This comprehensive assessment of the hard clam resources of Barnegat Bay was prepared by Dr. Monica Bricelj and Dr. John Kraeuter of Rutgers University, and Mr. Gef Flimlin of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County. It reviews the biology and history of hard clams in the bay and suggests potential research foci needed to understand the decline of this resource and management actions that may help to return a once thriving industry.