NERRS Science: 50+ Years of Covering the Coasts

For more than five decades, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) has been the nation’s go-to source for estuary science and a critical resource for federal agencies, state governments, universities, and coastal communities as they work to protect people, property, and economies.

Established in 1972, the System’s 30 Reserves span roughly 1.4 million protected acres of public lands and waters that function as living laboratories. In 2025 alone, Reserves supported 955 research projects on a range of topics, including fisheries management and coastal resilience. Since Congress created the program in 1972, Reserves have advanced the field of estuary science, with approximately 2,200 publications referencing unique studies that cite Reserves. 

The impact of NERRS science is felt around the coasts. At the Kachemak Bay Reserve in Alaska, for example, weekly updates on harmful algal blooms recently enabled a Tribal community to reschedule a regional shellfish harvest, preventing a potential outbreak of illness. In Florida, a recently completed mangrove restoration project at the Rookery Bay Reserve is expanding nursery habitat for tarpon and other recreational fisheries that generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the state economy.

Central to this work is the NERRS System-Wide Monitoring Program, which has generated a unique, irreplaceable dataset on water quality for U.S. estuaries. Its 300 monitoring stations collect more than 48 million publicly available readings each year; in 2025 alone, approximately 24,500 individuals downloaded this data to support education, science, coastal resource management, and more.

NERRS science also plays a critical role in training the coastal workforce. Nearly 5,000 graduate and undergraduate students were supported by Reserves in 2025. There were nearly 14,000 participants in science based training and engagement activities at Reserves in 2024, generating an estimated economic value of $3.78 million in 2024. (Data from 2025 not available.)

“Reserves are living laboratories that enable the estuary science, data and professional training needed for evidence-driven actions that meet the challenges on the coasts,” said Rebecca Roth, Executive Director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association. “This work is only possible because Reserves are protected and monitored in a consistent way.”

Though each Reserve tailors its approach to the needs of its local communities, she notes, all share this same commitment to consistent protection and monitoring. Additional detail on the impact of NERRS science is available in the attached brief. 

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About NERRA: The National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) is the national voice for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, a partnership program between NOAA and coastal states comprising 30 protected areas representing the nation’s diverse coastal and estuarine ecosystems.

Media Contact: Rebecca Roth Executive Director, NERRA. roth@nerra.org