Estuaries

1. Estuaries Created and Presented by: Cody Newcomb & D’Andre Parker

2. What is an Estuary? • Located near the shores of any of the oceans. • Partially enclosed body of water where freshwater meets salt water. • These estuaries are influenced by the tides, but they are fully protected by land masses/barriers. • The soil is rich, therefore, it can support many different plant types.

3. Information that you may not know!! • Many have not heard of estuaries before, but maybe you have heard of a harbor, sounds, or lagoons? • These places are actually estuaries, where rivers and streams of freshwater mix with ocean salt water. • They are an important role for the shipping industry. • 75% of all fish has been estimated to have lived in an estuary at least part of their life cycle. • NYC is located on the Hudson River Estuary.

4. Climate • Marine organisms can make their own shelter or they have shells they use for protection against the Estuary’s climate change. • The climate of an estuary can affect it greatly. • Seasonal cycles can bring varying amounts of rain, changing water temperature, and sunlight. • Wind cause waves in which the waves will stir up sediments • This causes sediment to move in and out of estuaries and can erode the shoreline.

5. Types of Estuaries • Coastal Plain • Formed at the end of the last ice age where rising water levels invaded the low-lying coastal rivers. (Ex. Chesapeake bay) • Tectonic • Cracks or faults formed in the crust and sea water filled in the fault. (Ex. San Francisco Bay) • Bar-Built • Sand build up along the coastline. (Ex. Pamlico Sound) • Fjord • Valleys that have been cut by moving glaciers then filled in by sea water.

6. Usefulness of the biome • Creates a fishing area where many different species of fish are found. • Provides a home for many species of plants and animals. • Estuaries protect the inland from floods. • They absorb water that is produced from a storm.

7. ^ ^ Polychaete Worm ^ Dungeness Crab ^ Salmon Larvae Animals of Estuaries  Crane Alligator 

8. Cattails Knotgrass Cape-Flats Conebush (Endangered) Monkey Flower Lilies Plants of Estuaries

10. Current Estuaries • Estuaries are falling in numbers. • People fill in estuaries with dirt to make houses. • Man-made structures, such as dams, can block natural streams and river, in which It cuts off freshwater going into the estuaries. • Therefore, the fresh and saltwater balance is thrown off and can seriously damage an estuary.

11. Competition and Adaptations. • Some species may have a hard time to live and reproduce because pollutants can restrict that. • Many may notice the competition in an estuary such as a crane hunting for a fish. • 50% of the US population lives on the coast, therefore, more land needs to be created which means destroying an estuary.

12. Competition and Adaptation Cont’d • Many farm near an estuary to use the unlimited amount of water, but chemicals have a greater chance of entering the water. • Many plants and animals have learned and adapted to these conditions, so they can reproduce normally but may have complications or birth defects.

13. Salmon River Estuary • Lincoln City, Oregon. (Vacation Spot) • Nursery for salmon. • Very popular vacation spot. • Home to 1,000+ shorebirds • Nominated as an Important Bird Area for birds such as the Brown Pelican, Bald Eagle, and the Peregrine Falcon. • Note= No negative effects were listed as to affect this biome but there are possibilities of pollutants from campgrounds and perhaps chemical spills from boats.

14. Harvested Materials • Seafood

15. Any questions, comments, or concerns?

16. Works Cited • http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/nep/about.cfm • http://www.oregonshearwater.com/activities-in-lincoln-city-area • http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep6a.htm • http://estuaries.noaa.gov/About/Default.aspx?ID=230 • http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jmjaeger/estuaries.htm