The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) was established in 1999 and is managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The Grand Bay NERR is comprised of approximately 18,000 acres and contains pine savannas, salt marshes, salt pannes, bays and bayous as well as terrestrial habitats that are unique to the coastal zone.