Press Release
STONE HARBOR, NJ (February 4, 2026) — The Wetlands Institute has been awarded a grant valued at $3,075,000 through New Jersey’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Natural Climate Solutions program to support the Salt Marsh Trail Revitalization project, an innovative effort to advance wetland restoration and climate resilience along New Jersey’s coast.
The project will restore nearly five acres of tidal salt marsh within the Scotch Bonnet Island marsh complex and elevate the Salt Marsh Trail at The Wetlands Institute, serving as a demonstration site for ecosystem-based approaches to wetland restoration. Designed to address accelerating marsh loss driven by sea-level rise, the work will increase carbon storage, enhance habitat for marsh-dependent wildlife, and strengthen the natural buffering capacity of coastal wetlands. Importantly, the project is intended to generate transferable restoration frameworks that can be replicated across other threatened wetland systems well beyond New Jersey.
“By restoring and elevating vulnerable marsh habitat and the Salt Marsh Trail, we are addressing the accelerating impacts of sea-level rise while increasing the capacity of these systems to support wildlife, and buffer storm energy,” said Dr. Lenore Tedesco, Executive Director of The Wetlands Institute. “This work builds on decades of innovative research and restoration at The Wetlands Institute and demonstrates how nature-driven solutions can advance coastal resilience. We are grateful to NJDEP for supporting an approach that is both innovative and transferable.”
The project represents the second phase of marsh restoration conducted in partnership with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife and builds on earlier efforts that helped advance beneficial use practices for marsh restoration. As part of the project, the Salt Marsh Trail will be elevated by two to three feet and widened to enhance public access and education opportunities, increase native vegetation cover, and create new high marsh and transitional upland habitat designed to support diamondback terrapin nesting and coastal bird species. When completed, the restored marsh and trail system will also provide increased protection from storm-driven waves, improving resilience for the Institute’s campus and surrounding marshes.
Flooding that once occurred just twice per year now happens more than 60 times annually, threatening marsh stability and diminishing the ability of these systems to absorb floodwaters and reduce storm surge. Historic analysis shows that marsh acreage in the surrounding area has declined significantly over the past century, underscoring the urgency of science-based restoration efforts that protect both critical ecosystems and the people who depend on them.
The project brings together a collaborative team of scientific, engineering, and municipal partners to support design, monitoring, and long-term evaluation.
“Avalon is honored to support this very important work by The Wetlands Institute as the restoration and protection of wetlands provides environmental enhancement and resiliency to coastal communities”, said Avalon Mayor John McCorristin. “This important project further protects the barrier island communities from sea level rise and coastal storm events that are becoming more frequent, and more severe”
Wetlands Institute scientists will be utilizing advanced monitoring and documentation conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, using drone-based data collection and other sophisticated tools to track pre- and post-restoration conditions and ecosystem response.
Project design and implementation are supported by environmental and landscape architecture partners, integrating site engineering with innovative planting strategies and plant composition to maximize ecological benefit and increase biodiversity at the site.
“We understand that sea level rise is a growing threat not only to built infrastructure but also to critical habitats along the Jersey coast,” said Edward Confair, Vice President at AKRF. “This re-envisioning of the Wetlands Institute’s main campus mitigates risks from tidal flooding while setting an example for adaptive restoration.”
“This collaborative effort reflects a growing recognition that protecting wetlands is not only essential for biodiversity, but also for community resilience,” added Dr. Tedesco. “By combining applied science, long-term monitoring, and collaborative design, we are demonstrating how wetlands can be restored in ways that are durable, adaptive, and replicable.”
Planning and permitting for the project are underway, with implementation expected to follow completion of final design and regulatory review.
###
About The Wetlands Institute
Founded more than five decades ago, The Wetlands Institute is a nonprofit research, conservation, and education organization based in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. The Institute operates a nationally recognized coastal research facility and works to protect wetlands and coastal ecosystems through applied science and monitoring, habitat restoration, education, and public engagement.
In collaboration with state, federal, academic, and municipal partners, The Wetlands Institute has worked to advance the science and practice of tidal marsh restoration using science-based, nature-driven approaches that address marsh loss, sea-level rise, and coastal flooding. Through long-term research, restoration, and education, the Institute serves as a trusted scientific resource for communities working to protect coastal ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
For more information, visit wetlandsinstitute.org.