Status of organic pollutants in surface sediments of Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary, New Jersey, USA.

Numerous surveys have demonstrated that diffuse pollution from urban-residential run-off and industrial discharges can adversely impact salt marsh and tidal creek sediment quality (Barrett & McBrien, 2006; Fox et al., 2001; Iannuzzi et al., 1995; Long et al., 1995; Sanger et al., 2004; White et al., 2005). The impact of shipping activities, including major discharge of fuel oil onto salt marshes, has also been reported (White et al., 2005). However, few studies have assessed organic pollution accumulating in salt marshes with watersheds that are mainly comprised of forests and wetlands but which have major residential areas located off-shore of the mainland. The salt marshes of Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary, southeast New Jersey represent one such geographical setting (Fig .1). The shallow (17 m), narrow (3-9 mile) bay is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a back barrier island complex (Long Beach Island) which is heavily developed and a major area of tourism (Fig. 1). The salt marshes are protected and managed as part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, this comprises 186 km of wetlands and 145 km of salt marshes and has a mixed pattern of watershed land use such as forestry (45.9 %), wetlands (25.2 %), urban/residential (19.5 %) and agricultural (6.6 %).