Last week, several MRRI staff members participated in the 2026 New Jersey Coastal and Climate Resilience Conference, hosted by the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in the bayside town of Galloway, NJ. The main theme of the three-day event focused on “Navigating Changing Tides” and included over 400 attendees who came together to learn, coordinate, network, and support the great resilience work being accomplished across the state.
During each day of the conference, dozens of talks were given by municipal workers, academics, restoration practitioners, engineers, planners, scientists and others focused on a myriad of topics including beach nourishment programs, fire suppression tactics, oyster reef management projects, climate resilience planning, developing a climate literate workforce at all levels, and how best to support municipal efforts in undertaking coastal and climate resilient projects. MRRI Co-Director Terry Doss moderated a few sessions, including a panel discussion on “Innovation in Ecological Restoration Project Implementation in NJ”. The two-panel discussion explored opportunities for ecological restoration across the state, with a focus on improving project implementation and advancing effective restoration strategies.
To stay energized, attendees were encouraged to participate in any number of networking events including an early morning guided bird walk around the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, which was led by MRRI Senior Scientist Drew McQuade and Ecologist Aleshanee Mooney, as well as an immersive field trip to the South Cape May Meadows and other engaging group activities.
This conference was a great opportunity for our team to provide insight into MRRI’s work with other coastal and climate resilience professionals, and collaborate with neighboring agencies, committees, and communities.
For more information on NJCRC’s work, please visit their website at www.njcoastalresilience.org, and for more information on the NJDEP’s Office of Climate Resilience, please visit their website at https://dep.nj.gov/ocr/resilientnj/.
We look forward to our continued participation with NJCRC’s and NJDEP’s efforts!
