ABSTRACT It has been proposed by Stubblefield and colleagues (this volume) that the sand ridges of the central new Jersey shelf contain a basal muddy sand stratum deposited as a lower shoreface facies during a period of coastal progradation. They conclude that the ridge morphology above the mid-shelf scarp is in part a relict strand plain. The coastal progradation hypothesis for the origin of the lower muddy sand facies is a reasonable one, but to date there is not enough evidence to discriminate among facies. Examination of the inner shelf surface above the mid-shelf scarp reveals topographic, stratigraphic, and grain-size patterns that may be interpreted as being in conflict with the relict strand plain model. We conclude that the ridge topography on the surfaces above the scarp on the New Jersey Shelf is a response to storm flows subsequent to transgression.