By Tony MacDonald, UCI Senior Ocean Policy Fellow

The COP31 United Nations Climate Change Conference opens in Antalya, Türkiye, on Nov. 9 with the ocean higher on the agenda than ever before. Turning that agenda into actual action, including making real progress on the financing and accountability needed to achieve carbon reductions, remains a major challenge.

The Turkish Presidency’s Action Agenda makes “Oceans and Seas” one of its 10 priorities. Focus areas include resilient coasts and marine ecosystems; supporting oceans and blue carbon in national determined contributions (NDCs) and climate plans; and ocean observation, data sharing and regional cooperation. While at COP31, I will be participating in the Nov. 13 side event panel “Turning the Tide: Ocean Climate Action and NDC Integration.” The panel is being organized with my colleagues at the Global Ocean Forum.

One important strategy endorsed by the 2025 U.N. Ocean Conference declaration and COP30’s Ocean Action Agenda that is under discussion at COP31 is the development of sustainable ocean plans (SOPs). Many nations have joined the High Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy to call for development of management plans for 100 percent of national waters by 2030.  While the U.S. has unfortunately withdrawn from the COP21 Paris Agreement, it has long been and continues to be a leader in sustainable ocean planning that could serve as a model.

Since 2010, the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) has worked with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO), a partnership of five coastal states working with federal agencies, in developing and implementing its 2016 Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan and continued collaborations to inform and streamline decisions, reduce ocean use conflicts, and support conservation. These collaborative efforts are supported by the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, which provides government agencies and the public access to thousands of map layers depicting fishing grounds, navigation activity, shipping lanes, habitats and conservation areas, proposed development activities, and much more. It is important that we continue to support these regional efforts in the U.S. and, where possible, export the lessons learned, including developing and providing comprehensive mapping, data, and characterization; encouraging effective, efficient governance that is shared across jurisdictions; and building public trust across diverse groups of ocean users.

Many coastal and island nations need sustained capacity building to gather data, write plans and attract investment. The Ocean Panel analysis puts the investment needed for a sustainable ocean economy at $383-$717 billion. There is concern, however, that the aspirations of ocean-climate action and pledges far outpace financial commitments and lack the necessary political will and support needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

You don’t need to be in to Antalya to take part in COP31. The COP31 Virtual Ocean Pavilion, organized by the Global Ocean Forum and partners with support from the UCI, is a free online hub running Nov. 2–20. It offers live and on-demand events, exhibits, key ocean messages and a tracker of ocean events at COP31. I urge you to register, join the conversation and track progress as the negotiations unfold.

Fourteen years to the day since Hurricane Sandy landed on the Jersey Shore, Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) staff provided a tour to Cape May Technical High School (Cape Tech) students of a tidal marsh that was damaged by the storm and measures now underway to improve its resilience.

The UCI is a partner on multiple research and restoration efforts focused on Clam Cove, a coastal wetlands area on Little Egg Harbor jointly owned by Long Beach Township and Ocean County. The township and county purchased the property and other adjacent pockets of marshland totaling 22 acres shortly after Sandy to protect them from development and attempt to reverse years of erosion exasperated by boat wakes, coastal storms, tidal inundations, and other contributors.

Until a few years ago, Clam Cove was a small marsh peninsula that visitors could walk across to go fishing. But after Sandy, a small stream that existed in the marsh expanded and bisected the tract, rendering part of it an island and threatening to severely erode the marsh. A focus of the UCI’s work is implementing nature-based solutions that would close the breach and help restore Clam Cove.

As a first step, the UCI has been developing a hybrid living oyster reef in the waters off Clam Cove that would help guard it against waves and currents while providing new habitat to marine life. Once the shoreline is better secured, work will turn towards backfilling the cut, topping the marshlands with sand, and expanding dune grasses and native plants that will help accumulate and hold sediments on the tract.

Cape Tech Coastal and Marine Sciences Teacher Nicole Cappolina, a 2024 graduate of Monmouth University’s Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy (MEBP) program, and her marine science students met with the UCI at the Long Beach Township Marine Education Field Station for a lesson on the challenges faced by the adjacent Clam Cove. The site is a familiar one for Cappolina, who was awarded a UCI Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Scholars grant in 2023 to analyze how sea level rise would influence future tidal flooding at Clam Cove.

The UCI organized four stations at the marsh where the students learned about techniques and equipment used to monitor the resilience and health of ecosystems like Clam Cove. The group gained hands-on experience conducting topographical surveys with a survey level and rod; using a quadrant to gather a snapshot of the size and composition of plant communities on the tract; seining with nets to learn about the fish, mollusks, and other organisms living in the system; and operating technologies to gather data on water conditions in the area.

The lessons were guided by Cappolina, Field Station Director Angela Andersen, and UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington, Coastal Resilience and Restoration Practitioner Meredith Comi, Marine Biologist Amanda Boddy, and Coastal Restoration Technician Grace Schleiden. The UCI’s work in partnership with Long Beach Township at Clam Cove has been supported by two National Fish and Wildlife Federation grants, a donation from New Jersey Resources, and a contribution from the New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership.

Join us Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. for an open dialogue about climate change impacts in your life and communities. This Climate Café will be the first event organized as part of a Diversity Innovation Grant initiative led by Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute (UCI) and School of Social Work, fostering interdisciplinary learning, meaningful dialogue, and engagement around the equity dimensions of coastal climate resilience.

The event will be held at Edison Hall 201, with virtual participation available. Free food and drinks will be provided.

For planning purposes, registration is requested. Questions may be directed to UCI Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist Rachel Forbes at rforbes@monmouth.edu.

Rechnitz Family/Urban Coast Institute (UCI) Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy Peter Jacques moderated the webinar “Words for a Warming World” with Nigerian activist and writer Oghenovo Ebireri on Oct. 23.

The webinar explored how powerful words can make complex environmental issues more relatable. ‎Ebireri discussed the role of language in climate communication and how students, writers, communicators, creatives, and organizations can turn climate awareness into meaningful action.

Ebireri is a climate change activist, writer, and poet. His work sits at the intersection of education, creative communication and climate action. ‎He has contributed to international climate conversations through engagements with Bangor University, the University of Oxford’s Oxford Climate Society, International University Network for Climate Action, and Laval University in Quebec, among others. His climate communication work combines research, persuasive writing, storytelling and poetry to help audiences connect with the realities of a changing planet.

The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) has been awarded a Diversity Innovation Grant from the Office of the Provost and Intercultural Center to partner with the School of Social Work (SSW) in establishing a campus learning community focused on environmental justice, coastal climate resilience, and inclusive community engagement. 

The initiative will provide opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners to engage in conversations about the intersection of environmental change, social inequity, and lived experiences. Programming will include events such as climate cafes, trainings, policy roundtables, and community activities that engage students and faculty members of all disciplines.

The project will also provide mentorship experiences for SSW graduate students working as fellows under the guidance of UCI Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist Rachel Forbes, a 2011 graduate of Monmouth’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Forbes said the project will give students a better understanding of the human dimensions that problems like sea level rise, chronic flooding, and more intense coastal storms carry in Jersey Shore communities.

“Climate impacts are not experienced equally,” Forbes said. “Factors such as income, race and ethnicity, housing, disability, health, and access to resources shape both exposure to environmental risks and the resources communities have available to respond.”

The DIG program provides support each year for projects that encourage understanding and learning, invest in relationship-building across differences, and offer new ways to promote equity and diversity to achieve an inclusive campus culture. The UCI will match the $10,000 DIG grant to support project components including:

• Student Fellowships: SSW graduate students Darryl Speights and Noah Gradl (see bios below) will receive stipends to coordinate and facilitate the programming delivered through the project.
• DIG Program Academic Support Coordinator: Jasmira Colon, a 2022 Monmouth University MSW graduate with experience engaging low-income and diverse communities on resilience issues (see bio below), will assist with the project’s implementation.
• Community Engagement: A series of educational events and dialogue sessions will be organized, with strategies for fostering participation among historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.
• Educational Products: Communications materials and a publicly accessible toolkit will be developed to promote awareness of the project and serve as a resource for future efforts.

“This initiative will serve as a forum for students to connect with the diverse experiences, knowledge, and priorities of communities surrounding Monmouth,” said Professor Anne Deepak, Doctor of Social Work in Human Rights Leadership (DSW) program director. “Addressing the social and economic challenges of climate change requires collaborative approaches that bridge disciplines and promote meaningful dialogue across diverse perspectives.”

The project will take place throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Students with questions may contact Forbes at rforbes@monmouth.edu. 

Student Fellows

DIG Program Academic Support Coordinator

Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) Acting Director Tom Herrington was presented with the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association’s (ASBPA) 2026 Morrough P. O’Brien Award during its National Coastal Conference Centennial Celebration in Atlantic City on Oct. 7. The award is the highest honor given annually to an individual on the basis of an outstanding record in achieving the objectives and ideals of ASBPA, and for major direct contributions to the association.

In a letter informing Herrington of his nomination, the organization credited him with expanding opportunities for students to collaborate with the ASBPA and participate in its activities. As a member of the ASBPA Board of Directors, he was also commended for helping shape discussions and initiatives on critical issues including coastal storm impacts, sea-level rise, climate adaptation, and sustainable shoreline management.

“His contributions are remarkable: decades of leadership in coastal science and engineering, more than 75 publications, vital work in hazard mitigation and climate adaptation, and an enduring record of service to ASBPA,” Executive Director Nicole Elko said during the award ceremony. “In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and countless efforts before and since, Tom has been a clear, credible, and compassionate voice – one who understands that protecting our shores also means protecting homes, livelihoods, ecosystems, and the character of the places we love.”

Before accepting the award, Herrington reflected on the honor of being associated with O’Brien, a University of California, Berkeley College of Engineering dean from 1943-59 who he acknowledged as “the founder of modern coastal engineering.”

“One of my greatest joys is to watch our students graduate and go on to meaningful, productive professional careers,” Herrington said. “I’d like to think that in some little way, I continue Dean O’Brien’s tradition of pairing great researchers and great students to achieve great things.”

Elko recently interviewed Herrington about his career and the state of coastal resilience in New Jersey on the ASBPA’s “Shaping Shores” podcast. In 2016, Herrington also received the ASBPA Robert G. Dean Coastal Academic Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to coastal research, education, and service.

Herrington moderated a panel at the ASBPA conference and delivered a presentation on nature-based solutions for marsh restoration in Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor. Also at the event, UCI Meredith Comi presented on her work creating and researching an oyster reef at Naval Weapons Station Earle and UCI Senior Ocean Policy Fellow Tony MacDonald moderated a panel discussion on coastal zone management issues in the region.

Endowed Professor of Marine Science Jason Adolf’s marine biology lab students returned Sept. 30 to a beach where they previously studied the abundance of mole crabs to see if the recent nor’easter and shoreline erosion impacted their populations. Although the data is still being analyzed, the class concluded that their numbers were reduced.

Also known as sand crabs, Atlantic mole crabs (Emerita talpoida) are widespread on Jersey Shore beaches, collected by children in their buckets and used by recreational anglers as bait. Watch the video above for a look at the class conducting its work and hear why Adolf believes mole crabs make for an interesting research subject.

The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is seeking volunteers for its fall eDNA BioBlitz, which aims to use genetic material left in the water by marine vertebrates to learn about their biodiversity and community composition in Monmouth County waters. Participation is easy, requires no training, and only takes a few minutes.

Participating community scientists will collect samples of ocean waters, bays, and brackish areas of rivers from the Manasquan Inlet to the Raritan Bayshore between Oct. 5-16. Sampling involves filling a bottle with the water, placing it on ice, and freezing it until it can be collected by Monmouth researchers. Bottles and coolers will be provided by the UCI. Volunteers can choose any site they’d like to sample and only need to collect one sample for the study.

The samples will then be analyzed in a lab for eDNA, trace genetic materials floating in the water that can indicate the recent presence of marine life ranging from sharks to microscopic bacteria. The data will build upon a collection effort that began last year, which found detections for at least 79 fish species in June and 68 species in September 2025 in the county’s ocean and estuarine waters. The new data will help develop a baseline understanding of the species living in our waters in the warmer summer months that can be compared to future results.

Participants and others interested are also encouraged come to Monmouth on Dec. 3 for a workshop where the results of the findings will be presented. Food and refreshments will be served.

To volunteer or learn more, contact UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane at rkane@monmouth.edu with your name, preferred contact information, availability to pick up an eDNA sampling kit, and availability to sample during the Oct. 5-16 period. 

Since the project seeks to cover a geographic balance of areas across the Monmouth County coast, the project team may decline proposals to sample sites that are already covered.

Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute Acting Director Tom Herrington was the featured guest on the Sept. 16 edition of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association’s (ASBPA) “Shaping Shores” podcast. Herrington discussed New Jersey’s longstanding support for coastal projects; how Hurricane Sandy impacted coastal science, policy, and communities; and evolutions in technology today and for the next generation.

Launched as part of the ASBPA’s Centennial Celebration, the series brings to life the stories that drive ASBPA’s mission to preserve, protect, and enhance our nation’s beaches and shores by merging science and public policy. It is hosted by ASBPA Executive Director Nicole Elko.

Herrington also contributed an article to the organization’s “A Decadal Walk to ASBPA’s Future” series summarizing the history of the ASBPA and coastal policy. Herrington’s piece covered 1995-2005, an era when “Strategic advocacy, organizational innovation, and technical advancement converged to secure the future of America’s coasts and elevate ASBPA as a leading voice for shoreline protection.”

The ASBPA will hold its National Coastal Conference Centennial Celebration from Oct. 5-8 in Atlantic City.

The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), federal, state, municipal and county officials, community organizations, and local residents for a Shark River Basin resilience tour on Aug. 24.

The tour, which coincided with New Jersey Flood Safety Week, unofficially kicked off work on a regional climate resilience study for the estuary that the UCI will contribute to as a project partner. This effort is part of Building a Climate Ready NJ, a resilience initiative of the NJDEP funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“The science is clear: Sea level is rising, and will continue to do so into the future,” UCI Acting Director Tom Herrington said in opening remarks at Maclearie Park in Belmar. “Heavy rainfall is becoming more frequent and is projected to increase in the future. Nowhere are these two impacts more threatening than right here at the Jersey Shore. That is why Monmouth University feels it is so important to work with our partners and communities and bring the resources of the university, its faculty and students to help build community and ecosystem resilience to the growing threat of coastal and inland flooding.”

The tour included stops at sites where natural and nature-based resilience projects had been completed or were underway throughout the watershed. Attendees first gathered at Maclearie Park, where Belmar Mayor Caitlyn Donovan highlighted recent upgrades along the borough’s bayshore and future priorities for the area.

The group then proceeded to the South Riverside Living Shoreline in Neptune Township. There, American Littoral Society staff led a presentation on how raised dunes, plantings, and other measures had stabilized the waterfront, provided ecosystem benefits, and now offer flood protections for the roadway and neighborhood behind it.

The trip concluded at Memorial Park in Neptune City, where Wall Mayor Erin Mangan, Avon-by-the-Sea Mayor Mayor Ed Bonanno, Shark River Cleanup Coalition members Bill and Arlene Sciarappa, and Monmouth County Commissioner Erik Anderson discussed steps that could be taken to make the Shark River Bay healthier and stronger in the face of climate threats.