{"id":29252,"date":"2026-06-08T09:01:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/?p=29252"},"modified":"2026-06-08T09:02:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:02:54","slug":"monmouth-university-surfrider-foundation-partner-to-expand-ocean-water-quality-monitoring-in-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/2026\/06\/08\/monmouth-university-surfrider-foundation-partner-to-expand-ocean-water-quality-monitoring-in-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Monmouth University, Surfrider Foundation Partner to Expand Ocean Water Quality Monitoring in New Jersey\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monmouth University will serve as the newest partner in the Surfrider Foundation\u2019s Blue Water Task Force<\/a> (BWTF), a nationwide network dedicated to monitoring water quality at public beaches. Through the agreement, signed on June 5 in advance of today\u2019s World Oceans Day celebration, Monmouth will fill an important gap in the BWTF\u2019s East Coast coverage and augment New Jersey\u2019s state ocean quality monitoring efforts, which are limited only to the summer season. This collaboration will help protect public health all year and provide vital data for state and local officials, scientists, policy advocates, and surfers and swimmers and will ensure timely access to information when water conditions pose health risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eight
Representatives of the Surfrider Foundation, Monmouth University School of Science and Urban Coast Institute at a June 5 check presentation ceremony.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Formed over 30 years ago, Surfrider\u2019s BWTF has over 60 chapter-run labs in its network and measures bacteria levels at more than 600 ocean, bay, estuary and freshwater sampling sites across the country. Volunteer members from Surfrider chapters use the water testing program to raise awareness of local pollution problems and to bring together communities to implement solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In New Jersey, Surfrider volunteers will collect samples from local beaches and supply them to Monmouth\u2019s Phytoplankton and Harmful Algal Bloom Lab (PHAB Lab), led by Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf. PHAB Lab staff and student researchers will analyze the enterococcus bacteria levels in the waters and post the results on Surfrider\u2019s interactive BWTF web app<\/a>. The sampling will initially take place at a half-dozen beaches in Monmouth County and be scaled up to cover additional areas throughout New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, a Monmouth study<\/a> on the influence of weather and ocean conditions on microbial pollution found that within 6-24 hours of moderate rainfall, enterococcus levels exceeded state health safety standards about half the time at the many local  beaches where stormwater outfall pipes and coastal lakes drain into the ocean. The study noted that since the state\u2019s beach sampling was typically conducted on Mondays, it would not always detect spikes that took place a few days later or on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstanding that more coverage is better, we plan to create a sampling design that complements the state\u2019s by testing the waters later in the week,\u201d Adolf said. \u201cIn effect, the Monmouth-Blue Water Task Force partnership will double the frequency of monitoring in some areas of the Jersey Shore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf and a student gather an ocean water sample in Long Branch. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur coastline is one of New Jersey\u2019s greatest public treasures. It supports marine ecosystems, drives our tourism economy, protects coastal communities, and provides millions of people with recreation, inspiration, and a connection to nature. But our waters face increasing challenges \u2014 from stormwater runoff and pollution to harmful bacteria and the growing impacts of climate change,\u201d said Jeffrey Ross Williams, Surfrider\u2019s Legislative and Policy Director, who is also a local surfer. \u201cProtecting these waters requires more than concern, hope, and apathy. It requires action, science, transparency, and strong committed partnership. That is exactly what our collaboration with Monmouth University and its Urban Coast Institute represents,\u201d Williams explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Surfrider will provide Monmouth with $25,000 in grant funding over two years to assist with lab equipment costs and student research positions. Adolf said the arrangement would provide students with valuable opportunities to gain experience conducting lab analysis and helping to co-manage a community science operation which can have critically needed public health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Those interested in volunteering as a member of the BWTF may contact the Surfrider Foundation Jersey Shore using the online form at jerseyshore.surfrider.org\/volunteer<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Monmouth University will serve as the newest partner in the Surfrider Foundation\u2019s Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), a nationwide network dedicated to monitoring water quality at public beaches. Through the agreement, signed on June 5 in advance of today\u2019s World Oceans Day celebration, Monmouth will fill an important gap in the BWTF\u2019s East Coast coverage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":29253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-15 21:44:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29252"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29265,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29252\/revisions\/29265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/uci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}