The Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Education Web page gives information about the science and management of estuaries, lagoons, and bays along coasts worldwide. It is a resource on estuaries and education for students and teachers at all levels and for the general public. This site also informs CERF members about education and student events at our meetings. 

For more information:

EReFs

E-ReFs is the web-based Estuarine Science Reference Series. This site provides reference lists of summary papers, classic papers, and recent contributions, prepared by experts to help direct students, teachers and new researchers to the quintessential literature on important topics related to estuarine and coastal ocean science.

Educational Opportunities in Estuarine Science

Information about educational opportunities and resources for estuarine science education is often available from the web sites maintained by individual marine laboratories located around the country. Links to many of these sites can be found at the web site of the National Association of Marine Laboratories. 

In addition, the following list highlights educational programs in estuarine science. Programs listed below may be directed toward any level student, from K-12 to graduate school or ongoing professional training. All estuarine science education programs are invited to submit a web site link to webmaster@erf.org. Brief program descriptions, up to several sentences in length, may also be submitted and will be posted adjacent to the link on this page. 

What is an Estuary?

An estuary is a place where a river meets a sea - an area where fresh water and salt water mix. Ecologically speaking, estuaries are exciting, complex and productive environments. Due to regional differences in geology, biology, hydrology and land use, each estuary is unique, though all have fundamental properties in common.

Estuaries are important to humans and other species with whom we share the planet. More than half of the fish species caught commercially spend part of their lives in an estuary. Many species of birds and other animals use estuaries for significant parts of their life cycles. People like to live near and use estuaries for a variety of reasons ranging from the sheer beauty of estuaries to the majesty of their wildlife to their recreational value. More than half of the American public lives within an hour's drive of an estuary, making them an important part of the human environment for a large number of people.

Estuaries are transition zones from inland fresh water ecosystems to the salt water ecosystems found in near coastal environments. In order to fully understand, manage and appreciate an estuary, it is necessary to consider it in the context of its inland watershed and its neighboring coastal environment.