On this episode, hosts Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham chat with Rebecca Roth, Executive Director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA), to talk about the newest member of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System in Connecticut. Now totaling 30 Reserves, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System was established through the Coastal Zone Management Act to network of coastal reserve sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems. The newest reserve in CT protects over 52,000 acres of estuary and surrounding uplands that includes subtidal hard bottom (boulder and gravel) and soft bottom (sand, silt, and clay) habitats at various depths (zero to approximately 50 meters); submerged aquatic vegetation beds and shellfish beds; saltwater and brackish intertidal marshes and flats; beaches and dunes; bluffs; coastal meadows and grasslands; shrublands; and forested-woodland areas. They talk about the new reserve, how it fits into the national system, and what we should be keeping our eyes on from NERRA in 2022. It's a great estuary show, only on ASPN!