- Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, located in southeastern
New Jersey , encompasses over 110,000 acres (450 km²) of terrestrial, wetland and aquatic habitats within theMullica River-Great Bay Ecosystem .A wide range of habitats includes the pinelands, lowland swamps, freshwater marshes, salt and freshwater tidal marshes, barrier islands (sandy beaches and dune habitats), shallow bays and the coastal ocean. Little more than one percent of this reserve has been subject to human development. The area is one of the least disturbed estuaries in the densely populated urban corridor of the northeastern United States.
On
October 20 ,1997 the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) was dedicated in honor ofJacques Y. Cousteau . The JC NERR is one of 26National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) created to promote responsible use and management of our nation's estuaries. Estuaries, where the rivers meet the sea, are the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by the tides. This mix of fresh and salt water creates a unique and very productive ecosystem vital to life both on land and in the sea.The mission of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve is to improve management of important estuarine resources in the
Mullica River-Great Bay watershed through a program combining scientific research, education, and stewardship. JC NERR conducts research on the physical, chemical and biological components of the site estuaries and neighboring watersheds. The JC NERR offers a variety of professional development programs for teachers highlighting the unique coastal resources of New Jersey for the K-12 classroom. It also offers training programs, resources and outreach materials forNew Jersey’s Coastal Management Community . The "Life on the Edge" exhibit housed at theTuckerton Seaport is a virtual walk from the headwaters of theMullica River , through thePinelands , into the marsh ecosystem inGreat Bay and then finally out into the open ocean. Visitors learn about the biology, ecology, and importance of estuarine habitats.Properties within the Reserve are public owned by various state and Federal entities. The
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences atRutgers , TheState University of New Jersey is the managing partner of JC NERR. Other agency partners include theNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection , TheEdwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge , TheRichard Stockton College of New Jersey ,The Pinelands Commission , The Tuckerton Seaport andThe Cooperative Institute of Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology .External links
*http://www.jcnerr.org
*http://marine.rutgers.edu
*http://www.crssa.rutgers.edu/
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