Gemma Waaland, National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Site Liaison

Tell us about yourself and your work at NOS.

My name is Gemma Waaland and I am a site liaison for four National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR). I support San Francisco Bay, Elkhorn Slough, and Tijuana River NERR in California and the Hudson River NERR in New York through the Office for Coastal Management. We work to help coastal and Great Lakes communities and ecosystems flourish. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (or NERRS) are a network of 30 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems in collaboration with and service to surrounding communities. They are a partnership between coastal states and NOAA and focus on the sectors of stewardship, research, education, and training and engagement.

As a NERRS Site Liaison, I help provide reserve staff technical assistance on coastal management and grants development and reporting, and act as a bridge in communication between state staff and NOAA program leadership. I also act as the coordinator of the Stewardship Sector, which, as a group of 30 coordinators, we work together on national initiatives, best management practices, and restoration metrics.

How did you get to where you are now in your career?

I grew up in Sonoma County, California and am the daughter of a wetlands restoration biologist. Some of my earliest memories are of tromping around the Laguna de Santa Rosa wetlands with my dad, which cultivated my love and passion for estuaries and wetlands.

In college, I studied international relations and environmental policy and planning, and my graduate degree research focused on the impacts of natural disasters on communities and community resilience. My love of community and the environment drew me to the NERRS program. Helping to build long-lasting, strong relationships with our project partners and their communities is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.

How does your work benefit the public?

Estuaries and wetlands provide essential habitats for many plants, animals, and fish, and they are also an important part of public health, commerce, and resilience. U.S. wetlands prevent about $267 billion in storm damage annually, promote clean water, and support our fisheries. The NERRS helps to provide cutting-edge research on the best ways to protect and restore our estuaries. They train local and state coastal managers on best management practices and provide hands-on learning for students and school districts. The NERRS also work with each other, through the NERRS Science Collaborative, to share and transfer knowledge and research results that help coastal decision makers to manage estuaries adaptively. My work helps to provide support to these programs to ensure they can continue focusing on all the great work they do, and that their NOAA-funded projects are properly implemented and documented.

What about your work has felt especially exciting or rewarding?

Reading the success stories from the NERRS Research, Stewardship, Education, and Training and Engagement programs is highly rewarding. It’s so encouraging to hear how the Reserves are making a real impact in their communities and local estuaries.