The Lighthouse Center (LHC) is located along the western shoreline of Barnegat Bay, nearly opposite Barnegat Inlet, and encompasses 194 acres of diverse coastal habitats, such as maritime forest, mudflats, lagoons, fields, salt marshes, and a small artesian spring, and approximately 1,600 linear feet of bay shoreline. The LHC’s considerable marsh and shoreline has suffered extensive degradation over the past 50 years, predominantly due to historic mosquito control practices, sea level rise, significant climatic and storm surge events (e.g., Hurricane Sandy), and chronic boat wake action. During more recent times, the rate of degradation has increased. Along portions of the shoreline, the rate of shoreline loss since 1995 has averaged approximately 4 feet per year (Figures 2, 3 and 4). The degradation and loss of shoreline and marsh has also increased the LHC’s vulnerability to severe storm events. Sovereign was contracted to evaluate the shoreline condition, perform rapid wave transmission and breaking modeling, provide concept designs for a hybrid living shoreline, and prepare a final design for the selected alternative. The living shoreline is the first phase of a master vision to restore, enhance, and rejuvenate the entire property including the tidal marshes, forested wetlands, and the existing extensive structures and infrastructure. Sovereign is currently involved in the project permitting, and the LHC has secured a grant from NJDEP to install the first section of the shoreline design.
The work done at the LHC will be used as a shoreline protection demonstration project and in environmental education activities at all levels through a Shared Educational and Applied Marsh, Intertidal and Shoreline Technology program (SEAMIST). The SEAMIST concept is still in its developmental stage and is a product of members of the LHC Shoreline Restoration Steering Committee (LHC-SRSC). The LHC-SRSC was recently formed by a vote of the NREFNJ Board of Directors. The LHC-SRSC members include Ocean County Soil Conservation District, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Barnegat Bay Partnership, Sovereign Consulting Inc., MATES, Rider University, Exelon Generation, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC, and the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education.