The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) consists of 28 reserves across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, which are managed as a partnership between NOAA and the coastal states for long-term research, ecosystem monitoring, education, and coastal stewardship. Reserves represent a diverse set of coastal ecosystems encompassing different biogeographic regions and estuarine types that are exposed to various gradients of anthropogenic and climate-related stressors. The NERRS was established in 1972 with the first reserve designated in 1974. Over 1.3 million acres of estuarine and coastal habitat is managed and protected by the Reserve System.
The severity of projected climate change impacts varies geographically around the U.S. (Karl et al. 2009), suggesting that some estuaries will be more vulnerable than others. Some estuaries will experience higher sea level rise impacts while other estuaries will experience wetter or dryer weather conditions that result from changing climatic conditions around the country. Unfortunately, there aren’t many national data sets available to assess the impacts of climate change on estuaries. The vast majority of the information used to determine climate change patterns and impacts is focused on understanding temperature and weather patterns around the world and across the country using sophisticated global models to project impacts over hundreds of years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced numerous reports over the past 20 years that document the physical scientific bases for climate change (IPCC 1990a, IPCC 2001a, IPCC 2007b). These reports also describe the potential impacts to human society (IPCC 1990b, IPCC 2001b, IPCC 2007c) and suggest possible mitigation strategies (IPCC 1990c, IPCC 2001c, IPCC 2007d). However, to date no comprehensive analysis has been conducted to systematically assess the climate sensitivity of U.S. estuaries.
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of protected areas established for long-term research, education and stewardship. This partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states protects more than 1.3 million acres of estuarine land and water, which provides essential habitat for wildlife; offers educational opportunities for students, teachers and the public; and serves as living laboratories for scientists.
References
Karl, T. R., Melillo, J. M., & Peterson, T. C. (Eds.). (2009). Global climate change impacts in the United States. A state of knowledge report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press [Online]. Available: http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (1990a). Climate change: The IPCC scientific assessment. Houghton, J. T., Jenkins, G. J., & Ephraums, J. J. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (1990b). Climate change: The IPCC impacts assessment. McG Tegart, W. J., Sheldon, G. W., & Griffiths, D. C. (Eds.). Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (1990c). Climate change: The IPCC response strategies, report prepared for intergovernmental panel on climate change by working group III. World Meterological Organization/United Nations Environment Program, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Covelo, CA: Island Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2001a). Climate change 2001: The scientific basis. Contribution of working group I to the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Houghton, J. T., Ding, Y., Griggs, D. J., Noguer, M., van der Linden, P. J., Dai, X., Maskell, K., & Johnson, C. A. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2001b). Climate change 2001: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. McCarth, J. J., Canziani, O. F., Leary, N. A., Dokken, D. J. & White, K. S. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2001c). Climate change 2001: Mitigation. World Meterological Organization/United Nations Environment Program, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2007). Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K. B., Tignor M., & Miller, H. L. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2007a). Climate change 2007: Synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II, and III to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Pachauri, R. K., & Reisinger, A. (Eds.). Geneva, Switzerland: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2007b). Climate change 2007: The physical science basis. Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M.,. Averyt, K.B, Tignor, M., & Miller, H.L. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2007c). Climate change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of working group III to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Metz, B., Davidson, O. R., Bosch, P. R., Dave, R., & Meyer, L. A. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. (2007d). Climate change 2007: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group II to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Parry, M. L., Canziani, O. F., Palutikof, J. P, van der Linden, P. J., & Hanson, C. E. (Eds.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.