Atlantic Highlands in Monmouth County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Raritan Bay & New York Harbor
Industry & Trade
— Maritime History —
Boating is a popular activity on Raritan and Sandy Hook bays. These waters provide both shelter from and access to the Atlantic Ocean. Over the past three centuries, maritime traffic in the Raritan Bay – New York Harbor area has increased significantly.
On warm summer days, commercial fishing boats, container ships, sport fishing, pleasure, and military vessels, as well as dredgers and barges crowd the harbor. Smaller sport fishing boats must constantly be on guard to avoid collisions.
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A Decline in Commercial Fishing Activities
Although New Jersey’s rich tidal estuaries produces some of the best fishing waters in the country, environmental and physical changes in the Raritan Bay – New York Harbor area have caused commercial fishing activities to gradually decline. The adverse effect of pollution on fish eggs and larvae has endangered the fisheries. The mending process will be slow and has required some tough decisions. However, as the new millennium begins, the bay is already cleaner than it was twenty years earlier.
Erected by National Park Service, State of New Jersey.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 40° 24.465′ N, 74° 0.271′ W. Marker is in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, in Monmouth County. Marker can be reached from Ocean Blvd, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located at the Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 460 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Highlands NJ 07716, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Longshore Sediment Movement (a few steps from this marker); Friends of Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Highest Point on the Atlantic Seaboard (within shouting distance of this marker); Captain Joshua Huddy — Prisoner of War (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Hartshorne Legacy (approx. 0.6 miles away); Henry Hudson Springs (approx. 0.8 miles away); British Campsite (approx. 0.9 miles away); a different marker also named British Campsite (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Atlantic Highlands.
More about this marker. Three photographs appear along the bottom of the marker. On the left is a picture of sailboats on the water with the caption “Sailing races on Raritan Bay have been popular with local residents for many years. (Photograph obtained through Maid of Perth, Perth Amboy, NJ)” Next to this is a picture of women at the shoreline and has the caption “A day of sun and relaxation on the bay for this group of turn-of-the-century bathing beauties. Pollution, flowing from refineries and factories on the northern and western shores of Raritan Bay nearly half a century ago, prompted local officials to post adviseries about swimming and eating fish or shellfish that are caught here.” Under the sidebar is a picture of some commercial fishing boats. It has a caption of “By the late 1980s, commercial fishing in the Raritan Bay had declined sharply and the fleet now comprise only a small minority of the marine vessels seen in the bay and harbor area.”
Also see . . .
1. New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. National Park Service website. (Submitted on September 25, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
2. Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook. Monmouth County Park System website. (Submitted on September 25, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,137 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 25, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.