South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
South Carolina’s ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve gets its name from the three rivers that meet at St. Helena Sound—the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto. The Reserve’s 99,308 acres of pine and hardwood upland, oyster reef, forested wetland, barrier islands, cypress swamp, and tidal marsh combine to make this one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast and home to many endangered species. The Reserve partners with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to restore oyster reefs that can be found alongside tidal marshes, which in turn keep the coastal water clean and protect local communities.
Explore the impact of ACE Basin Reserve’s educational programs in 2019, from virtual lab tours to hands-on experiences where students grow native shoreline plants and collect restoration data.
Latest News from the ACE Basin Reserve
We asked five of the current interns at the ACE Basin Reserve about the coolest and weirdest experiences they had this summer.
The rufous-breasted red knot migrates more than 9,000 miles every year, wintering as far south as Tierra Del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America. Along the way, many take a break at South Carolina’s ACE Basin Reserve.
To protect their cherished marshes, many South Carolina communities are exploring the use of living shorelines. Thanks to our ACE Basin and North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserves, now they have science-based path to secure the permits they need.