Some estuaries are set aside to be studied. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System, or NERRS, is a partnership between NOAA and coastal states that protects a network of 29 areas across the country's biogeographic regions — "living laboratories" for scientists, students and the communities around them.
The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, on the New Hampshire–Maine border. Credit: NOAA.
What the reserves are for
The reserves are protected for:
- long-term research, by scientists and graduate students
- water quality and habitat monitoring over the long term
- education
- coastal stewardship
Who runs them
Each reserve is managed day to day by a lead state agency or university, with input from local partners. NOAA provides funding, national guidance and technical help.
Working with communities
Reserve staff work with local communities and regional groups on natural resource problems such as nonpoint source pollution, habitat restoration and invasive species. By combining research and education, the reserves help communities build strategies for their own coastal issues.
They also teach. Reserves train adults on the estuarine issues facing their communities, offer field classes for K-12 students, and support teachers through professional development in marine education.
Sources
Based on "What is NERRS?" from NOAA's National Ocean Service, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from oceanservice.noaa.gov
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