National Estuarine Research Reserves Protect People & Places
36,000 Heroes
42 Million Data Points
Tracking water quality, habitat health, storm damage, and more every year
1.3+ Million Acres
protected, natural lands along the coast
Find Your Reserve
Somewhere in the 1.3+ million acres of mangroves, marshes, beaches, fields, and forests protected by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System there is a place for you. Visit your Reserve, enjoy the natural beauty it protects, and learn how it supports you, your community, and our coasts.
What’s Happening at Our Reserves?
DC Download: June 22
Congress is hard at work on updates to our 50-year-old Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). With an eye to educating members of Congress about what your Reserve and the System do for your community, please consider how you can promote your work.
Saving the World, One Baby Manatee at a Time
After a long day of work, Aitza Pabón received a phone call about a baby manatee stranded on the shore, not so far from the Jobos Bay Reserve.
New Study Supports Native Oyster Comeback
When the pandemic hit, oyster scientists up and down the West Coast found themselves stuck at home, rather than out in the mud (where they like it). The result? A new paper in the journal PLOS ONE.
Spotlight
NERRA’S MISSION
Reserves and their friends groups rely on NERRA to help enhance successful programs, strengthen the network, and enable reserves to better address challenges to our nation’s estuaries, coasts, and communities. NERRA communicates the funding needs and priorities of Reserves to Congress and federal agencies and educates the general public about the importance of estuaries and coasts.