About Coastal Engineering

New Jersey’s 127-mile long coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and 83 miles of shoreline along the Raritan and Delaware Bays provides an unsurpassed combination of ecological riches, economic opportunity and quality of life for both residents and visitors alike. Such a significant portion of New Jersey’s economy comes from the coastal region and the related tourism and recreation. Leisure, hospitality, and retail bring approximately $50 billion to New Jersey’s GDP. Counties in the coastal zone contribute an estimated $400 billion in economic output, and account for more than half of total tourism dollars at $22 billion. Over 1.5 million migratory shorebirds call New Jersey’s pristine wildlife refuges and tidal wetlands home. Our bays, rivers, marine estuaries and oceanic habitat contribute to a commercial fishing industry that harvests over 50 different species of finfish and shellfish annually, and boasts world-class recreational fishing, clamming and crabbing.

New Jersey’s Shore Protection Program was created to provide for the protection of life and property along the coast, preserve the vital coastal resources of New Jersey, and maintain safe and navigable waterways throughout the State. Operating under the Department of Environmental Protection’s Watershed and Land Management Program’s of Resilience Engineering and Construction, the Office of Coastal Engineering is responsible for administering beach nourishment and shore protection projects throughout the State. Additionally, the Office maintains the State’s aids to navigation, provides 24-hour operation of the Raritan Bayshore and Pews Creek Floodgates and is responsible for conducting storm surveys, damage assessments and emergency repairs for coastal storms impacting New Jersey.

The Office of Coastal Engineering also partners with the Stockton University Coastal Research Center and the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Davidson Laboratory of Marine Hydrodynamics and Coastal Engineering.