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. Miles of sandy beaches, bustling boardwalks and busy coastal waterways provide New Jersey with a robust tourism industry estimated to be worth over $16 billion annually. 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 Office of Engineering and Construction within the Department of Environmental Protection's Natural and Historic Resources Group, the Bureau of Coastal Engineering is responsible for administering beach nourishment, shore protection and coastal dredging projects throughout the State. Additionally, the Bureau maintains the State's aids to navigation, provides 24-hour operation of the Raritan Bayshore Floodgate and is responsible for conducting storm surveys, damage assessments and emergency repairs for coastal storms impacting New Jersey.

The Bureau of Coastal Engineering also partners with the Richard J. Stockton College of New Jersey's Coastal Research Center and the Stevens Institute of Technology's Davidson Laboratory of Marine Hydrodynamics and Coastal Engineering.