ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS URGE THE STATE TO USE ECOSYSTEM BASED MANAGEMENT

Several environmental groups released a report Wednesday documenting significant water quality problems in New Jersey's marine environment.

"With beach season upon us, it is important to recognize that all is not well at the Jersey shore," said Benson Chiles of the Coastal Ocean Coalition. "Most of our beaches are safe for swimming, but that's not the whole story. Frequent brown tides, bays overrun by jellyfish, and growing dead zones are classic signs, known as biological indicators, that the ocean ecosystem is not healthy. It is time for New Jersey to acknowledge and respond to these indicators through better management practices."

The group wants the state to adopt an ecosystem approach to managing coastal and ocean resources, to monitor and manage coastal waters using biological indicators, to place limits on non-point source pollution, and to control development in watersheds.

By: Janet Fried