Home > Jacques Cousteau Reserve & Rutgers University Marine Field Station Open House Event!

Jacques Cousteau Reserve & Rutgers University Marine Field Station Open House Event!

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Saturday, September 12th – 10am-3pm

For more than 50 years, researchers have been sampling and sensing the marine and estuarine environments of Little Egg Harbor and the Great Bay. These long-term data sets add hard numbers to the description of a shifting and changing system, helping us understand how our coastal environment functions and is changing. Data collected from the Great Bay-Mullica River estuary helps inform natural resource managers and local communities in their decision-making around the changes happening in these coastal waters. 

Celebrate the work of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS) and Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) at our most popular event of the year on Saturday, September 12th from 10am-3pm! This year’s Open House will feature three locations, each offering a unique experience:

  • RUMFS: You asked; we listened! This year, the RUMFS location will feature (free) ticketed, seminar-style talks highlighting the field station’s history, current research, and some time at our touch tank.
    • Pre-reserved tickets are required for this location. Click the button below to reserve your tickets today! 
    • Rather than self-guided exploration, attendees will follow an assigned group itinerary with timed rotations between the seminars. 
    • Learn more about the other offerings at the RUMFS location below!
      • Note: All other interactive booths about RUMFS work will be stationed at the JC NERR Coastal Center.
  • JC NERR Coastal Center: Stop by anytime from 10am-3pm for interactive booths, hands-on activities, kids’ crafts and games, guided Grassle Marsh trail walks, and more!
    • No pre-registration is needed. 
    • New this year: Play a life-sized crab trap game, where you can step into the fins/flippers of an aquatic critter! 
  • Life on the Edge Exhibit: Located at the Tuckerton Seaport, we invite you to stop by between 10am-3pm to check out our interactive exhibit and learn more about the research, people, and places that make our estuary unique.
    • No pre-registration is needed. 

RUMFS Tickets full? Join the waitlist here. 

Questions? See FAQs below or email plantarich@marine.rutgers.edu 

Reserve tickets for the RUMFS location here!

LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH LOCATION AND FAQS BELOW!

Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS)

800 Great Bay Boulevard, Tuckerton NJ 

This year, the RUMFS location theme is “The Scientific Method in Action at RUMFS” and will feature ticketed entry (free) for sought-after seminar-style talks about the history of the field station, current research (like the projects below!), and some time at our touch tank! 

What kind of talks can I expect?
  • Flounder/black sea bass diet as a response to temporal and spatial structure 
  • Movement ecology (sharks or flounders) as a response to season 
  • Juvenile fish response to habitat modification (Hudson River)
What else will be available at the RUMFS location?
  • A meet-and-greet and book sale/signing by author Dr. Kenneth W. Able, distinguished professor emeritus at Rutgers University, and past Director of RUMFS.
  • Learn more about the Jacques Cousteau Reserve at our table before heading over to the Coastal Center location.
  • All other interactive booths will be stationed at the JC NERR location.

Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) Coastal Center 

130 Great Bay Boulevard, Tuckerton NJ

 Stop by the JC NERR Coastal Center anytime from 10am–3pm for a day full of interactive, hands-on activities for the whole family! Meet our scientists, educators, and volunteers while exploring interactive booths, trying out hands-on activities, and learning more about the research happening throughout our estuary (including some robotics!). Kids can enjoy crafts and games, while visitors of all ages can participate in self-guided (and a few narrated!) walks through our ½ mile Grassle Marsh Trail. 

And this year, we’re adding a little something new! We’ll be playing a couple of rounds of a life-sized crab trap game, where you can step into the fins/flippers of an aquatic critter!

Life on the Edge Exhibit 

Located at the Tuckerton Seaport: 120 W Main St, Tuckerton, NJ 

Engage all your senses and immerse yourself in life on the edge. Our interactive exhibit at the Tuckerton Seaport takes a deep dive into what estuaries are, what critters call it home, the many benefits they provide to us, and what we can do to protect and preserve them! The best part? The Life on the Edge exhibit is for everyone and all ages!

Freqeuntly Asked Questions

RUMFS Location

How will the reserved tickets work?
  • Tickets are separated into staggered groups that start every hour. Please attend your designated time indicated on your ticket. 
  • We strongly advise all ticket holders to arrive 30 minutes prior to your start time. This will allow time for parking and walking up the causeway to the building. 
  • Each group will rotate through each talk. Participants should plan to be engaged for 1 hour 30 minutes after that group’s start time. 
Can I reserve tickets day-of at the gate? 

No. Tickets must be pre-reserved using this registration link. Additional tickets will NOT be available at the gate.

Can I visit the RUFMS location without a ticket?

No. Tickets are required for the RUMFS location.

Tickets for RUMFS are full! What do I do? 

Join the waitlist here. You can also stop by the JC NERR Coastal Center and the Life on the Edge Exhibit anytime that day from 10am-3pm (no tickets required for those locations).

RUMFS Parking/Accessibility
  • Parking is available at the end of Great Bay Boulevard, along each side of the road.  
  • All visitors must walk across the ~1/4 mile boardwalk causeway up to the building. 
  • Please note that the causeway and deck walkways are uneven walking surfaces. Please wear sturdy walking shoes, and caution is advised.  
  • Boats are not allowed to dock at RUMFS.

JC NERR Location

When can I arrive at the JC NERR? 

You are welcome to stop by the JC NERR Coastal Center anytime that day (September 12th) from 10am-3pm. 

JC NERR Coastal Center Parking/Accessibility 
  • Parking lot located on site. Once this lot fills, parking will be available along the sides of Great Bay Boulevard. Handicapped parking spots are available. 
  • Handicap access is available via the front entrance. 

Life on the Edge Location

How do I get to the exhibit? 

When you arrive at the Tuckerton Seaport, our exhibit is located on the top floor of the pale-yellow Yacht Club building located across from the parking lot & to the left of the Hunting Shanty.

When can I arrive at the Life on the Edge Exhibit? 

You are welcome to stop by the Life on the Edge Exhibit anytime that day (September 12th) from 10am-3pm. 

Can I explore the grounds of the Tuckerton Seaport while I am there?
  • Absolutely! The Lighthouse building serves as the welcome center and gift shop, and they can advise you on what other exhibits will be open. The Tuckerton Seaport will be open from 10am-4pm that day.
  • Please note that there is a $5 donation to explore the other Seaport exhibits (this does not apply to the JC NERR Life on the Edge Exhibit). 
Life on the Edge Exhibit Parking/Accessibility
  • Parking lot located on site. Handicapped parking spots are available. 
  • Handicap access is available via ramp to the left of the pale-yellow yacht club building. An elevator is also available to access the exhibit. 

All Locations

Are tickets required for all locations?
  • Tickets are required for the RUMFS location only.  
  • You are welcome to stop by the JC NERR Coastal Center and Life on the Edge Exhibit locations anytime that day from 10am-3pm. 
Will there be interactive booths like last year?
  • At that RUMFS location, the only interactive booths will be the touch tank station, book signing, and a JC NERR info table. 
  • All other interactive booths will be located at the JC NERR Coastal Location. 
Why did the RUMFS format change this year?
  • Over the past few years, we have received a lot of feedback on how to make our Open House events even better! The most recommended change was to feature more seminar-style talks as we’ve done in years past. We look forward to bringing back these talks at the RUMFS location! 
  • Damage to the RUMFS deck restricts deck access by trucks for tent/booth setup. 
I have more questions. Who do I reach out to? 

Please email plantarich@marine.rutgers.edu with any and all questions. 

 

Today’s open house was awesome, as always!! Thank you and everyone who organized it! This year, our daughter and husband came for the first time. They loved it! They just moved to Tuckerton so it was really nice for them to visit and get to know another great local place!!

2025 Open house attendee