The maturation of historically placed dredged materials on two marsh islands in Cape May County (known colloquially as Gull Island and Sturgeon Island) has provided nesting habitat for colonies of mixed wading bird species for decades, including state threatened Black- crowned Night-heron and several others identified as Species of Special Concern. Over time, these two colonies have grown in regional importance, at some points hosting nearly 30% of the state’s breeding wading bird populations. However, degradation of wading bird habitat is already observable, and careful intervention is warranted if the islands are to continue to be productive for this species group In 2020-2021, dredged material was placed on both islands by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in coordination with the NJ DEP Fish and Wildlife to protect and preserve them against threats from sealevel rise and to improve habitat conditions for wading birds. The islands are within the boundaries of the Seven Mile Island Innovation Laboratory (SMIIL), where a variety of partners are “pioneering the effort to advance innovative approaches to restoring these marshes and reversing decades of damage”. As these efforts continue, additional information is necessary to assess restoration need and site suitability and make recommendations for material placement plans to meet ecological targets. Two years of monitoring and research occurred in 2023 and 2024. The possibility of a third year of funding has come to fruition and this bid seeks a vendor to continue the work of the last two years into this final year of monitoring. Post-restoration monitoring of reproductive outcomes and habitat use of Black-crowned Night-herons and other wading bird species by the selected vendor will assist NJ DEP and its partners in evaluating the success of habitat enhancement efforts through beneficial dredged material placement, providing guidance for making adaptive management decisions, and documenting lessons learned to benefit the development of restoration projects to benefit Black-crowned Night- heron and other wading bird species in other locations.
