The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve is a network of federal and state lands within the New Jersey pinelands forest ecosystem and on the coastal plain and barrier islands of the Mullica River-Great Bay watershed. The reserve includes diverse terrestrial, wetland, and coastal habitats. With little more than one percent of the area subjected to human development, the reserve encompasses one of the least disturbed estuaries in the densely populated urban corridor of the northeastern United States. The research reserve not only protects this important estuary, but also monitors environmental change, offers educational and training programs, and undertakes the scientific research needed by New Jersey and the nation. Study focus areas include coastal resilience, the response of the ecosystem to habitat change and alteration, and the connectivity of habitats and communities. #Wetlands #Habitats #Education #TravelTuesday