Program Mission and Partners

The mission of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JCNERR) is to improve management of important estuarine resources in the Mullica River-Great Bay watershed.

The JCNERR provides research and education opportunities and practical information for coastal decision-makers to improve the management of land and other natural resources. Properties within the Reserve are entirely in public ownership by various state and Federal entities, and their protected status serves as an excellent site to provide a long-term database for valuable management of coastal resources.

The following agencies serve as partners in the JCNERR:

• The Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University (managing partner)
• The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
• The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
• The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
• The Pinelands Comission
• The Tuckerton Seaport
• The Cooperative Institute of Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology