A Restoration Science Strategy

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is building a Habitat Restoration Strategy to provide the scientific basis and technical expertise to restore, enhance and maintain estuarine ecosystems. The plan will develop and transfer effective approaches to identify, prioritize, restore and monitor degraded or lost coastal habitat. The strategy uses a partnership approach coupled with education and community involvement. The restoration areas in which the reserve system hopes to play a national role includes:

• Project planning
  
• Developing effective approaches to test and evaluate innovative technology for restoration
  
• Monitoring restoration response
  
• Serving as local reference or control sites
  
• Translating/transferring restoration information
  
• Providing scientific and technological advise to support policy and regulatory decisions
  
• Building awareness for the value of restoration science
  
• Coordinating regional science
  

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is well equipped to fill these roles. National programs already in place, such as the System-wide Monitoring Program, the Graduate Research Fellows and the Coastal Training Program, can be applied to support the restoration science strategy.

Relevant Reference:
Restoration Science Strategy: A Framework, NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System, February 2002 (PDF Document).