Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) encompasses open waters, barrier beaches, marshlands and uplands on the south shore of Cape Cod in the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The WBNERR is representative of the northern section (Cape Cod to Sandy Hook) of the Virginian biogeographic region. WBNERR is located within the transitional border between the Virginian and Acadian biogeographic regions.