The Maurice River and its tributaries to the Delaware Bay have played a significant role in Southern New Jersey’s cultural landscape and shaped its diverse people generation after generation. Its resources, particularly fish and shellfish, were first embraced by Native American cultures. Middens filled with oyster shells help archaeologists determine where and how the Lenni Lenape lived. Oysters and clams were important food sources, and their shells served as utensils, decorations, and wampum for trade. For European and Scandinavian settlers, the river provided many means. It was diked and banked to create land suitable for agriculture. Glassmaking thrived with large deposits of silica sand and an abundance of trees to fuel the fires. The river also provided for shipbuilding, fishing, oystering, and other maritime occupations. Today the Maurice River hosts commercial and recreational activities including oystering, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and birding. The people of the Maurice River and Delaware Bay continue to be shaped by its abundant resources.