System Wide Monitoring Program

With over 25 sites that reflect the diverse coastal biogeographic regions of the Nation, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System is ideally suited for a long-term trend-monitoring program to address estuarine management issues. The System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) was created to identify and track short-term variability and long-term changes in representative estuarine ecosystems and coastal watersheds.

SWMP is a phased monitoring approach that focuses on three different ecosystem characteristics:

Abiotic Factors, including atmospheric, water quality (nutrients, contaminants, etc.) and physical parameters (salinity, tidal range, groundwater, freshwater inflow, bathymetry, etc.)
Biological Monitoring, including biodiversity habitat and population characteristics
Watershed and Land Use Classifications, including historic changes in spatial coverage and assessments of consumptive and non-consumptive uses

The Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - MD is working with government agencies in the Bay region to integrate their SWMP into the bay-wide water quality monitoring effort to assess shallow water habitats. This integrated effort will provide managers with information to help characterize water and habitat conditions and identify specific problem areas throughout the Bay's tidal waters. Data collected through this effort is available at www.eyesonthebay.net usually within one week of collection.

Additional information on the program can be found at these web sites:
http://nerrs.noaa.gov/Monitoring
http://cdmo.baruch.sc.edu
http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/pdf/nerrswmp96-98.pdf

More Information

Calendar of EventsView all

Kayak Cruising on the Creek04/25/2019 @ 10:00 am-12:30 pmNudge around the endless nooks and crannies of Otter Point Creek and the upper Bush River with an adults only group. Choose one trip or all three to track the changes on the water through the spring season of northward migration and bud burst.
Critter Dinner Time04/27/2019 @ 10:30 am-11:30 amWatch our turtles, amphibians and snakes eat while learning about these fascinating creatures.
Earth Day 2019 Festival at Aberdeen Festival Park04/27/2019 @ 1:00 pm-4:00 pmEnjoy a fun day with live music, native animals, exhibits, "green" games, recycled crafts, local food, and more. Stop by the Estuary Center’s booth for face painting. Located at Aberdeen Festival Park, 60 N. Parke St., Aberdeen, MD
Children's Garden Club04/27/2019 @ 1:00 pm-2:00 pmGet out the shovels and trowels while working with our naturalist to grow a garden full of fun! Cook, create, and explore while learning about how a garden is connected to us and the wild world around us.
Marsh Meander Canoe04/27/2019 @ 2:00 pm-4:30 pmGather at water’s edge for an afternoon canoe on the winding channel of Otter Point Creek as it travels through marsh and swamp.