Nature Reserves in the United States of America: Mapped Conservation and Biodiversity Areas

Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve

Protected estuarine geography and coastal river convergence

Discover the geographic complexity of this research-driven protected area, where freshwater and saltwater environments converge along the Florida coastline. The reserve features an intricate network of tidal creeks, pine flatwoods, and coastal dunes, providing a unique look into the regional ecology of the Carolinian marine bioregion and its significant role in maritime conservation science.

Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve

A paired nature reserve system in Delaware

Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve preserves a significant coastal gradient across two distinct units in Kent County. From the freshwater wetlands and forests of Blackbird Creek to the tidal salt marshes of the St. Jones River, this protected area serves as a primary hub for estuarine research, monitoring aquatic conditions, and safeguarding biodiversity within the Delaware Bay ecological corridor.

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Mapping the tidal ecosystems of Monterey Bay, California

Located near Watsonville, California, this nature reserve protects a vital estuarine ecosystem marked by tidal channels, mudflats, and oak woodlands. It functions as a key site for coastal research, providing a clear window into the ecology and protected terrain of one of the largest salt marshes remaining on the California coastline.

North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve

Coastal habitat and biogeographic research corridor

Spanning from Currituck Banks to Zeke's Island, the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve preserves a diverse coastal mosaic. This protected area supports essential estuarine functions and provides critical habitat for numerous aquatic species, defining the complex intersection of land and sea in the southeastern United States.

Red Rock Lakes Wilderness

High elevation marshes and protected water basins.

Red Rock Lakes Wilderness preserves an extensive high-elevation wetland complex in Beaverhead County, Montana. This nature reserve, characterized by shallow lake basins and forested mountain ridges, serves as a vital ecological corridor in the Northern Rockies. Its protected landscape offers a study in water-driven geography, where remote marshes and reflective lakes define the terrain's character.

Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve

Northern Ohio coastal wetland and research landscape.

Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve represents a vital freshwater estuary on the Lake Erie shore. This reserve protects a unique combination of marsh, swamp forest, and barrier beach, providing significant insight into the natural function of Great Lakes coastal systems in northern Ohio.

Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve

Inland-to-ocean ecological gradient map and landscape overview.

Located in southeastern New Jersey, the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve provides a rare, contiguous protected footprint covering the Mullica River and Great Bay. This landscape includes freshwater swamps, salt marshes, and barrier island dunes, offering a benchmark site for scientific research on estuarine and coastal processes along the Atlantic coast.

King Range Wilderness

Mapped protected landscapes along the Humboldt County North Coast

King Range Wilderness protects a unique vertical ecosystem spanning from the Pacific Ocean tide line to high inland elevations. This nature reserve, located in Humboldt County, serves as a significant geographic landmark for its steep topography, including Douglas-fir forests, estuarine habitats, and undisturbed coastal reaches that represent a substantial portion of California's undeveloped shoreline.

Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Regional tidal habitat and protected watershed in New Hampshire

Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects a vital coastal landscape characterized by broad tidal basins, fringing salt marshes, and inland woodlands. Located in southeastern New Hampshire, this nature reserve serves as an essential site for studying the intersection of freshwater and saltwater ecosystems, preserving a mosaic of land and water that illustrates the complex geography of the Atlantic coast.

Ashepoo Combahee Edisto Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve

Coastal river convergence and tidal marsh geography

Spanning 140,000 acres of the South Carolina Lowcountry, this estuarine reserve protects a unique intersection of blackwater river systems and Atlantic coastal marshlands. The area provides a vital habitat for various species, where historic plantation lands, cypress swamps, and productive salt marshes form one of the largest undeveloped estuarine complexes on the United States eastern seaboard.