
We’re More Than Just Estuaries- Follow Me to the Forest!
Marshes, tidal creeks and mudflats- some key factors that make up Great Bay. But did you know there is one crucial habitat that you may not have heard of? Appalachian Oak Pine Forests!
Marshes, tidal creeks and mudflats- some key factors that make up Great Bay. But did you know there is one crucial habitat that you may not have heard of? Appalachian Oak Pine Forests!
In 1995, with the goal of understanding how estuaries change over time, the National Estuarine Research Reserve network implemented a standardized monitoring program across all 30 Reserves known as the System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP). This long-term program aims to measure and determine how conditions on the Reserves are changing in both the short and long term.
As ocean temperatures continue to rise, marine organisms are being forced to adapt. The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, an iconic Chesapeake Bay species, is an example of a species that is moving north to the Gulf of Maine’s warming waters. Historically, blue crabs have been rare north of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but have been observed in New Hampshire and Maine more often recently.
Eelgrass is a cornerstone species of healthy estuaries and the status of eelgrass populations gives us insight into the overall health of Great Bay.
With help from our fantastic partners, the Reserve hosted an inaugural Great Bay Research Symposium in October 2022 to foster more management relevant research about Great Bay.
Have you always wanted to work for a National Estuarine Research Reserve? Well, here’s your chance to get muddy and money!