Mission-Aransas Reserve, Texas
State
Texas
State Partner
University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Acres
185,708
Est. Date
2006
Protecting 185,708 acres of diverse coastal lands, the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve provides a place where landowners, policy-makers, scientist, and the public can come together to make coastal management decisions which will best benefit people and coastal ecosystems. In addition, the Mission-Aransas Reserve works on some of the most important issues facing Texas’ coasts, including marine debris accumulation, species migration patterns, and the allocation of inflows of freshwater.
Explore the impact of Mission-Aransas Reserve in 2019, including their Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshops and recovery from Hurricane Harvey.
Be A Friend
Join Friends of the Ark. The Mission-Aransas Reserve also accepts support through the University of Texas development office.
Did You Know…
Approximately 350 wild whooping cranes migrate every year to the Mission-Aransas Reserve.
Latest News from the Mission-Aransas Reserve
Turtles Find Well-Beeing in Texas
Honey bees and sea turtles may seem like animal odd couples, but these two species are unique collaborators in two of the Mission-Aransas Reserve’s stewardship programs: Fennessey Ranch and the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK).
Rebuilding the ARK
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Mission-Aransas Reserve in 2017, one of the many casualties was the ARK. Today, thanks to the support of NOAA and friends, the ARK is returning about 500 turtles and 1000 birds to their native habitats every year.
Nurdle Patrol Without Borders
Thanks to a grant from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust, Nurdle Patrol is expanding into Mexico to help document nurdle pollution and identify those responsible for it.