The chesapeake BAY national estuarine research reserve in virginia (cbnerr-VA or reserve) was designated in 1991 and is headquartered in gloucester point, virginia

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) at the College of William & Mary received a $1,258,525 Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This award supports the operations, research, monitoring, education, and stewardship activities of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia (CBNERR-VA), headquartered in Gloucester Point, Virginia. The federal obligation of $880,967 is supplemented by $377,558 in matching funds from the Commonwealth of Virginia in the form of state salaries and fringe benefits.

The Cooperative Agreement funds nine primary task areas that collectively establish the Reserve as a natural field laboratory for coastal estuarine research and public engagement. These include reserve administration and advisory services, research program coordination, the System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP), sentinel sites studies, resource and site management, training and engagement activities, the Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) program, and the Margaret Davidson Fellowship. The award directly supports the strategic priorities outlined in both the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Strategic Plan (2017-2022) and the updated CBNERR-VA Management Plan (2022-2027), ensuring continued advancement of monitoring, research, education, and stewardship outcomes within the Chesapeake Bay estuarine ecosystem.

The reserve is administered by the virginia institute of marine science (VIMS), william & mary (W & M), who is submitting this application for fiscal year 2025 funds to support operations, research and monitoring, education, training, and stewardship activities from october 1, 2025 through september 30, 2027. Specific outcomes of this operations award directly support priority strategies highlighted in the current (2017- 2022) national estuarine research reserve system's (NERRS) strategic plan and updated 2022- 2027 cbnerr-VA management plan. VIMS is requesting $880,967 which will be matched by $377,558 from virginia in the form of state salaries and fringe benefits for the reserve director, financial officer, research coordinator, marine scientist supervisor, and stewardship coordinator, and waived indirect costs. Funds are requested for the following primary task areas: (1) reserve administration, (2) advisory & professional service, (3) research program coordination, (4) system-wide monitoring program (SWMP), (5) sentinel sites studies, (6) resource & site management, (7) training & engagement, (8) teachers on the estuary (TOTE), and (9) margaret davidson fellowship.