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Estuaries

Estuaries. Payton Collins December 1 st , 2011. The Basics and Terminology. An estuary is the area in which rivers meet the sea. One of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Estuaries are partially enclosed.

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Estuaries

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  1. Estuaries Payton Collins December 1st, 2011

  2. The Basics and Terminology • An estuary is the area in which rivers meet the sea. • One of the most productive ecosystems in the world. • Estuaries are partially enclosed. • Seawater mixes with freshwater, nutrients, and pollution from rivers, and streams and land runoff. • Must be adaptable to daily and seasonal changes in tidal and river flows, and land runoff of eroded soil sediment and other pollutants. • Salinity alone can increase or decrease 20% in a season.

  3. More on Marshes • Coastal wetlands are land areas covered with water all or part of the year. • Found around estuaries • Examples include river mouths, inlets, bays, sounds (narrow stretches of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or a sea and a lake), salt marshes (in temperate zones), and mangrove forests (the tropical zone equivalent of salt marshes).

  4. Estuaries in the United States

  5. U.S. Estuaries • 88,000+ miles of coastal wetlands • 100+ estuaries • Louisiana- home to 40% nation’s coastal wetlands • Chesapeake Bay – nation’s largest estuary • This estuary alone supports more than 3,600 species of plants, fish and animals.

  6. Biodiversity • Typical animals in estuaries~ • Shellfish (oysters, crabs, lobsters) • Shore and sea birds • Raccoons, skunks, opossums (attracted by plants and animals) • Typical plants in estuaries~ • Salt meadows • Mangroves • Cordgrass

  7. Benefits from Estuaries • Estuaries provide ecological and economic services~ • Filter toxic pollutants, excess plant nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants. • Reduce storm damage; absorb waves and store excess water produced by storms and tsunamis. • Provide food, habitats, and nursery sites for a variety of aquatic species.

  8. Environmental Damage to Estuaries • Global Climate Change • Algal bloom, invasive species, estuary climate/water temperature changes • Pollution from upland areas • Dams block nutrient flow • Extreme weather conditions • Floods, hurricanes, storms

  9. How Can We Help? • Currently developed/developing solutions~ • Enhancing the natural defenses provided by wetlands, barrier islands and reefs. • Supporting the natural replenishment of sediments from rivers and beaches. • Protecting inland buffers to enable habitats to migrate.

  10. Citations Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). (2010). Salt Marshes. Retrieved from http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/saltmarshes.htm Miller, Jr. G. T. (2007). Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions (15th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). (2011). Project Group: Coastal Wetlands and Estuaries. Retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Estuaries-and-Coastal-Wetlands.aspx

  11. Citations (2) Ayub, Zarrien (2010). Effect of Temperature and Rainfall as a Component of Climate Change on Fish and Shrimp Catch in Pakistan. The Journal of Transdisciplinary Environmental Studies, vol. 9, no. 1. Retrieved from http://www.journal-tes.dk/vol_9_no_1__page_15/no%204%20%20Zarrinem%20Ayub%20(high).pdf U.S. Department of the Interior. (2007). The Role of Climate in Estuarine Variability. Retrieved from http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/hydroclimate/climate_role/part2.html C., Tommy, and B., Kyle (n.d.). Estuary Home. Retrieved from http://biomesfourth09.wikispaces.com/Estuary+Home

  12. Citations (3) National Wildlife Federation (n.d.). Global Warming Impacts on Estuaries and Coastal Wetlands. Retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Estuaries-and-Coastal-Wetlands.aspx Estuaries. (n.d.). The Encyclopedia of New Zealand (online). Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/estuaries/3 New Hampshire Public Television. (2011). Estuaries. Retreivedfrom http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep6a.htm

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