Restore Oyster Reef Habitat in the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary through Expanded Atlantic City Shell Recycling Program

Recipient: New Jersey Coastal Management Program

Project Type: Habitat Restoration

Recommended Funding Amount: $1,271,506

Congressional District(s): NJ-2

Summary: This project will expand the scale of New Jersey’s 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.

For more information on the Office for Coastal Management grant program funding this project, please visit the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law webpage.