July 30, 2006 — It’s official! NOAA designated its 27th reserve — the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve — in Texas on May 3, 2006. The designation ceremony was held in Port Aransas at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute on Saturday, May 6. Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, and John H. Dunnigan, assistant administrator for the NOAA Ocean Service, headed a team of NOAA officials on hand for the celebration. Others attending the ceremony included Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (who also gave the keynote address), Congressman Solomon Ortiz, Univ. of Texas President Bill Powers, two mayors, and several state legislators. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing a Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) waiting patiently for a meal at the water’s edge in Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

The Mission-Aransas NERR is the newest and third largest of the NOAA NERR program, which aims to promote the sustainable use of the nation’s coasts and oceans through scientific research, education and coastal stewardship. The reserve is also unique in that it is the first in Texas — and the Western Gulf of Mexico for that matter.

“As the first reserve in the western Gulf of Mexico, Mission-Aransas adds significant value to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and broadens the opportunities to study, understand and manage America's coastal ecosystems," said Lautenbacher. “The reserve will attract scientists and students from across the nation to study at the site, including up to two national graduate research fellows funded annually by NOAA. NERR designation provides access to federal funding for research and education programs, environmental monitoring and science-based training programs for coastal managers and decision-makers.” (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator; University of Texas President William Powers and John H. Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator for Oceans and Coasts, at the Mission-Aransas NERR signing ceremony. Looking on, from left to right, are Congressman Solomon Ortiz, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Paul Montagna, manager of the Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

The Mission-Aransas NERR is a state-federal partnership that will receive federal funding through NOAA and be managed by the University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute. Other partners include the Texas General Land Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the private Fennessy Ranch (a working cattle ranch), and the Coastal Bend Land Trust — all of which own lands and submerged lands in the reserve. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge occupies the northern portion of the reserve.

Mission-Aransas Reserve Description
The Mission-Aransas reserve is located in Aransas and Refugio counties about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi on the Texas coast and includes wetland, terrestrial/upland and marine environments typically found in the western Gulf of Mexico. The 185,708 acre reserve consists of coastal prairie, marsh, mangroves, riparian uplands and open bays stretching from Port Aransas north to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and Ayers Bay. Named for the two major rivers that flow into the area, the Mission and the Aransas, the reserve’s boundaries encompass most of Matagorda Island and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (home of the whooping cranes) and a large private landholding, the Fennessey Ranch. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing a map of the Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

Achieving NERR Designation
The designation culminated years of hard work by Paul Montagna, who spearheaded the designation of this reserve. Montagna, a professor at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (Port Aransas, Texas), is now the manager of the reserve, an important addition to the network that encompasses estuarine reserves from Alaska to Puerto Rico.

Achieving designation was a four year process — which included a thorough site selection and nomination process, environmental impact statement, negotiations with landowners and federal/state agencies, public hearings, the development of a comprehensive management plan and careful vetting by many officials.

The Mission-Aransas Reserve Adds Value to the NERR System
As the first reserve in Texas and the Western Gulf of Mexico, Mission-Aransas adds significant value to the national reserve system. "The western Gulf of Mexico has a number of unique features, including coastal prairies, oak savannahs and extensive sea grass and black mangrove communities that will help broaden the understanding of estuarine ecosystems nationwide," said Montagna. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing Laurie McGilvray, right, chief of NOAA’s Estuarine Reserves Division, presenting an historic chart of the Mission-Aransas NERR area to Reserve Manager Paul Montagna. Lee Fuiman, director of the UT Marine Science Institute, looks on. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

In fulfilling a provision of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, the reserve system strives to represent the full range of coastal biogeographic regions and subregions in the United States. In all, more than 1.3 million acres of estuaries are protected for research purposes. The system includes an Alaskan fjord, a section of Puerto Rican coast with mangroves and coral reef, and a freshwater estuary on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio, as well as a diverse range of estuaries from Maine to Florida, around the Gulf Coast and up the Pacific Coast. Until the addition of Mission-Aransas, though, there was a large gap on the Gulf Coast west of the Mississippi River.

“Each reserve is managed by a state agency or university in partnership with NOAA, as well as other local interests. NOAA provides 70 percent of operating funds through grants for long-term and short-term research, monitoring, education and stewardship,” says Laurie Mcgilvray, acting deputy director of the NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. “The effect of this long-term partnership is that the reserves address local needs in a national context and provide the foundation for translating science into effective coastal management. Extensive water quality and weather data are collected at all the reserves, and within a few months, all will be providing near-real time data for weather forecasting and other coastal management and educational uses.” (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing prickly pear cactus gracing the shoreline in Mission-Aransas NERR. Please credit "NOAA.")

The System-wide Monitoring Program, in which all the reserves participate, provides scientists with long-term and short-term data on a wide range of water quality indicators. The collected data help demonstrate how both human activities, such as development, and natural phenomena, such as hurricanes, affect estuarine habitats. Staff and visiting scientists, including Graduate Research Fellows, use the data for their studies. Their findings provide the foundation for reserves’ education, stewardship and restoration activities.

The Mission-Aransas Reserve Adds Diversity to the NERR System
Diversity of coastal environments is important for the scientific mission of the reserve system. With its own wide range of habitats and water features, the Mission-Aransas NERR itself is nearly as diverse as the entire NERR system. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing the University of Texas Marine Science Institute's 70-foot R/V Longhorn used to study the Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

The land is primarily coastal prairie with unique oak motte habitats. The reserve boundaries include the fresh water Mission and Aransas Rivers; tertiary, secondary and primary bays; as well as a small part of the Gulf of Mexico off the beach at Matagorda Island. The diverse estuarine habitats within the reserve include wetlands, riparian zone, fresh and salt water marshes, as well as extensive tidal flats, sea grass meadows, mangroves and oyster reefs.

Likewise, Mission-Aransas NERR is home to a wide range of wildlife. In addition to the expected ospreys, egrets and herons, the reserve has the only naturally migrating population of whooping cranes in the world. Wild turkeys grace the upland woods, and alligators patrol the freshwater marshes. In the open bays and ocean are oysters, crabs, shrimp and finfish, including millions of juvenile fish that grow up in the protected waters before heading to the ocean to make their living. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing sea oats and beach on Matagorda Island in Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

With such a diversity of natural elements, it is no surprise that human activity is equally diverse, from professional and commercial enterprises to recreational and family activities. Within the borders of the reserve are a working cattle ranch, commercial fishing and productive oil and gas wells. At the same time, recreational anglers, boaters, hunters, birders, campers and many others visit just to experience the beauty of the place.

In spite of all this activity, the Mission-Aransas NERR is one of the few remaining undamaged estuaries in Texas. Under the management plan for Mission-Aransas, all of these activities will continue to take place while scientists measure the effects of the full range of human and natural activities. Coastal managers will now benefit from sound scientific data to help them make decisions that affect coastal resources in the area, for the sake of both human and natural communities. (Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing dignitaries celebrating the unveiling of the Mission-Aransas NERR sign. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA.")

NOAA welcomes the Mission-Aransas NERR and is confident that it will provide Texas and the nation with critical information to preserve and protect coastal areas, educate the public about estuarine issues and promote stewardship and management of coastal habitats.

Mission-Aransas NERR Facts Name: Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve Designated: May 3, 2006 Area: 185,708 acres, mostly water Manager: Paul Montagna, Marine Science Institute Major bays: Copano, Aransas, Mission, Mesquite, Ayers, St. Charles Major rivers: Mission and Aransas Habitats: Coastal marsh, open water, coastal prairie, tidal flats, oyster reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves Endangered/threatened species: whooping crane, black lace cactus, American alligator, Leatherback, Hawksbill and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, Gulf Coast jaguarundi, Atlantic and Rough-toothed dolphin, piping plover and wood stork (not a complete list) Birds: More than 400 species of resident and migratory birds Human activities: ranching, agriculture, shrimping, fishing, tourism, oil and gas exploration, and hunting Estimated value to commercial fisheries: $260 million annually Average summer temperatures: 91.9–96.1 °F Average annual rainfall: 30–36 inches
	Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which is now within the Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA."
	Click NOAA image for larger view of photo showing aerial view of the inlet connecting Mission Bay (left) with Copano Bay in the Mission-Aransas NERR. Click here for high resolution version. Please credit "NOAA."

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA

NOAA National Ocean Service

NOAA NERRS Program

Mission-Aransas NERR

University of Texas Marine Science Institute

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