Full document / COSOC-W-86-002 - the National Sea Grant Library

Estuarine and Coastal Management Tools cfthe
Trade. Proceedings of theTenth National Conference
of The CoastalSociety. October 12-15.1986. New
Orleans.LA. Copyrightby TheCoastalSociety
1987.
ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT ATTHE ROOKERY BAY
NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE
Kris Thoemke
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Naples. FL 33962
Abstract only
Rookery Bayis oneof 17 National Estuarine Research Reserves located in theUnited
States. The Reserve is a joint Federal and State program involving NOAA's Division of Marine
and Estuarine Management and the State of Florida, Department of Natural Resources. The
purposeofthe NationalEstuarine ResearchReserveProgram is to preserveandprotectestuarine
areasso that they may be used as sites for researchandeducation.
The Rookery Bay site is located in southwest Florida along the Gulf of Mexico coast
between Naples and Marco Island. The 8,400 acre site is dominated by extensive mangrove
forests and a reticulated system ofbays and tidalcreeks.
Management programs are designed toemphasize protection of theresource. Thisis in
response to the potential for habitat degredation resulting from urbanization and agricultural
development of Reserve's watershed. A major concern istheeffects of changing quantity, quality
andtiming of freshwater enteringthe Rookery Bay estuary.
The management programs of Rookery Bay have been designed to address these
concerns. The areasofprogram management include resource protection, research and education.
The resource protection program is divided into four components: managing the resource's
vulnerability todevelopment threats; controlling public access; restoring disturbed habitats and
developingindividual managementplans foreach majorvegetativecommunity in the Reserve.
The research program is designed to increase scientific knowledge about Rookery Bay
and apply this information to the managementof the area. A high priority is being placed on
conducting systems studiesanda longtermenvironmental monitoringprogram.
The education program is intended to increase resource protection and management into
two ways. First is to create a more informed public by traditional environmental education
programs. Second is to provide educational opportunities for professionals involved in education,
regulation and policy development of the coastal zone. To achieve this goal the Reserve will
sponsor workshops and serve as a regionalenvironmental clearing house on coastal zone issues.
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