Charleston is an unincorporated community in Coos County

Coos County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siskiyou National Forest *Siuslaw National Forest - Incorporated cities:- Unincorporated communities and CDPs:-See also:...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is located at the ocean entrance to Coos Bay

Coos Bay

Coos Bay is an S-shaped inlet where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, approximately 10 miles long and two miles wide, on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The estuary is situated south of the Salmon River. The city of Coos Bay, once named Marshfield, was...

. According to the local chamber of commerce, it is the area's "commercial and sport fishing center", and the community also provides services for the seafood processing and marine support industries. Charleston is the site of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology

Oregon Institute of Marine Biology

The Oregon Institute of Marine Biology is the marine station of the University of Oregon. It is located in Charleston, Oregon at the mouth of Coos Bay. This marine station was first deeded to the University of Oregon in 1931. However, university students had been studying marine science in the...

 and the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 Charleston Lifeboat Station.

Estuarine Research Reserve

The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a National Estuarine Research Reserve located on Coos Bay Estuary, in the U.S. state of Oregon...

, a 4770 acres (19.3 km²) reserve along the Coos Bay Estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

, was established in Charleston in 1974. It was the first reserve in the United States created in response to the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972

Coastal Zone Management Act

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is an Act of Congress passed in 1972 to encourage coastal states to develop and implement coastal zone management plans...

.