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What is ANEP? ...

The Association of National Estuary Programs (ANEP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible stewardship and a common vision for the preservation and restoration of our nation’s bays and estuaries.

Established in 1987 by amendments to the Clean Water Act to "identify, restore, and protect nationally significant estuaries of the United States," ANEP works with the 28 National Estuary Programs tocoordinate the national agenda and to achieve support andcommunication among them.

ANEP's mission is to ...

• Seek support and commitment for developing and implementing Comprehensive Conservation Management Plans (CCMPs) by educating constituencies and decision-makers about issues affecting our nation's bay
  and estuarine ecosystems.
  
  
  
• Share the practical experience and successes of the National Estuary Program (NEP) consensus-based approach to solving pollution and resource management problems with other resource managers that will be useful in ensuring the long-term environmental and economic viability of all coastal and estuarine resources.
  
  
  
• Promote the formation and strengthening of the federal/state/local and public/private partnerships in decision-making and developing long-term ecosystem management policies that have been fledged across the nation.
  
  
  
• Capitalize on the hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours invested thus far nationwide, and recognize the important role that Management Conferences play as a continuing forum for all stakeholders.
  
  
  
• Bring consistency to estuarine data collection and management, and turn data into useful information that is aggregated (consolidated) into meaningful status and trends at the national scale.  Ensure that data are reliable, objective and goal-directed.  Achieve recognition of the critical roles for continued monitoring and assessment.
  

There are 28 nationally-designated estuaries. Links to each of them are provided below.

• Albemarle-Pamlico
  
  
• Barataria-Terrebonne
  
  
• Barnegat Bay
  
  
• Buzzards Bay
  
  
• Casco Bay
  
  
• Charlotte Harbor
  
  
• Coastal Bend and Bays
  
  
• Delaware Estuary
  
  
• Delaware Inland Bays
  
  
• Galveston Bay
  
  
• Indian River Lagoon
  
  
• Long Island Sound
  
  
• Lower Columbia River
  
  
• Maryland Coastal Bay
  
  
• Massachusetts Bays
  
  
• Mobile Bay
  
  
• Morro Bay
  
  
• Narragansett Bay
  
  
• Piscataqua Region Estuaries
  
  
• NY-NJ Harbor
  
  
• Peconic Bays
  
  
• Puget Sound
  
  
• San Francisco Bay
  
  
• San Juan Bay
  
  
• Santa Monica Bay
  
  
• Sarasota Bay
  
  
• Tampa Bay
  
  
• Tillamook Bay

Other Links of Interest ...

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)| Click Here
  
  
  
  • EPA's Exploring Estuaries | Click Here
    "Visit an Estuary" - geared towards the youth
    
    
  • EPA's National Estuary Program: About Estuaries | Click Here

  
  
• National Park Service
  Water Resources Division | Click Here