Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Virginia)

For the Reserve in Maryland, see Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Maryland).

37°26′3″N 76°43′15″W / 37.43417°N 76.72083°W / 37.43417; -76.72083

The Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - Virginia (CBNERR-VA) is one of 30 protected areas that make up the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS).[1][2]  Designated in 1991, it was established to promote informed management of the nation's estuaries and coastal habitats.[3]

Located in the southern subregion of the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary, CBNERR-VA is a steward of four reserves that protect a diversity of estuarine habitat: Sweet Hall Marsh, Taskinas Creek, Catlett Islands and the Goodwin Islands.  This multi-component system is situated along the York River's salinity gradient, making CBNERR-VA the foremost authority on York River estuarine habitat and water quality.

CBNERR-VA is administered as a partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while managed on a daily basis by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). As such, its research informs local, state and national policy.

References

  1. ^ Fisheries, NOAA (2023-10-23). "Monitoring Island Health in the Chesapeake Bay | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  2. ^ "Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia". Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  3. ^ Odom, Sara (2025-02-26). "Chesapeake Bay Reserve, Virginia | NERRA". www.nerra.org. Retrieved 2026-02-23.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the NOAA.


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