I am a Master's student in the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution at Rutgers University, New Brunswick studying the biotic communities on and in the vicinity of nearshore sand ridges found along the New Jersey coast. There are over 70 sand ridges located in the nearshore region off the New Jersey coast, primarily outside the mouths of current and historic inlets. As beach replenishment projects continue up and down the coast there is an ever-increasing need for sand, and mining the ridges has been proposed. In order to determine the potential impacts of mining the ridges on the fish assemblages in the area I am sampling with a 4.9 m otter trawl at discrete stations along a transect running from the shoreline, over the ridge, out to a distance of approximately XX km offshore to understand how the fish communities vary in both composition and abundance landward, on the ridge, and seaward of the ridge. Tows are conducted in the spring, summer, and fall to capture the potential for seasonal fluctuations due to emigration and/or migration. Individuals captured are identified to species, and the reproductive status and stomach contents of spawning age fish are determined. Oceanographic variables such as depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH are also recorded at each station. When analyzed the data will show what effect, if any, the sand ridges have on the fish community, including their potential use as spawning grounds. Given that there are over 200 nearshore sand ridges located along the coast from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico the results of this study may have broader implications beyond New Jersey.