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1. Home
2. Ecosystems
3. NOAA Proposes Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve

NOAA Proposes Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve




**The Takeaway**: If successful, this proposal to establish a 30th U.S. estuarine research reserve — with public comment happening during National Estuaries Week — would be the first one in Connecticut.  In September 2021, NOAA and the state of Connecticut began to solicit  public comment on a proposed Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve located along Long Island Sound. If approved, this site could become the 30th U.S. estuarine research reserve as soon as January 2022, and would help conserve valuable wetland habitat, consistent with President Biden’s America the Beautiful initiative. The comment period is happening at the same time as National Estuaries Week, September 18 – 25, a celebration of estuaries when the public is encouraged to explore a wetlands world of sights, sounds, and adventures at one of 29 current research reserves. To date, NOAA’s research reserves have protected more than 1.3 million acres of land and water while providing living outdoor classrooms for students and teachers, community training hubs, field sites for estuarine research, and one-of-a-kind outdoor adventures. “NOAA is committed to establishing the Connecticut estuarine research reserve, because reserves inform and strengthen climate change resilience at national and local levels, help communities tackle critical issues — such as coastal flooding, invasive species growth, and nonpoint source pollution — and support the coastal ecotourism economy,” says Nicole LeBoeuf, assistant administrator of NOAA's National Ocean Service. The U.S. coastal recreation and tourism industry generates an estimated $8 billion to $12 billion per year, and a large proportion of those activities take place in estuaries. These figures are likely to rise because, in 2019, Americans began to seek outdoor fun and adventure in record numbers. From 2019 to 2020, American hikers grew by 8.1 million, campers by 7.9 million, and freshwater fishers by 3.4 million, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. Overall, 53% of Americans ages six and over participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2020, the highest participation rate on record. To learn more about NOAA's engagement in the America the Beautiful initiative, visit America the Beautiful.  osprey on the nest*Birding on every coast: an osprey on the nest in Connecticut. Many reserves are home to migratory bird flyways, making them highly sought-out destinations for birders. (Photo: Corey Leamy/CTNERR via flickr, CC by-NC 2.0)*   National Estuaries Week: September 18-25, 2021 NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserves are yours to explore  Estuaries: yours to explore. Hiking, birdwatching, swimming, fishing, hunting, kayaking, canoeing — nearly any outdoor adventure you can imagine is happening at a reserve somewhere.  Ohio’s serene waterways At the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a kayaker glides among picturesque American lotus blossoms. Along the way osprey dive for food, great blue herons linger along the banks, and an occasional beaver lodge can be spotted. Photo: Michelle Bock
 Texas’s Gulf Coast creatures A Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle hatchling struggles toward the ocean to escape predators. At the Amos Rehabilitation Keep, part of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, visitors learn about animals on the path to recovery at the sea turtle pool, raptor enclosure, and walking paths with interpretive signage. Photo: Jace Tunnell
 Maine’s autumn splendor Fall at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve features spectacular colors, and hikers all year round enjoy easy-to-moderate trails with views of saltmarsh, forests, grasslands, beaches, overlooks, and Mount Agamenticus. Photo: Sarah Smith
 A South Carolina living lab A nature guide and student prepare to cast a net in the waters of the Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve. Teachers and students often use the reserve’s dock, public boat access, and nature trail system for lessons in the field. Photo: Hansje Gold-Krueck
 California’s wide-open adventures At the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, explorers visit the working Rush Ranch for birding and hiking, plus tours of a working blacksmith shop, nature center, restored 100-year-old barn, and a house built in 1932 using a kit from Sears, Roebuck & Company. Photo: Tom Muehleisen
 Estuary games in Delaware, Florida, and Texas Learning center visitors play interactive games to find out how their actions can help, or hurt, estuaries and other living things at the Delaware, Guana Tolomato Matanzas, and Mission-Aransas  National Estuarine Research Reserves. Photo: NOAA Science Collaborative
 Massachusetts camping adventures At the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, overnight visitors enjoy 10 rustic campsites on Washburn Island, and day visitors take boating trips out to the island. Photo: Hansje Gold-Krueck
 Puerto Rico’s seascapes At the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a restored marsh pond and dock offer striking vistas. Photo: Milton Muñoz
     More **Information** National Estuarine Research Reserves Office for Coastal Management Explore Reserves Estuaries Education Tutorial: Estuaries Reserve Images   **Search** Our Stories    Get **Social** Social
  **Last updated:** 04/01/22 **Author:** NOAA How to cite this article Contact Us
  Find a Reserve Near You  Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Delaware - Delaware
						Maine - Wells
						Maryland - Chesapeake Bay-Maryland
						Massachusetts - Waquoit Bay
						New Hampshire - Great Bay
						New Jersey - Jacques Cousteau
						New York - Hudson River                        
                        Rhode Island - Narragansett Bay
						Virginia - Chesapeake Bay-Virginia
  Southeast and Caribbean Florida - Guana Tolomato Matanzas
						Georgia - Sapelo Island
						North Carolina - North Carolina
						Puerto Rico - Jobos Bay
                        South Carolina - ACE Basin;  North Inlet Winyah Bay
  Great Lakes Ohio - Old Woman Creek
						Wisconsin - Lake Superior
  Gulf of Mexico Alabama - Weeks Bay
						Florida - Apalachicola;Rookery Bay
                        Mississippi - Grand Bay
                         Texas - Mission-Aransas
 West Coast Alaska - Kachemak Bay
                        California - Elkhorn Slough; San Francisco Bay; Tijuana River                      
                        Oregon - South Slough
						Washington - Padilla Bay
 Pacific Islands Hawaii - Heʻeia


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