Through a 2020 science transfer project, the Lake Superior and Heʻeia reserves and partners brought renewed attention to reserve site profiles and supported the development of a modernized format that better aligns with and boosts the impact of reserve programs.

Through a 2020 science transfer project, the Lake Superior and Heʻeia reserves and partners brought renewed attention to reserve site profiles and supported the development of a modernized format that better aligns with and boosts the impact of reserve programs.

Each reserve within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System maintains a specific site profile that synthesizes knowledge about its physical and biological characteristics to guide research and monitoring activities.

Ecosystem service assessments are a top priority at many reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

Through a 2020 catalyst project, the Heʻeia and Kachemak Bay Reserves worked to advance the equitable representation of cultural ecosystem services in estuary stewardship by providing practical information and opportunities for facilitated exchange.

Cultural ecosystem services (CES), one of four main categories of ecosystem services, are often described as the non-material benefits that humans receive from their interactions with the environment.

Seventeen projects involving 27 reserves across the nation and totaling more than $2 million have been recommended for support by NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative.

This white paper, developed by a 2020 catalyst project, provides an overview of expanding and deepening the application of cultural ecosystem services in the National Estuarine Reserve System.