Beaches, Bays, and Barrens

A Natural History of the Jersey Shore

By Eric G. Bolen

Rutgers University Press

The Jersey Shore attracts millions of visitors each year, drawn to its sandy beaches. Yet New Jersey’s coastline contains a richer array of biodiverse habitats than most tourists realize, from seagrass meadows to salt marshes to cranberry bogs.

Beaches, Bays, and Barrens introduces readers to the natural wonders of the Jersey Shore, revealing its unique ecology and fascinating history. The journey begins with the contributions and discoveries of early naturalists who visited the region and an overview of endangered species and natural history, followed by chapters that explore different facets of the shore’s environments. These start with sandy beaches and dunes and culminate in the engaging Pine Barrens, the vital watershed for much of the state’s varied coastline. Along the way, readers will also learn about whaling, decoy carvers, an extinct duck, and the cultivation of wild blueberries.
Including over seventy color photographs, the book also features twenty-three infoboxes that go deep into areas of ecological or historical interest, such as the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge or the Jaws-like shark attacks of 1916. From Cape May to Sandy Hook, biologist Eric G. Bolen takes you on a guided tour of the Jersey Shore’s rich ecological heritage.

‘Beaches, Bays, and Barrens is a broad introduction to the study and value of understanding natural history – a compelling subject because it focuses on New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the U.S. Bolen’s breadth of knowledge on the subject is impressive as is his ability to convey this knowledge in a very readable fashion.’ Kenneth W. Able, author of Coastal Landscapes, South Jersey from the Air

ERIC G. BOLEN is a retired professor of biology and marine biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he also served as dean of the graduate school. He served as editor of The Wildlife Bulletin, assistant director at the Welder Wildlife Foundation, and president of the Southwestern Association of Naturalists. He has authored or coauthored more than 200 publications, most recently the book An Abundance of Curiosities: The Natural History of North Carolina’s Coastal Plain.

Foreword by Joanna Burger
Preface
Chapter One: Background and Other Thoughts
Chapter Two: Shifting Sands—Beaches, Dunes, and Inlets
Chapter Three: Tidal Salt Marshes—Grasslands Like No Others
Chapter Four: Barnegat Bay—The Face of the Jersey Shore
Chapter Five: Cape May—A Gateway South
Chapter Six: Delaware Bay—The Other Jersey Shore
Chapter Seven: The Pine Barrens—Imposing Solitude
Afterword
Appendix A: Nomenclature

Foreword by Joanna Burger ix
Preface xiii
1 Background and Other Thoughts 1
2 Shifting Sands: Beaches, Dunes, and Inlets 35
3 Tidal Salt Marshes: Grasslands Like No Others 91
4 Barnegat Bay: The Face of the Jersey Shore 133
5 Cape May: A Gateway South 183
6 Delaware Bay: The Other Jersey Shore 211
7 The Pine Barrens: Imposing Solitude 253
Afterword 301
Appendix: Nomenclature 309
Acknowledgments 321
Index 324

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