Description:
North Carolina's estuarine system is the third largest in the country, encompassing more the two million acres. This system is of prime economic importance to the coastal area -- 90 percent of the commercial seafood species caught in the state spend at least part of their lives in an estuary. The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve was established to preserve these fragile natural areas and the variety of life they support.

Directions:
The reserve is comprised of four sites located near Corolla (Currituck Banks), Beaufort (Rachel Carson) and Wilmington (Masonboro Island and Zeke's Island) in North Carolina.

RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• Educational
• Museums/Visitor-Center
• Wildlife Viewing