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2017 Science Collaborative Research & Integrated Assessment Competition Results

Over $2.6 million will be awarded to six projects by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative that engage research efforts on 12 reserves across the nation. These awards are contingent upon environmental compliance review and approval.

Projects recommended to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for funding will support research teams to evaluate thin-layer sediment placement as a strategy to enhance coastal marsh resilience; promote holistic watershed management in Alaska, and evaluate different oyster aquaculture strategies for nitrogen loading remediation. Three additional projects will quantify nutrient retention capacity of coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes; develop DNA methods for monitoring invasive species and biodiversity, and evaluate the impact of hydrologic alterations on salt marsh sustainability. See the full list of projects below or download the PDF.

“We are thrilled to announce yet another set of high-caliber collaborative research projects to benefit coastal management across the country, ” said Dr. Jennifer Read, Director of the University of Michigan (U-M) Water Center and coordinator of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative, supported by NOAA. “These projects are both technically robust and highly collaborative in that they engage managers and decision makers in conducting impactful research. ”

Over the course of the project period, teams will have access to Science Collaborative support and resources, including experts in collaborative research design and implementation and data management. Experts include Maria Carmen Lemos and Julia Wondelleck (U-M), Dwayne Porter (University of South Carolina), and the NERRS Centralized Data Management Office.

Science Collaborative projects integrate decision-makers and other end users into each project. This program supports innovative, collaborative science, including the review and evaluation of science and policy information to inform coastal management decisions and address critical needs.

  • Learn more about the Science Collaborative: nerrssciencecollaborative.org
  • Look for the next Science Collaborative request for proposals in October 2017.
  • Since 2015, $11.2 million has been awarded to 19 reserves.

2017 NERRS Science Collaborative Research and Integrated Assessment Projects*

Project Lead and Affiliation Project Title Participating Reserve(s)
Kristi Arend, Old Woman Creek NERR
How much can coastal wetlands contribute to the reduction of nutrient loading to Lake Erie? Quantifying nutrient retention by coastal wetlands for guiding restoration and management. Old Woman Creek (OH)
Kenny Raposa, Narragansett Bay NERR
Thin-layer sediment placement: evaluating an adaptation strategy to enhance coastal marsh resilience across the NERRS

Great Bay (NH), Waquoit Bay (MA), Narragansett Bay (RI), Chesapeake Bay (MD), Chesapeake Bay (VA), North Carolina (NC), San Francisco Bay (CA), Elkhorn Slough (CA)

Daniel Rogers, Stonehill College
Evaluating effectiveness of different oyster aquaculture strategies for nitrogen loading remediation to inform end user decisions to restore water quality Waquoit Bay (MA)
Amanda Spivak, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Evaluating the impact of hydrologic alterations on salt marsh sustainability in a changing climate Waquoit Bay (MA)
Coowe Walker, Kachemak Bay NERR
Collaborative Tool Development for Promoting Resilient Groundwater Resources and Holistic Watershed Management at the Kachemak Bay NERR
Kachemak Bay (AK)
Alison Watts, University of New Hampshire
New technology for old problems - Using DNA methods to monitor invasive species and biodiversity in estuarine systems Great Bay (NH), South Slough (OR), Wells (ME)
View/Download as a PDF

* These projects have been recommended to NOAA for funding; grant awards are contingent upon the findings of NOAA environmental compliance reviews.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System ’s Science Collaborative supports collaborative research that addresses coastal management problems important to the reserves. The Science Collaborative is managed by the University of Michigan ’s Water Center through a cooperative agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Funding for the research reserves and this program comes from NOAA. Learn more at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/ or nerrssciencecollaborative.org.