall is becoming more frequent and is projected to increase in the future. Nowhere are these two impacts more threatening than right here at the Jersey Shore. That is why Monmouth University feels it is so important to work with our partners and communities and bring the resources of the university, its faculty and students to help build community and ecosystem resilience to the growing threat of coastal and inland flooding.”

Blog: https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/2026/08/26/uci-joins-partners-for-shark-river-basin-resilience-tour/

08/20/2026

Check out the latest upgrade to the MARCO Portal's mobile app, developed by recent Monmouth University CSSE Department graduates Ava Taylor and Anjali Narang 📲

📍 New update on the MARCO Ocean Data Mobile App

Tag locations as you explore the Mid-Atlantic! With this new feature, you can drop a pin on the map and save data layers and multimedia directly to that location. Add maps, written notes, photos, videos, and audio files so you can easily find and revisit important sites later.

Whether you’re fishing, boating, spending a day at the beach, or conducting research in the field, Tags make it easier to capture what you discover along the way.

📲 Learn more: https://portal.midatlanticocean.org/news/tag-sites-with-maps-notes-photos-videos-and-more-on-mobile-app/

08/19/2026

🌊 Before You Hit the Beach, Check the Water Quality!

Planning a day at the Jersey Shore? 🌞 🏖️ The Blue Water Task Force web app makes it easy to check the latest water quality results for Monmouth County beaches. Monmouth University Surfrider Foundation

Each Thursday, Surfrider Foundation Jersey Shore Chapter volunteers collect ocean water samples, which are then tested by researchers at Monmouth University. Results are typically posted after 10 AM on Fridays, giving beachgoers an up-to-date look at bacteria levels before they swim or surf.

📍 Visit the map, click on a beach, and see whether enterococcus bacteria levels are low, moderate, or high according to NJDEP standards.

👉 View the latest water quality results ➡️ https://bwtf.surfrider.org/explore

Learn more about this important community monitoring effort from Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute:
Read the full blog post ➡️ https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/2026/08/10/visit-blue-water-task-force-site-for-weekly-water-quality-results/

📸 Photo Credit: Brian Snyder at our North Belmar (Shark River Inlet) sampling location

08/18/2026

📅 Save the Date!

The Ninth Annual Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum is headed to New Jersey!

Join MARCO on April 28–30, 2027 at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ for three days of conversation, collaboration, and connection around the issues shaping our region’s ocean and coast.

More details, including registration and program information, will be coming soon. For now, mark your calendars and we hope to see you in New Jersey!

🌊 April 28–30, 2027
📍 Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ

08/14/2026

All clear ✅ Yesterday’s beach water quality readings are now posted on the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force site, and each met NJDEP standards. View the data at https://bwtf.surfrider.org/

08/12/2026

Check the Blue Water Task Force web app for water quality readings before heading to your favorite Monmouth County beaches. 🌊🧪 Samples are gathered at local beaches every Thursday by Surfrider Foundation: Jersey Shore Chapter volunteers and lab tested at Monmouth University, with results typically posted after 10 a.m. on Fridays.

ℹ️ More info: https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/2026/08/10/visit-blue-water-task-force-site-for-weekly-water-quality-results/

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

💪 Share Your Work. Grow Your Career.

The ASBPA Students & New Professionals (SNP) Chapter provides opportunities for students and early-career professionals to showcase their work and build professional skills.

🌊 Present your research
🖼 Showcase a poster
💬 Give a lightning talk
🤝 Connect with professionals
📈 Build your confidence and network

📣 Don't miss your chance to present a poster at the ASBPA National Coastal Conference Centennial Celebration in Atlantic City, NJ, October 5-8! Poster abstract submissions are due this Saturday, August 15. Learn more at https://asbpa.org/asbpa-national-coastal-conference-2026

ASBPA SNP provides a platform to help your work make an impact. Learn more and connect with SNP at ASBPA.org/About-Us/Chapters/Students-New-Professionals

08/11/2026

Thanks to The Coaster for this editorial highlighting the contribution Monmouth University's Coastal Lakes Observing Network has made to the improved health of Fletcher Lake. CLONet is community science at its best, matching the expertise of our faculty and students with the passion of volunteers living in the lake communities.

Nestled between the historic communities of Bradley Beach and Ocean Grove, Fletcher Lake has long been more than a body of water. The picturesque coastal glacia

08/10/2026

How do sand crab/mole crab communities differ at a regularly replenished beach like Deal vs. a non-engineered, natural beach like Sandy Hook? Watch this poster presentation by Jessica Kipnis at last week's Monmouth University School of Science Summer Research Program Symposium.

Poster presentation by Jessica Kipnis at the Monmouth University Sc...