The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program, which is a joint local/state/federal program established under the Clean Water Act with the goal of protecting and enhancing nationally significant estuarine resources. 

Every five years, PREP prepares a State of Our Estuaries Report with extensive data and information on the status and trends of environmental indicators from the Piscataqua Region Watershed and estuaries. This year's State of Our Estuaries Report tells a story of how our shared home — the Piscataqua Region Watershed — is changing and of how those trends are affecting our estuaries and the countless species that live here. It tells of stress and recognizes that while the challenges we face are significant, so too is our ability to bring about positive change. That is a critical part of this report: we can make a difference.

The 2023 State of Our Estuaries report presents 21 indicators of estuarine health that have been selected for their capacity to help us understand the dynamics and conditions of our estuaries. Explore the bubble graphic below to learn about each of these indicators and how they provide an assessment of estuarine health for our region. Each indicator is categorized as either Positive, Cautionary, or Negative. Click on each indicator to learn more!