Visitors and locals notice the bright blue hue of the Atlantic Ocean in 2024. Here’s why the ocean is so blue this year.
NEW JERSEY – The Jersey Shore is experiencing an unusually blue color this summer, almost as if our sandy beaches have been transformed into an exotic Caribbean destination.
Anyone who grew up in New Jersey is used to the typical dark green and often brown waters at the Jersey Shore. They’re not brown because they’re dirty, but because the Atlantic Ocean is a massive and turbulent sea that churns and turns sediment from the sea floor into the water.
What’s happening to the water at the Jersey Shore?
In a typical year, the shore is marred by heavy coastal storms, nor’easters, and rough seas.
That’s not the case this year. The weather over the Mid-Atlantic has been unusually calm, allowing the water to be the clearest it has been in decades. Water clarity doesn’t necessarily mean it is cleaner or dirtier; it just means it has fewer murk-causing particles suspended within it.
Scientists also attribute the Caribbean blue hues to increased phytoplankton along the Jersey Shore.
That’s the basic answer.
Crystal-clear blue water at the Jersey Shore
The crystal-clear and vividly blue waters of the Jersey Shore this season are largely due to a combination of natural environmental processes that have kept the ocean remarkably pristine. Firstly, an unusual spell of dry weather has significantly reduced the amount of river runoff into the ocean. Normally, rivers would carry silt, pollutants, and other materials into the sea, which can cloud the water. However, the lack of rain has meant that fewer of these substances are being washed into the ocean, allowing for clearer water along the coast.
Crystal clear, blue water at the Jersey Shore along the entire coast
This weekend, we took a trip from Long Beach Island down to Cape May, and the blue hue is consistent from the Barnegat Inlet to Cape May. Our stops in Atlantic City, Ventnor Beach, Margate, Sea Isle City, Ocean City, Avalon, Wildwood, and Cape May yielded the same results.
In many areas, even the back bay areas were bright blue along the coast, while deeper in the bays, the water was a little darker but still clear for the most part.
Why is the Water in New Jersey so blue this year?
Additionally, a process known as upwelling has played a crucial role in enhancing the water’s clarity and color. Upwelling involves the movement of cool, deep ocean water to the surface. This cooler water is not only clearer but also rich in nutrients, which promote the growth of phytoplankton. These microscopic organisms are often referred to as the ocean’s “cleaners” because they consume carbon dioxide and, in turn, contribute to the clarity and blue color of the water by their sheer abundance and the way they interact with light.
These combined factors have contributed to an exceptionally beautiful coastal environment at the Jersey Shore this year, making it a prime destination for visitors seeking the natural beauty of clean, blue ocean water.
How long will the water at the Jersey Shore stay blue?
Nothing is going to change overnight, but a few storms can get the ball rolling toward a return to the normal greenish color of the water at the Jersey Shore. In recent years, the Jersey Shore ocean water has admittedly been clearer than in decades past. But it usually has a greenish hue, sometimes brownish.
Decades ago, people used to laugh at the water at the Jersey Shore when offshore dumping resulted in medical waste, garbage, and other debris washing ashore. That practice has been banned and lately, the Jersey Shore is starting to improve its overall water quality image on the national scene.
If you haven’t taken a trip to the Jersey Shore, you might want to check it out before the water returns to normal. It could actually be a once in a lifetime moment to witness.