The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership (APNEP) is one of the 28 National Estuary Programs in the U.S. (https://www.epa.gov/nep). APNEP’s program area is ~28,000 sq. miles extending across most of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, including the Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Pasquotank, Chowan, lower Roanoke, and parts of the White Oak River basins in North Carolina and Southeastern Virgina. APNEP is a cooperative effort jointly hosted by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality under a grant from the U.S. EPA. The Partnership also works closely with the Commonwealth of Virginia in implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP). APNEP's mission is to identify, protect, and restore the significant resources of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system. APNEP pursues this mission with guidance and support from its overarching CCMP, advisory bodies and regional partners.