Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
Encyclopedia
36.391756°N 75.834374°W
Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is a component site of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
on the Currituck Banks, north of Corolla, North Carolina
. The reserve is an example of a low-salinity estuarine ecosystem, and contains a variety of habitats, including beach
, sand dunes, grasslands, shrub thicket, maritime forest
, brackish and freshwater marshes, tidal flats, and subtidal soft bottoms. The reserve is accessible by land and by water, but there is no boat launch.
The reserve was described in the Boston Globe as being among the coast's most beautiful nature preserves; the review noted that the reserve and surrounding area is nearly empty of people during the off-season.
The reserve is home to a wealth of birds and fish, including commercial and game fish species. The reserve allows hunting
(with a registration form required), and is also listed as an eBird
hotspot for birdwatching
.
Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is a component site of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve
The estuarine system of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve 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 spends at...
on the Currituck Banks, north of Corolla, North Carolina
Corolla, North Carolina
Corolla is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands...
. The reserve is an example of a low-salinity estuarine ecosystem, and contains a variety of habitats, including beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, sand dunes, grasslands, shrub thicket, maritime forest
Maritime forest
A maritime forest is an ocean coastal wooded habitat found on higher ground than dune areas within range of salt spray. They can be found along the Atlantic coast of the United States...
, brackish and freshwater marshes, tidal flats, and subtidal soft bottoms. The reserve is accessible by land and by water, but there is no boat launch.
The reserve was described in the Boston Globe as being among the coast's most beautiful nature preserves; the review noted that the reserve and surrounding area is nearly empty of people during the off-season.
The reserve is home to a wealth of birds and fish, including commercial and game fish species. The reserve allows hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
(with a registration form required), and is also listed as an eBird
EBird
eBird is an on-line database of bird observations providing scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. Originally restricted to sightings from the Western Hemisphere, it was widened to include New Zealand in 2008, and was widened to...
hotspot for birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
.