On the Expedition

Join teens in search of this colorful turtle, in one of the East Coast’s most extensive salt marsh systems.

On this special expedition just for 16- and 17-year-olds, you’ll join fellow teens in New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay Estuary, one of the last significant salt marsh ecosystems along the mid-Atlantic coast. You’ll skim the water in a six-meter motorboat and get up close and personal with turtles as you track and tag them and monitor their nests. You may even have the chance to work with baby turtles monitoring hatching success. When you’re not conducting exciting hands-on research, you’ll be able to enjoy a behind-the-scenes aquarium tour, a trip to Long Beach Island, go-cart racing at a nearby amusement park, and more!

Meals and Accommodations

Your team will stay at a research center within 180 acres of pristine coastal habitat, with beautiful views of Barnegat Bay. The center provides double rooms, air conditioning, laundry facilities, a computer lab, lounge, and shared bathrooms with hot showers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be catered and served in the dining room, where you’ll have plenty of time to get to know your teammates and share stories from the field.

About the Research Area

Your team will work within the Barnegat Bay Estuary, in the marsh systems of the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, the Sedge Island Wildlife Management area, and sites within the Forsythe Refuge. Barnegat Bay is an extremely rich ecosystem and is home to an array of bird and fish species.

Ocean County, New Jersey, is characterized by a rich history that is greatly influenced by the resources of Barnegat Bay. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, cannon balls and other iron products, charcoal, and glass were produced using local resources and industry. The commercial growth and harvest of cranberries and blueberries was also an important contributor to the regional economy. The area was then and continues to be a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. Today, tourism is a very important industry and people are still moving to the area, attracted to the bay and its beauty. The Barnegat Bay area is approximately an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City.