Research and Monitoring in a Nationally Integrated Network of NERRS Sites: Concluding Comments

KENNISH, M.J., 2008. Research and monitoring in a nationally integrated network of NERRS sites: concluding comments. Journal of Coastal Research, SI(55), 236–239. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) is an integrated network of protected sites designed to improve environmental conditions and the health of the nation’s estuarine and coastal habitats by developing and providing information that promotes effective resource management. Established by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, the NERRS facilitates the application of sound science to support informed decision-making that addresses current and potential problems of coastal resources resulting from increasing and competing human demands as well as natural stressors. Four priority coastal management issues are targeted by the NERRS program: (1) land use and population growth; (2) habitat loss and alteration; (3) water quality degradation; and (4) changes in biotic communities. This network of protected and coordinated sites represents a federal, state, and community partnership in which research and monitoring, together with a comprehensive program of education and outreach, strengthen understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of estuaries, coastal habitats, and associated watersheds. Currently, the NERRS consists of 27 reserve sites in 21 states, 1 territory (Puerto Rico), and 19 biogeographical subregions covering more than 500,000 hectares of estuarine habitat, adjacent wetlands, and contiguous uplands. The geographic expanse of reserve sites serves as an ideal platform for support of coastal zone management work nationwide. As stated in the Code of Federal Regulations 15 CFR Section 921.1 (b), the goals of the NERRS are to: (1) Ensure a stable environment for research through longterm protection of the reserve sites. (2) Address coastal management issues identified as significant through coordinated estuarine research within the system. (3) Enhance public awareness and understanding of estuarine areas and provide suitable opportunities for public education and interpretation. DOI: 10.2112/SI55-006.1. (4) Promote federal, state, public, and private use of one or more reserves within the system when such entities conduct estuarine research. (5) Conduct and coordinate estuarine research within the system, gathering and disseminating available information necessary for improved understanding and management of estuarine areas. The research and monitoring components of the NERRS are part of a System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) developed to identify and track short-term variability and longterm changes in the integrity and biodiversity of site estuaries and their coastal watersheds. The SWMP establishes standardized sampling protocols for abiotic and biotic monitoring, as well as watershed (land use and habitat) characterizations that generate comprehensive databases for accurate comparisons of environmental conditions among the reserve sites. A baseline monitoring program enables investigators to detect trends in water quality and habitat loss and alteration. As the SWMP databases expand through time, they have greater utility for the interpretation and prediction of environmental changes that can impair susceptible systems. Aside from the acquisition of long-term water quality and meteorological databases, SWMP initiatives also include the investigation of biotic communities and habitats in estuaries and adjoining wetlands and the examination of land use changes at upland sites. For example, estuarine benthic habitat characterization, biodiversity, invasive species, and land use mapping are important elements of the NERRS. As a national cooperative program, the NERRS serves a vital role by improving public awareness and understanding of the importance of estuarine and watershed environments. The NERRS achieves coastal protection and management goals by mobilizing federal, state, and community resources to support work on fundamental physical, chemical, and biological processes operating in estuaries and associated coastal habitats. By providing an integrated mechanism for the