The Next 30 Years of Sea Level Rise
Looking for a last minute stocking-stuffer? The 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report is packed with useful information that any coastal community could use. Twenty-three co-authors helped create this authoritative report.
Tracking Estuary Change
How big is your local estuary? Bigger than you think, according to a research team led by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. And with strategic investment in conservation and restoration, it could be bigger still.
Reserve Directors Support National Policy
Kudos and deep appreciation to two of our Reserve colleagues, who are supporting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) policy and strategy at the national scale.
Together Again!
NERRds from 25 states and Puerto Rico gathered in New Jersey for the annual meeting last month. Many people worked hard to make this meeting such a special event, but most of all we’d like to thank YOU.
Seeing is Believing in New Jersey
New Jersey residents can now get a firsthand look at climate change impacts at one of five learning stations in State Parks, thanks to the Jacques Cousteau Reserve, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and partners.
DC Download: October 2023
Along with pumpkin spice everything, decorative gourds, and creepy movies, it’s that time of year for all of us to brush up on the federal funding cycle!
Talk NERRdy to Me: Kelly Boudreaux
Nik Charov spoke with Kelly Boudreaux, one of the driving forces behind the new Atchafalaya Basin Reserve designation and friends group genesis. They talked Gulf Coast industry, preparing for the largest Reserve in the system, and shrimp.
All the Wonder We Cannot See
Expertly guiding participants along trails through California’s Tijuana River Reserve, Ron Peterson, a docent who is blind, showcases the wonders that can’t be seen.
New Hampshire Plans Ahead
New Hampshire’s salt marshes are beautiful, economically important, and—amid the dueling pressures of sea level rise and development—in danger of disappearing. Fortunately, the state is prepared to protect its iconic marshes and the many benefits they provide.
Connecting Students with Nature
I was tasked with developing an educational program about ospreys using a live webcam at the Reserve. As a person of color who speaks Spanish as a first language, I noticed a struggle that no one could see.
DC Download: September 2023
Thank you to everyone who made National Estuaries Week such a success! In almost 40 events around the country, more than 3,200 people joined us to #WadeIn to the estuaries we love.
Talk NERRdy to Me: Rebecca Ellin
NERRA’s interstate investigator Nik Charov spoke with Rebecca Ellin, Manager at the North Carolina Reserve. They talked about reloading National Hurricane Center forecasts, bicoastal curiosity, and staying young while getting old.
Estuaries Week Turns 35!
Coastal restoration organizations, federal and state agencies, and Members of Congress joined Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), NERRA, and the Association of National Estuary Programs (NEP) to celebrate National Estuaries Week 2023!
Making Way for Wetlands
Wetlands around the country are increasingly threatened by rising seas, stronger storms, more extreme precipitation, and drought. Planning to protect these precious resources while addressing the needs of communities …
Hudson River Makeover
New York’s Hudson River is getting a makeover. You can see it while strolling along Yonkers’ new esplanade, waiting for the ferry in Cold Harbor, or picnicking in Haverstraw Bay Park.
DC Download: August 2023
Congressional staff visit Reserves! Earlier this month, nine House staff members and Knauss Fellows visited the Chesapeake Bay Reserve in Virginia to see their monitoring, restoration, research, and community engagement first hand.
Kids Teaching Kids
Picture this: children, elders, and other members from the Wampanoag Tribe teaching non-indigenous children and adults about their traditional food, music, dancing, and crafts. Sound inspiring? Educators at the Waquoit Bay Reserve thought so, too.
Waiting for Slimy Signs of Spring
The American eel is soooo misunderstood. It’s not electric, dangerous, or nearly as slimy as people think—and what’s wrong with slime anyway?
“Capturing” Wildlife on the Move
Scientists from across the National Estuarine Research Reserve System have conducted the first-ever North American inventory of coastal wetland wildlife.
Reserve Data Punches Above Its Weight
It all started with a conversation about a buoy. Last year, Lake Superior Reserve staff reached out to the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) to deploy a buoy that would …
DC Download: July 2023
Senate and House Appropriations Committee work has begun! The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its bill on July 13th, increasing the NERRS Operations budget by $800,000 and acknowledging the growth of the system.
Talk NERRdy to Me: Juan Ramirez
This month, NERRA’s questing querent Nik Charov spoke with Juan Ramirez, outreach coordinator for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and Reserve, near Monterey, California. They chatted about lizards and love, fear and families, and other, you know, unimportant things.
Day in the Life of A Reserve Scientist
Byron Toothman did not expect to work for the North Carolina Reserve as a research biologist for this long. “I’m 16 years in, and I didn’t know I could love a job this much,” he says.
Building Community Support for Stormwater
Managing the stormwater that runs off roads, parking lots, rooftops, and other impervious surfaces is an increasing challenge for coastal New Hampshire. The region’s stormwater infrastructure is aging, big rain storms are more common …
From the Estuary Files: Reserve Data Mysteries
Ominous blobs, shoreline shrimp slaughter, a catastrophe on Bang’s Lake… who said science was dull? In honor of the return to school—and maybe the next Halloween blockbuster—educators across the Reserve System are serving up locally-inspired data mysteries.