The objective of this viewpoint is to highlight the importance of long-term research and monitoring programs that are designed to address both basic science and applied management questions. Because funding for environmental sciences is inherently limited, and work that addresses current societal needs can be prioritized over basic research and monitoring efforts, design of long-term studies needs to be creative and intentional to address relevant and pressing issues, remain competitive for funding, and can also be used to conduct basic research across a broad range of topics. We use the U.S. National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) to illustrate the value of long-term studies and demonstrate how they can be designed to directly address management needs while also advancing our fundamental ecological understanding of coastal ecosystems.