{"id":10786,"date":"2021-08-30T11:47:49","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T11:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elementor.zozothemes.com\/corpkit\/contact-copy\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T19:12:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:12:22","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Save Our Ecosystem<\/span><\/div>

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Conduct Research on Coastal Ecosystems:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Supporting Science and Education at GTM Research Reserve<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"About\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Who We Are<\/span><\/div>

GTM Research Reserve<\/h2><\/div>
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Estuaries provide important benefits\u2014ecosystem services\u2014that impact our day-to-day lives. In addition to their natural beauty, they support clean water, abundant wildlife, and recreation. They also protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure from the impacts of flooding and climate change. Estuary regions are home to roughly 40% of the U.S. population, including eight of the ten largest U.S. cities. Economic output in these areas account for 47% of the country\u2019s GDP (Gross Domestic Product)<\/span>, including tourism, shipping, commercial fishing, and development.<\/p>

The GTM Research Reserve is connected to a system of 30 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR), so their research, education, and stewardship is locally relevant and has a national impact. The 75,761-acre boundary of conservation lands and waters runs from Ponte Vedra to Palm Coast and is home to some of the best fishing, boating and beaches in Northeast Florida.<\/p>

The continuity of information and data provided by the GTM Research Reserve ensures the decisions made about our community are based in science and fact. Additionally, their research initiatives and education programs are crafted around the regional needs of our citizens, stakeholders, and state & county governments.<\/p>

The Friends of GTM is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the GTM Research Reserve\u2019s mission through resources, advocacy, and community engagement.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What is a NERR?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System is a network of 30 protected estuarine areas that represent different biogeographic regions and estuarine types within the United States. Reserves are protected for long-term research, monitoring, education and coastal stewardship. The NERR System, created by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, currently protects over one million acres of estuarine lands and waters.\nThe NERR System is a partnership program between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding, national guidance, and technical assistance for reserve operations and system-wide programs, facilities construction and land acquisition, graduate fellowships, and collaborative science projects. GTM\u2019s state partner, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, manages the reserve daily, in collaboration with local and regional partners.\u00a0 NOAA also leads projects that integrate data or support decision-making at the national level.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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1924<\/div>

National Monument<\/h4>
Ft. Matanzas becomes a National Monument, the oldest conservation area in the GTM NERR.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
1972<\/div>

NOAA System<\/h4>
U.S. Congress passes the Coastal Zone Management Act, launching the NERR System under NOAA.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
1975<\/div>

Waterways for Future<\/h4>
Florida enacts the Aquatic Preserve Act so the State\u2019s pristine waterways may endure for the future generations.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
1985-1995<\/div>

Estuary Lands Saved<\/h4>
Over 60,000 acres are conserved by the State and Counties along the estuaries of the Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas rivers.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
1999<\/div>

GTMNERR Born<\/h4>
NOAA designates the GTM as the 25th<\/sup> NERR for its unique natural and cultural resources protecting the estuaries from Palm Valley to Palm Coast.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2001<\/div>

Taking Root<\/h4>

The first GTMNERR office opens in Marineland and Friends of GTM Research Reserve is incorporated.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

2003<\/div>

Growing Larger<\/h4>
The reserve\u2019s boundary expands to include over 8,500 acres acquired for Matanzas State Forest and Faver-Dykes State Park.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2005<\/div>

Welcoming Visitors<\/h4>
The Visitor Center and Headquarters from the GTM NERR opens at the Guana Preserve.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
2020<\/div>

GTM Expands to 75K<\/h4>
The City of St. Augustine sovereign submerged lands are incorporated into the reserve boundary, bringing the area to 75,000 acres\".<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Years Of Research<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Animals Save Country<\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Why Donate<\/span><\/div>

What We\u2019ve Achieved<\/h2><\/div>
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Tidal wetlands in the GTM estuary are shifting from salt marshes to mangroves due to fewer hard freezes. This will impact food webs and increase carbon storage. Research is helping protect what our community values in these habitats.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The GTM estuary has a high abundance of oysters, which filter 60% of its water every two weeks, improving water quality. With growing populations, we'll keep monitoring oyster health and water quality to ensure these benefits continue.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Disturbances like a prescribed fire maintains coastal strand vegetation, critical for resilience and species like gopher tortoises and painted buntings. Land managers rely on GTM's research for conservation.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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9 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m.<\/div>

Tuesday \u2014 Saturday | Closed on Sunday, Monday, and state holidays<\/h4><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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EXPLORE, LEARN, PROTECT<\/span><\/div>

Subscribe Today<\/h2><\/div>
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Sign up to receive GTM’s quarterly<\/h5>
E-Newsletter, The Estuary Examiner.<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Donations<\/span><\/div>

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Help Us Make a Difference<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Donate Today!<\/h4>

Contribute funds to research, programs, and stewardship at the Friends of the GTM Research Reserve.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Adopt-a-Nest<\/h4>

Help fund ongoing research to protect the marine turtle population, and support the volunteer Sea Turtle Patrol at GTM.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Become a Friend<\/h4>

We love the GTM Research Reserve. If you love it, too, we invite you to become a Friend of the GTM Research Reserve today!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Save Our Ecosystem Conduct Research on Coastal Ecosystems: Supporting Science and Education at GTM Research Reserve Who We Are GTM Research Reserve Estuaries provide important benefits\u2014ecosystem services\u2014that impact our day-to-day..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":78655,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10786","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10786"}],"version-history":[{"count":87,"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80084,"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10786\/revisions\/80084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtmnerr.org\/testtheme\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}