ABSTRACT

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) is the 22nd program site of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). It was ofÞcially dedicated on October 20, 1997. The reserve, which covers an area of more than 45,000 ha, lies along the south-central New Jersey coastline about 15 km north of Atlantic City (Figure 3.1). The terrestrial and aquatic habitats are highly diverse, ranging from upland pine–oak forests and woodland swamps in the alluviated stream valleys of the New Jersey Pinelands to tidal marshes and open estuarine and coastal waters. Only 553 ha of developed landscape (>1% of the area) occur in the reserve. Forest cover and marsh habitat account for an additional 4616 ha (~10% of the reserve area) and 13,034 ha (>28% of the reserve area), respectively. The most extensive habitat is open water; it spans 27,599 ha (~60% of the reserve area).