New Jersey went to court Thursday to seize 87 public owned beach parcels in Margate through eminent domain to be used for a protective dune system the town and its residents bitterly oppose.

The state attorney general's office and the Department of Environmental Protection acted less than a week after Gov. Chris Christie called Margate "among the most selfish people in the state of New Jersey" for refusing to allow the dunes to be built.

The town, just south of Atlantic City, says its wooden bulkheads are sufficient to protect against ocean flooding, and that most of the damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 came from the bay on the other side of town.

Ten private lots still need to be acquired in Margate, which are not part of Thursday's court action.