The waquoit BAY national estuarine research reserve (wbnerr) was designated in 1988 and encompasses almost 2,800 acres of open water, salt marshes, ponds, and uplands on cape COD in falmouth and…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation $1.258 million in a Cooperative Agreement on October 1, 2025, to support operations, research and monitoring, education, training, and stewardship activities at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve through March 31, 2027. This award is funded under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves program (CFDA 11.420), which supports states in establishing and operating National Estuarine Research Reserves as field laboratories for coastal ecosystem monitoring, research, and public education.

The reserve encompasses nearly 2,800 acres of open water, salt marshes, ponds, and uplands on Cape Cod in Falmouth and Mashpee, Massachusetts. Funded activities include program oversight and administration, grant management and reporting, visitor services, and facilities maintenance. The award supports reserve staff positions including the Reserve Manager, Fiscal Administrator, Research Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Events and Volunteer Coordinator, Stewardship Coordinator, Research Associate, K12 School and Interpretive Programs Coordinator, and Coastal Training Program Coordinator, plus contractual services necessary for program delivery. The federal award of $880,967 is matched by $377,559 in state salary support for core positions.

The Waquoit Bay Reserve Foundation, doing business as Friends of the Waquoit Bay Reserve, receives a sub-award to support implementation of reserve education and training events and to manage the Summer Science School.

The waquoit BAY national estuarine research reserve (wbnerr) was designated in 1988 and encompasses almost 2,800 acres of open water, salt marshes, ponds, and uplands on cape COD in falmouth and mashpee, massachusetts. The program is administered by the MA department of conservation and recreation (DCR), which is submitting this application requesting funds to support operations, research and monitoring, education, training, and stewardship activities from october 2025 through march 2027. DCR is requesting $880,967 which will be matched by $377,559 in the form of state salaries for the reserve manager (RM), fiscal administrator (FA), research coordinator (RC), and education coordinator (EC). The waquoit BAY reserve foundation, DBA the friends of the waquoit BAY reserve (hereafter referred to as friends or wbrf), will continue to raise funds and volunteer base for reserve programs and events, support implementation of reserve education and training events through a subaward, and manage the summer science school. Waquoit BAY reserve operations involve federally- and non-federally supported staff to carry out program oversight and administration, grant management and reporting, visitor services, and facilities maintenance. Additional staff noted in this grant cycle include the events and volunteer coordinator (EVC), stewardship coordinator (SC), research associate (RA), K12 school and interpretive programs coordinator (sipc), and coastal training program coordinator (ctpc). IT also includes contractual services necessary to carry out the program elements.