A systematic sampling of bottom sediments in Barnegat Bay is being undertaken as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency National Estuary Program for this bay. Although the management program is largely focussed on water quality as the basis for maintaining the estuarine natural and cultural resources, sediments and morphology are recognized as a fundamental characteristic of the bay's structure and habitat.

Characterization and distribution of the sediment types within the shallow 272 km2 estuary is a product of the relative contributions from the several source areas derived from the marine and continental components of the estuary. The association of sediment types to the continental margins, the hydrography of the estuary, and the accompanying barrier island geomorphology leads to the identification of discrete morpho-sedimentary groupings. The eastern margin of the bay is the product of alongshore barrier island development with a history of modern as well as relic flood-tide deltaic forms related to former and present inlets, washover forms of various dimensions, and wetland formation. The western side of the estuary has several small micro-estuaries with sequences of fluvial and coastal deposits. There are also remnants of the drowned Pleistocene surface forming the bottom topography. Superimposed on the natural distributions are human-derived manipulations of channels and sediments that have created distinct imprints. Statistical analytic techniques consisting of Principal Component Analysis, factor analysis, and bivariate analysis were used to self-organize the sediment data and contribute to the development of a model of sediment distribution in Barnegat Bay. Unraveling the mix of morphologies and sediment types leads to an understanding of the developmental history of the bay, its evolving spatial organization, and together provides a basis for management of the resources as part of the National Estuary Program Comprehensive Management Plan for Barnegat Bay.