nerrs.noaa.gov - Background

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a partnership of NOAA and coastal states to study and protect vital coastal and estuarine resources.

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Reserve research and monitoring programs provide a robust foundation for effective national, regional, and local coastal zone management.

System-Wide + Overview of Research & Monitoring + System-wide Monitoring Program + NERRS Science Collaborative Opportunities + Graduate Research Fellowships		Resources + Research & Monitoring Data + Research Monitoring Products + Research Partners + Contact Research Coordinators Reserve-based + Reserve Research

Graduate Fellows use reserves as living laboratories to address coastal management needs in the natural and social sciences.

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Reserves provide educational & outreach activities that advance estuary literacy and engage educators, students and the general public to practice coastal stewardship.

System-Wide + Education Network + Estuaries.noaa.gov Opportunities + K-12 Education Programs + Community Education + Public Outreach + How You Can Help		Resources + About Estuaries + Videos & Games + Real-time Data & Maps + Publications Reserve-based + Reserve Education

The Coastal Training Program provides science-based information and training to support those who make decisions that affect coastal resources.

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Reserve Stewardship programs integrate science, monitoring and communities to protect, manage, and restore coastal habitats.

System-Wide + Ecological Changes + Water Quality + Habitat Alteration Opportunities + Restoration + Mapping + Land Acquisition		Resources + Habitat Mapping and Change + Restoration Science + Land Acquisition + Publications Reserve-based + Reserve Stewardship

- News and listings of events, activities and achievements from throughout the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
  
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The National Estuarine Research Reserve System protects more than 1.3 million acres in 28 reserves in 22 states and Puerto Rico.

Northeast + Wells, ME + Great Bay, NH + Waquoit Bay, MA + Narragansett Bay, RI + Hudson River, NY Mid Atlantic + Jacques Cousteau, NJ + Delaware + Chesapeake Bay, MD + Chesapeake Bay, VA Southeast + North Carolina + North Inlet-Winyah, SC + ACE Basin, SC + Sapelo Island, GA + GTM, FL		Great Lakes + Old Woman Creek, OH + Lake Superior, WI Caribbean + Jobos Bay, PR Gulf of Mexico + Rookery Bay, FL + Apalachicola, FL + Weeks Bay, AL + Grand Bay, MS + Mission-Aransas, TX West Coast + Kachemak Bay, AK + Padilla Bay, WA + South Slough, OR + San Francisco, CA + Elkhorn Slough, CA + Tijuana River, CA

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Background

NERRS Strategic Plan

People

More than half of the Nation’s population lives in coastal communities. Reserves are community resources where people can appreciate, understand, and learn about how to protect estuaries and coastal
watersheds.

GOAL: NERRS education and training increases participants’ environmental lit¬eracy and ability to make
science-based decisions related to estuaries and coastal watersheds.

OBJECTIVES:

Enhance the capacity and skills of teachers and students to understand and use NERRS data and information for inquiry-based learning.
Increase estuary literacy and promote active stewardship among public audiences through the development and delivery of tools and programs addressing climate change, habitat protection, and water quality.
Improve the capacity and skills of coastal decision makers to use and apply science-based information in decisions that affect estuaries and coastal watersheds.

PRIORITY STRATEGIES:

Provide place-based educational experiences that facilitate hands-on exploration of estuary environments.
Include relevant estuarine research and data in reserve professional training and education programs.
Implement teacher training programs using Estuary 101 curricula.
Expand training for coastal decision makers focused on climate change, habitat protection, and water quality issues.

Last Updated on: Friday, April 15, 2011


Overview Funding History Mgmt Plans & Site Profiles Key Documents & Partners Strategic Plan Legislation Regulations Designation Process Future Designations Bioregions Bioregions Map
	For more information contact Laurie.Mcgilvray@noaa.gov