February 3, 2004 — The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is located in southwest Florida on the Gulf of Mexico south of Naples, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation. Prior to its designation by NOAA in 1978, the core lands surrounding Rookery Bay were the focus of a community effort that led to its protection as a sanctuary. Now celebrating its 25^th year in operation, RBNERR comprises approximately 110,000 acres. It is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas, with NOAA as its federal partner.

Agriculture, tourism, fishing, boating and commercial crabbing are important revenue sources in Collier County, and the undeveloped areas of RBNERR and the Aquatic Preserve are heavily used year-round by residents and tourists. Acquisition and restoration of watershed and barrier island land surrounding RBNERR is a high priority as a means of buffering the estuary from developmental pressure. Balancing the need for estuarine research, preserving rare habitats and educating the public are key management goals.

Biogeography
Rookery Bay is a prime example of a subtropical coastal estuary and forest system that typifies the West Indian biogeographic region. The total estimated surface area of open waters encompassed within RBNERR’s boundaries is 70,000 acres — or approximately 64 percent. The remaining 40,000 acres are composed primarily of estuarine mangrove wetlands, fresh to brackish water marshes and upland habitats consisting of pine flatwoods, cabbage palm associations, coastal hammocks, xeric scrub and cypress slough/prairies (Click on NOAA image to the right for a larger view of RBNERR boundaries).

Mangrove forest is the most extensive vegetated habitat in the reserve, accounting for 80 percent of the land-based acreage. Three species of mangroves occur in the reserve: red, black and white. Red mangroves comprise the dominant vegetation on most of the islands and along the immediate shoreline of the bays and tidal creeks.

The mangrove forests of RBNERR are of critical value to the estuarine ecosystem, particularly due to the energy it provides through detritus (material formed through the breakdown and decay of plant and animal remains). The complex branching prop roots of red mangroves support a large number of plants and animals, particularly invertebrates and fishes. Herons, pelicans and numerous other bird life use red mangrove islands in Rookery Bay as night roosts. A few of these islands have also traditionally served as bird rookeries, hence the name Rookery Bay.

Mangrove forests are invaluable to the surrounding community because their extensive above ground root systems, which reduce the physical impact of storms and wave action. These same root systems that slow freshwater runoff and act as a filter for nutrients also trap silt and sediments, thus stabilizing shorelines and preventing erosion.

Resource Issues
Encompassing the northwestern end of the Ten Thousand Islands, RBNERR is adjacent to the Everglades and other environmentally sensitive lands. Over half of Collier County is in public ownership, managed by either state or federal agencies. Increased urban development along the coast, however, has contributed to significant loss of wildlife habitat. Development and other land uses provide unique opportunities for staff at RBNERR. Working closely with private developers, regional planners and the water management district, RBNERR encourages plans that protect freshwater flows to the estuary and maintain important wildlife corridors, while at the same time meeting the needs of a growing population.

Recreation
Tourism is a mainstay of the Naples area economy. Annual visitation approaches 750,000 people. Coupled with an increasing year-round population, interest in use of RBNERR lands and waters for recreational purposes has also increased.

Southwest Florida’s coast is known for its white sand beaches, and tourists enjoy the barrier islands within the RBNERR for shelling, swimming and other activities. Because Key Island, Cape Romano and the Ten Thousand Islands can only be accessed by boat, boating is becoming tremendously popular within RBNERR. One in 18 Floridians owns a vessel, and a growing number of residents and tourists enjoy the availability of rental vessels in the area. The south end of Key Island is the most popular recreational destination within RBNERR, and receives an estimated 30,000 boating visitors annually. There are a number of public boat launch locations providing access to island beaches and mazelike mangrove waterways where nearly 200 species of fish are known to reside.

Fishing is allowed throughout RBNERR as long as it is done in compliance with local, state and federal laws. Recreational fishing represents a primary resident and non-resident use of RBNERR resources. In the quiet backwaters of the reserve, recreational fishing species include snook, redfish, mangrove snapper, spotted sea trout and tarpon.

A canoe launch and marked trail within RBNERR was designed to provide quiet enjoyment and up-close and personal wildlife observation opportunities. About two miles in length, the Shell Point Canoe Trail leads visitors through a watery maze of mangrove tunnels, mud flats, oyster beds and rookery islands.

Several primitive campsites have been designated within the Reserve. Camping and boating visitors are encouraged to utilize “Leave No Trace” guidelines, which were originally established by the National Outdoor Leadership School. This set of “outdoor good manners” was adopted by RBNERR to help protect the area from unintended abuse by outdoor enthusiasts.

Facilities
Recently completed, the 16,500 square-foot Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is located off Collier Boulevard (State Road 951) adjacent to upper Henderson Creek. It provides space for research, training and a visitor center that opens to the public on March 20, 2004. Native landscaping and paver bricks enhance the courtyard entry of the campus, and original works of art by local artists (both permanent and on-loan) grace the center inside and out (Click on NOAA image to the right for a larger view of the ELC).

RBNERR’s headquarters and administration building (which opened in 1996) is adjacent to the new Environmental Learning Center. Large and small conference rooms and offices housing administrative and other RBNERR personnel are located in this building.

The original site of RBNERR headquarters, the Shell Island Road field station (and visiting investigator lab facility) is located off Collier Boulevard about halfway between Naples and Marco Island. The original dock with slips for 15 boats, located near the mouth of Henderson Creek, has been updated with a 100-foot-long floating extension.

RBNERR has two dormitory facilities for visiting researchers, educators and resource managers — six beds in a restored gatekeeper's house on Goodland Bay and 12 beds at the Ranger’s lodge on Cannon Island.

Coastal Training Program
Within the ELC, the Coastal Training Program has expanded its training efforts. The program utilizes two classrooms and a 140-seat auditorium to provide specialized training for environmental professionals, local officials and a host of other coastal decision-makers. In 2003, a number of key programs were implemented:

• A training program targeting local eco-tour operators provided information about local natural history, the need for resource management and low-impact tactics for offering guided tours, backwater charter fishing or boat and personal watercraft rentals.
• An annual “State of the Coast” Workshop provided local elected officials with a concise summary of the health of the coastal ecosystems in Southwest Florida. The conference focused on how various land use decisions affect ecosystem health and the overall quality of life within the watershed.
• An intensive “Environmental Leadership Course” provided leadership skills to regional senior managers in state and local agencies — including interagency coordination, communication and strategic planning.

Research
The new research facility within the ELC has three laboratories including a wet lab (soon to have a flow-through seawater system). In addition, a GIS room and library assists and supports Reserve staff, faculty and students from Florida Gulf Coast University and other institutions, as well as visiting investigators from around the world.

RBNERR serves as an outdoor laboratory and classroom across all academic levels, from elementary school to post-doctoral. Students and scientists have traveled across the country to conduct studies within the boundaries of RBNERR. Projects have focused on restoration science, coastal water birds, fish, plankton and crab population dynamics, mangrove ecology, water quality and toxicology.

In 2003, an important international partnership between RBNERR and its “sister” reserve, the Shankou Mangrove Reserve in Guangxi province, China, was explored by Chinese documentary filmmakers. The purpose of their two-week tour of south Florida and the Capitol was to canvas U.S. efforts in balancing tourism and mangrove protection.

RBNERR uses an adaptive management approach to ensure science-based best management practices are continually exported to environmental managers in the region. In an ongoing effort to examine the health of local waters, the research staff conducts a number of long-term ecological monitoring programs, primarily focusing on the effects of altered freshwater flows within the RBNERR. Examples of these include:

• Oyster Reef Crab Population Study: This study, which addresses the relative abundance of euryhaline and stenohaline crabs, has provided a useful ecological performance measure to guide freshwater inflow restoration projects; and
• Nekton Community Structure: This study compares the species composition of fish and macroinvertebrates of four south Florida estuaries with natural and altered freshwater inflows as a performance measure for restoring freshwater inflow.

Monthly shark monitoring in the shallow bays of the Ten Thousand Islands (Cape Romano Aquatic Preserve), initiated by researchers from Switzerland, is a continuing effort. RBNERR staff have been collecting baseline data in advance of hydrology changes anticipated to coincide with the upcoming Everglades Restoration. During this study, RBNERR biologists have also been able to document valuable information about a non-target species, the endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata).

Stewardship
The Reserve’s stewardship activities were initiated in 1990 and a formal staffed program was developed in 1993 to address the stewardship, restoration and land acquisition needs for the reserve. Since that time, the program has worked effectively to maintain the ecological integrity of the reserve and provide a stable environment for research and education consistent with the NERRs mission. Key elements of the RBNERR resource protection strategy include:

• Facilitating public acquisition of key lands associated with the Rookery Bay and Ten Thousand Islands ecosystems to help ensure long-term preservation of resources;
• Working in cooperation with federal and state agencies to protect listed species (such as the Florida manatee, American crocodile and loggerhead sea turtle);
• Working with the regulatory and development community to address potential impacts associated with planned development projects within the watersheds of the reserve; and
• Designing and conducting restoration of disturbed wetlands, altered watershed inflows and plant communities infested with invasive non-native plants.

RBNERR's resource management program is responsible for implementing science-based management strategies to conserve natural biodiversity, while protecting natural resources. Identification and documentation of cultural and historical sites within the reserve, and a comprehensive prescribed fire program developed to maintain the natural fire regime, are two examples of these ongoing efforts.

Education
A two-story visitor center completes the ELC. A 2,300-gallon aquarium (with life-sized mangrove sculpture) and five other aquaria feature submerged habitats and a diversity of native fish and invertebrates. Hands-on, interactive exhibits addressing ongoing research and restoration projects have been carefully designed to entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Also included are a small nature store, children’s play area and resource center. The new facility will encourage visitors to explore important coastal habitats and enjoy Florida’s natural beauty via a planned 1.5-mile trail system with boardwalk. A proposed pedestrian bridge connected to the center will lead visitors across Henderson Creek to a boardwalk.

RBNERR conducts extensive education programs in partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University, Collier County Public Schools and others. Target audiences range from primary and secondary students to college students, general public and environmental professionals. On-site programs feature "hands-on" field activities; including the use of boats, canoes and interpretive boardwalks and trails.

Established in 1987, the Friends of Rookery Bay is a non-profit community organization providing assistance and support for the state’s management efforts at RBNERR. Members represent RBNERR at off-site festivals and events, assist researchers with field studies/monitoring efforts and provide many other forms of logistic support. Through FORB, community volunteers contribute more than 9,000 hours each year to help RBNERR meet its mission.

The Rookery Bay Foundation, created in 2003, generates financial and community support for RBNERR in its goals to create and sustain a world-class marine research and education center. The Foundation strives to increase public understanding of the environmental, social and economic consequences of human interaction with the coastal landscape and its inhabitants.

Relevant Web Sites
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

NOAA

Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas

RBNERR Resource Issues

RBNERR Facilities

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center

RBNERR Research

RBNERR Education

Rookery Bay Local Web site

Media Contact:
Glenda Powell, NOAA Ocean Service, (301) 713-3066 ext. 191 or Ben Sherman, NOAA Ocean Service, (301) 713-3066 ext. 178