NERRS Research and Monitoring: Summary and Conclusions

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) consists of an integrated network of 26 reserve sites in 15 biogeographical regions. The System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) of the NERRS establishes standardized sampling protocols for water quality monitoring, biomonitoring, and watershed characterizations of the reserve sites, facilitating data comparisons. The NERRS network of 26 reserve sites represents one of the strongest and most efficient national monitoring programs. This network of sites is particularly effective because its research and monitoring activities occur in all geographical regions of the US and almost every recognized climatic zone. In addition, the water quality database compiled by the NERRS program is one of the most detailed and comprehensive, yielding daily, monthly, seasonal, and interannual trends for an array of environmental variables among coastal systems and regions. As is evident by the wide range of research and monitoring initiatives described in this volume, the NERRS program consists of a number of components designed to effectively assess coastal issues of local, regional, and national concern.