The Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center

The Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center (CRC) originated in 1981 to assist local municipalities with coastal environmental issues related to recurring storm damage and shoreline retreat. Since then the CRC has been working on shoreline monitoring and assessment programs with the State of New Jersey and several municipalities in New Jersey.   The CRC has also been a resource for geotechnical data working on numerous projects with Federal, State and municipal governments.  With over 20 years of experience the CRC has grown into an exemplary organization known for coastal zone management.  The CRC’s continuing mission is to monitor and assess New Jersey’s coastal zone resources. 

In 1986, The Richard Stockton College Coastal Research Center (CRC) established the New Jersey Beach Profile Network (NJBPN) for the purpose of monitoring shoreline conditions along New Jersey’s coast. NJBPN consists of over 100 beach profile sites along the entire shoreline, including the Raritan and Delaware Bays. The profile sites are spaced approximately one mile apart, with at least one site located in each oceanfront municipality.  The dune, beach, and nearshore are surveyed at each profile site twice a year (fall and spring), and analyzed for seasonal and multiyear changes in shoreline position and sand volume.

Stone Harbor has had a contract with the Coastal Research Center since 1997 and gets monitored twice yearly.  Avalon gets monitored four times yearly.  There are nine to ten sites on Seven Mile Island.   Different communities along the coasts have different contracts with the CRC; some have quite extensive services and others less. Both Avalon and Stone Harbor have fifty year contracts with the Army Corp of Engineers with beach replenishment funding dependant on the Federal government.  This year's state replenishment program was done in Stone Harbor with the state doing the work.

Stewart Farrell, Director, indicated the CRC planned to do their year end monitoring after the beach replenishment work in Stone Harbor was completed.  This year end report will be issued in December, 2009. 

gannet.stockton.edu/njbpn/ Go to the Coastal Research Center-Welcome and subheading Montitoring Municipal Shoreline Change then Municipal Annual Reports to read Stone Harbor’s report.  Site will provide information on the center, the monitoring locations on the beaches and contact information.  You may also go to subheading New Jersey Beach Profile and then Annual Reports to see the entire monitoring sites and reports for Cape May County.