Earlier this fall, biologists with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey began work on a pilot project, led by The Wetlands Institute and funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to help fill knowledge gaps in the breeding productivity and habitat use of American oystercatchers across New Jersey. As part of this collaboration, monitoring efforts will extend to the estuarine islands and marshes within the Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area in Little Egg Harbor.

“While a significant portion of New Jersey’s oystercatchers nest in marsh habitats, intensive monitoring has…