Connecticut Reserve

The newest site in our System, the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve consists of 52,160 acres in the southeastern part of the state, where the Connecticut and Thames rivers flow into Long Island Sound. The Reserve protects an area with the region’s highest diversity of fish, including Atlantic salmon, and the endangered shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon. It also encompasses areas recognized as ‘wetlands of international importance’ by the Ramsar Convention and opportunities for public access at several preserves and state parks. The area surrounding the Reserve includes North America’s oldest Indian Reservation, the Mashantucket Pequot, as well as ethnically diverse cities like New London.