New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Division of Water Monitoring, Standards and Pesticide Control, Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring (BMWM)Toxins can affect both humans and animals by causing neurological impairment., gastrointestinal distress., respiratory irritation, and even death. To ensure that shellfish harvested from NJ marine waters are safe., the state is required to develop a Biotoxin Contingency Plan to remain in compliance with Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP). One program managed by BMWM to support the Biotoxin Contingency Plan is the Phytoplankton network. Throughout the years, there have been approximately 160 total stations with 58 of those 160 stations being currently active. Stations are sampled approximately 5 times a year. These samples are brought to the BMWM laboratory for phytoplankton species identification and chlorophyll 'a' analysis. The BMWM laboratory will specifically focus on identifying toxin producing and dominant species for each water sample. In addition, cell counts are performed to provide an indication if a potential algal bloom is present. If cell counts or species type indicate a possible bloom, BMWM staff will be strategically deployed to conduct additional sample monitoring to identify the extent of the bloom and whether conditions are improving over time. BMWMs Phytoplankton Monitoring Program is just one in several monitoring strategies (Aircraft Remote Sensing., Continuous Monitoring Buoys, Vibrio Control Plan) set up to support the bureau's core NSSP Program.ArcGIS DynamicMapLayerhttps://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/bce4b4f0f42c4c7781b6dd79106ddcb2_37engNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's (NJDEP) Bureau of GISPublicNJDEP Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Coastal Monitoring Sites in New Jersey [New Jersey]Web servicesNew JerseyLast Modified: 2025-09-24