The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve consists of two unique components, one on

Blackbird Creek Blackbird Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in northern Delaware in the United States. Course Blackbird Creek rises in two branches both ...

() and the other on the

St. Jones River The St. Jones River is a river flowing to Delaware Bay in central Delaware in the United States. It is long and drains an area of on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. History The river is believed to have been named either for Robert Jones, an early ...

(). Freshwater

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

s and

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

lands dominate the Blackbird Creek component. The St. Jones component is dominated by

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

and open water habitats of the

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inlan ...

. The reserve monitors long-term changes in weather and aquatic conditions in the

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

. The reserve’s research and monitoring programs address key management issues, such as biodiversity and the impacts of land use on estuarine habitats, ecological impacts on

horseshoe crab Horseshoe crabs are marine and brackish water arthropods of the family Limulidae and the only living members of the order Xiphosura. Despite their name, they are not true crabs or crustaceans: they are chelicerates, most closely related to arachn ...

populations from migratory

shorebird 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...

beach replenishment Beach nourishment (also referred to as beach renourishment, beach replenishment, or sand replenishment) describes a process by which sediment, usually sand, lost through longshore drift or erosion is replaced from other sources. A wider beach can ...

activities in relation to habitat preservation/ reclamation, and

eutrophication Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...

and contaminants in the estuary.

St. Jones Center for Estuarine Studies

The St. Jones Center for Estuarine Studies offers a wide variety of educational programs about the reserve for the general public, school groups, private and nonprofit organizations, educators and coastal decision makers. Coastal decision-maker workshops have included such topics as

land-use planning Land use planning is the process of regulating the use of land by a central authority. Usually, this is done to promote more desirable social and environmental outcomes as well as a more efficient use of resources. More specifically, the goals ...

and

smart growth Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood sch ...

, energy resource conservation and development for the next decade and acoustical bay bottom mapping. Visitor can explore hands-on interactive activities and exhibits including fish tanks, a recycling center, restoration demonstration areas as well as a variety of programs and volunteer opportunities for the community, teachers, students, and families. The Center also supports ongoing research and monitoring, field studies, citizen monitoring programs, and training opportunities for coastal decision makers.

References

External links

Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
at NOAA {{Protected Areas of Delaware Protected areas of Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserves of the United States Protected areas of New Castle County, Delaware Nature centers in Delaware Estuaries of Delaware Landforms of New Castle County, Delaware IUCN Category IV