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The North Inlet–Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is located in Georgetown, South Carolina. Through research, education, stewardship and training, the Reserve promotes healthy estuaries, watershed preservation, resilient coastal communities, and thriving ecosystems.

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About Us

The North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of 30 reserves around the coastal United States that form the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). The NERRS was established by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and is dedicated to the conservation, research, education, and stewardship in America’s estuaries. The North Inlet-Winyah Bay (NI-WB) NERR was designated in 1992 as a partnership between National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of South Carolina’s Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. We are headquartered at the internationally recognized Baruch Marine Field Laboratory in Georgetown, South Carolina, and operate in collaboration with the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, which owns and manages the Hobcaw Barony property. South Carolina is also home to another NERR, the ACE Basin NERR in the southern coastal region, which is hosted by the Department of Natural Resources.

Take a photographic journey of interesting sites and species found at the Reserve.

Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center

Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free admission, but donations are appreciated.

Real-time Data

from Oyster Landing

Water Temperature
28.3 °C (82 °F)

Salinity
30.6 PPT

Dissolved Oxygen
6.7 mg/L

Depth
1.78 (m)

Air Temperature
25.0 °C (77 °F)

Wind Speed
5.2 m/Sec (11 mph)

Latest News

How's the Water?

In 2021, the  North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve  began partnering with the SC AAS program to serve as a training and volunteer hub for AAS volunteers. Community members interested in becoming volunteer…

Science for All

We are all scientists! Time, curiosity, and a sense of wonder are all that are needed to contribute data that will help scientists and resource managers answer questions and solve important problems. Learn how to participate in citizen science projects by collecting data that can directly contribute to the conservation of the Winyah Bay watershed.