Monmouth University, Surfrider expand water testing from West Long Branch

Monmouth University is helping expand ocean water-quality monitoring along the Jersey Shore, with Monmouth County beaches as the initial focus. The June 8 partnership with Surfrider Foundation adds a West Long Branch-based university to a public-health effort designed to track conditions more closely, especially after rain can increase bacteria levels.

The testing centers on enterococcus, a bacteria indicator commonly used in beach water monitoring. When levels rise, it can signal that runoff or other contamination may have affected the water and that swimmers and beachgoers should pay closer attention before heading in.

That local connection matters for West Long Branch because the university is not just lending its name to the project; the work is based there. Monmouth University’s water-quality and ecosystem-health program already fits into a broader effort to study and communicate environmental conditions affecting the shore, and Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force model extends that work into a beach-testing network with public reporting.

For residents and visitors, the practical value is straightforward. Beach water can change quickly after storms or heavy rain, and the first warning sign is not always visible. A monitoring program that tracks enterococcus more closely can help shore communities and beach users understand when conditions may be less safe than they looked the day before.

The effort complements, rather than replaces, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s beach water-quality advisories and reports.

Sources

• Monmouth University UCI partnership announcement (June 8, 2026)
• Surfrider Blue Water Task Force program page
• New Jersey DEP Water Quality Advisories and Reports