Estuaries & Inshore Marine Environments

ESTUARIES
♥Partially enclosed body of water
♥Mix of freshwater & salt water
♥Come in all shapes and sizes
♥No 2 are alike
♥AKA bays, lagoons, harbors, inlets, sloughs, bayous & sounds
♥Tidal, sheltered waters of estuaries support unique communities or plants & animals
♥Estuary environments are among the most productive on Earth
♥Create more organic matter each year than comparably-sized areas of forests, grasslands & agricultural land
♥CANNOT be replaced
♥Shallow open waters, freshwater & salt marshes, sandy beaches, mud & sand flats, rocky shores, oyster reefs, mangrove forests, river deltas, tidal pools, sea grass & kelp beds & wooded swamps are ALL found in/near estuaries
♥they are places to live, feed & reproduce

ANIMALS
♥shore & sea birds
♥fish
♥crabs & lobsters
♥marine mammals
♥clams & shellfish
♥marine worms
♥reptiles
♥wood storks
♥pelicans
♥sea turtles
♥sea lions
♥butterflies
♥ideal spots for migratory birds
♥provide habitat for more than 75% of U.S commercial fish catch & 80-90% of recreational fish catch
INVASIVE SPECIES
♥ Fauna: Chinese Mitten Crab, Fishhook Waterflea & Ruffe
♥ Flora: Giant Salvinia & Water Hyacinth
♥ KEYSTONE SPECIES: Salmon
MAJOR SPECIES: Manatees, Horseshoe crabs & Bass

USES
♥recreation
♥scientific knowledge
♥education
♥protect water quality by filtering out dirt & pollution

GEOLOGY
♥meeting place of rivers & seas
♥water level: 1-10 meters deep
♥ example site: Tampa Bay Estuary
♥LOCATIONS: any place a river/stream/waterway meets an ocean
♥DEVELOPMENT & ENDANGERMENT: Loss of habitat for many animals & loss of protection from predators
♥ Once developed, they can not be replaced

Animals
Estuaries