NOAA and the state of Connecticut have designated a new national estuarine research reserve in Long Island Sound. Research reserves are designated to protect a section of an estuary and provide a living laboratory to explore and understand important areas where rivers meet the sea, thus promoting understanding and informed management of coastal habitats.

The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve spans 52,160 acres in the southeastern part of the Constitution State. It is the 30th reserve in the national estuarine research reserve system, and the first in the state.

This new research reserve is consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, which commits to conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by the year 2030, including by expanding the national estuarine research system.

The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve will be managed as a partnership between NOAA and the state of Connecticut. The research reserve will facilitate new partnerships and collaborative research to improve coastal management, local community sustainability and ecosystem resilience.