DEP Research Reserves Awarded $1.4 Million in Grants for Water Studies

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Today, at the annual National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) meeting, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. announced more than $1.4 million in grants awarded to Rookery Bay and Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) NERRs, two of DEP's three statewide research reserves. The grants were awarded by the NERRS Science Collaborative to advance water quality research.

"Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on earth, serving as nurseries for fish and shellfish and providing vital nesting and feeding grounds for coastal birds, sea turtles and marine mammals," said Secretary Vinyard. "I'm proud of the hard work by these amazing scientists and these grants will help their efforts to ensure continued protection of these important resources."