Transcript Estuaries
Slide 1
Estuaries
Where Fresh Water Meets
Salt Water
Slide 2
Estuary Defined
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of
water formed where fresh water from
rivers and streams flows into a bay or
ocean, mixing with the salt water.
Slide 3
Estuaries come in all shapes and sizes
and go by different names.
Estuaries can also be called bays, lagoons,
harbors, inlets, or sounds. Sometimes these
water bodies by those names are not
necessarily estuaries. The defining feature
of an estuary is the mixing of fresh and salt
water, not the name!
Slide 4
What are some familiar
estuaries?
Some familiar estuaries include
San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound,
Boston Harbor, Tampa Bay, and of
course, the Chesapeake Bay.
Slide 5
Boston Harbor
Slide 6
Tampa Bay
Slide 7
Puget Sound
Slide 8
Chesapeake Bay Estuary
The Chesapeake Bay is
the largest of about 130
estuaries in the United
States.
The Chesapeake Bay is
one of the most
productive estuaries in
America.
Slide 9
Chesapeake Bay Characteristics
The bay stretches from Havre De Grace, MD to Norfolk,
VA.
The bay is about 200 miles long, but along with its
tributaries has a shoreline that measures approximately
11,684 miles in total.
The Chesapeake Bay is shallow, as its average depth is only
21 feet.
The deepest point is 174 feet deep located off of
Annapolis, called “The Hole.”
Slide 10
Quick Fact:
Tidewater is
water that is
affected by the
ebb and flow of
tides.
Slide 11
Living Organisms need Special
Adaptations to Live in an Estuary
The salinity level (amount of salt in the water) is
constantly changing!
1. If rivers bring in extra water, during periods
of flooding, the salinity of the estuary will
be reduced.
2. If drought causes the flow of freshwater to
decrease, then the salinity of the estuary
may be increased.
Slide 12
What type of organisms live an
estuary?
The tidal, sheltered waters of
estuaries support unique
communities of plants and
animals, specifically adapted
to life where the salinity
(amount of salt) constantly
changes as freshwater mixes
with salt water.
Slide 13
Variety of Estuarine Animals
Shore birds, fish, crabs and
lobsters, marine mammals,
clams and other shellfish,
marine worms, sea birds,
and reptiles are just some
of the animals that make
their homes in and around
estuaries.
Slide 14
Animals in an Estuary
Slide 15
Fish in the Chesapeake Bay:
These fish come from the ocean
to feed in the lower, saltier areas
Black sea bass
Sandbar shark
Slide 16
Fish in the Chesapeake Bay
Large-mouthed bass
fresh water fish that
may come into the brackish
areas of the bay to feed.
Slide 17
These fish stay all year long –
tolerate changes in salinity
White perch
Striped Bass
(rockfish)
Slide 18
These fish stay migrate because of
changes in salinity or temperature.
Bluefish
Flounder
Croaker
Spot
Slide 19
Other fish in the Bay
Sea horse
Shad
Spade Fish
Menhaden
Slide 20
Bay Grasses Add Oxygen to the
Water and Habitats for Animals
Eel Grass
Common
Waterweed
Slide 21
Why are Estuaries Important?
Estuaries are critical for the
survival of many species.
They provide ideal spots for
migratory birds to rest and
refuel during their journeys.
Many fish and shellfish rely on the
sheltered waters of estuaries as
protective places to spawn.
Estuaries are called the
“Nurseries of the Seas.”
Slide 22
Migratory Birds
Slide 23
Estuaries Provide a
Variety of Habitats
1. shallow waters
2. fresh and salt water
marshes
3. sandy beaches
4. mud and sand flats
5. rocky shores
6. river deltas
7. tidal pools
8. sea grass and kelp
beds
9. wooded swamps
10. oyster reefs
Slide 24
Estuaries are Important for Humans
Cultural benefits include recreation,
scientific knowledge, and education.
Boating, fishing, swimming, surfing, and
bird watching are just a few of the
numerous recreational activities people
enjoy.
Slide 25
Importance to Humans, continued.
Scientific knowledge and education:
As transition zones, estuaries are invaluable
laboratories for scientists and students,
providing countless lessons in biology,
geology, chemistry, physics, history and
culture.
Slide 26
Economic benefits include tourism, fisheries,
and other commercial activities that thrive
on the wealth of natural resources.
The protected coastal waters provide harbors
and ports vital for shipping, transportation,
and industry.
Slide 27
Measuring Economic Benefits
Estuaries provide habitat for 75% of America’s
commercial fish catch.
Estuaries provide more than 28 million jobs.
The average American Spends 10 recreational
days on the coast of an estuary each year.
Slide 28
Health of Estuaries
Unfortunately, an increase in concentration of
people near estuaries is upsetting the
natural balance of estuarine ecosystems.
Slide 29
People can Harm Estuaries
Channels are
dredged, which
causes sediment to
get in the estuary
and cause higher
turbidity.
Slide 30
People Harm Estuaries…continued
Shorelines are
reconstructed to
make room for
housing and
agricultural needs
by filling marshes
and wetlands.
Slide 31
People Harm Estuaries, Continued
Water is polluted and
recreation creates
excess sediments.
“Over fishing” fish,
crabs and shellfish
affect the complex
food web of the
estuary.
Slide 32
The Following can Occur in an
Unhealthy Estuary:
Fish kills, unsafe drinking water, closing of
beaches and shellfish beds, harmful algal
blooms , unproductive fisheries, loss of
habitat and aquatic vegetation disappears.
Slide 33
Excess Nutrients Cause
Algae Blooms:
Slide 34
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 35
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 36
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 37
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 38
• Windows to the Universe team.
Ecosystems. Boulder, CO: ©2000-04
University Corporation of Atmospheric
Research (UCAR), ©1995-1999, 2000
The Regents of the University of
Michigan, December 4, 2002. Online.
Available: http://www.windows.ucar.edu
. May 5, 2008.
Estuaries
Where Fresh Water Meets
Salt Water
Slide 2
Estuary Defined
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of
water formed where fresh water from
rivers and streams flows into a bay or
ocean, mixing with the salt water.
Slide 3
Estuaries come in all shapes and sizes
and go by different names.
Estuaries can also be called bays, lagoons,
harbors, inlets, or sounds. Sometimes these
water bodies by those names are not
necessarily estuaries. The defining feature
of an estuary is the mixing of fresh and salt
water, not the name!
Slide 4
What are some familiar
estuaries?
Some familiar estuaries include
San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound,
Boston Harbor, Tampa Bay, and of
course, the Chesapeake Bay.
Slide 5
Boston Harbor
Slide 6
Tampa Bay
Slide 7
Puget Sound
Slide 8
Chesapeake Bay Estuary
The Chesapeake Bay is
the largest of about 130
estuaries in the United
States.
The Chesapeake Bay is
one of the most
productive estuaries in
America.
Slide 9
Chesapeake Bay Characteristics
The bay stretches from Havre De Grace, MD to Norfolk,
VA.
The bay is about 200 miles long, but along with its
tributaries has a shoreline that measures approximately
11,684 miles in total.
The Chesapeake Bay is shallow, as its average depth is only
21 feet.
The deepest point is 174 feet deep located off of
Annapolis, called “The Hole.”
Slide 10
Quick Fact:
Tidewater is
water that is
affected by the
ebb and flow of
tides.
Slide 11
Living Organisms need Special
Adaptations to Live in an Estuary
The salinity level (amount of salt in the water) is
constantly changing!
1. If rivers bring in extra water, during periods
of flooding, the salinity of the estuary will
be reduced.
2. If drought causes the flow of freshwater to
decrease, then the salinity of the estuary
may be increased.
Slide 12
What type of organisms live an
estuary?
The tidal, sheltered waters of
estuaries support unique
communities of plants and
animals, specifically adapted
to life where the salinity
(amount of salt) constantly
changes as freshwater mixes
with salt water.
Slide 13
Variety of Estuarine Animals
Shore birds, fish, crabs and
lobsters, marine mammals,
clams and other shellfish,
marine worms, sea birds,
and reptiles are just some
of the animals that make
their homes in and around
estuaries.
Slide 14
Animals in an Estuary
Slide 15
Fish in the Chesapeake Bay:
These fish come from the ocean
to feed in the lower, saltier areas
Black sea bass
Sandbar shark
Slide 16
Fish in the Chesapeake Bay
Large-mouthed bass
fresh water fish that
may come into the brackish
areas of the bay to feed.
Slide 17
These fish stay all year long –
tolerate changes in salinity
White perch
Striped Bass
(rockfish)
Slide 18
These fish stay migrate because of
changes in salinity or temperature.
Bluefish
Flounder
Croaker
Spot
Slide 19
Other fish in the Bay
Sea horse
Shad
Spade Fish
Menhaden
Slide 20
Bay Grasses Add Oxygen to the
Water and Habitats for Animals
Eel Grass
Common
Waterweed
Slide 21
Why are Estuaries Important?
Estuaries are critical for the
survival of many species.
They provide ideal spots for
migratory birds to rest and
refuel during their journeys.
Many fish and shellfish rely on the
sheltered waters of estuaries as
protective places to spawn.
Estuaries are called the
“Nurseries of the Seas.”
Slide 22
Migratory Birds
Slide 23
Estuaries Provide a
Variety of Habitats
1. shallow waters
2. fresh and salt water
marshes
3. sandy beaches
4. mud and sand flats
5. rocky shores
6. river deltas
7. tidal pools
8. sea grass and kelp
beds
9. wooded swamps
10. oyster reefs
Slide 24
Estuaries are Important for Humans
Cultural benefits include recreation,
scientific knowledge, and education.
Boating, fishing, swimming, surfing, and
bird watching are just a few of the
numerous recreational activities people
enjoy.
Slide 25
Importance to Humans, continued.
Scientific knowledge and education:
As transition zones, estuaries are invaluable
laboratories for scientists and students,
providing countless lessons in biology,
geology, chemistry, physics, history and
culture.
Slide 26
Economic benefits include tourism, fisheries,
and other commercial activities that thrive
on the wealth of natural resources.
The protected coastal waters provide harbors
and ports vital for shipping, transportation,
and industry.
Slide 27
Measuring Economic Benefits
Estuaries provide habitat for 75% of America’s
commercial fish catch.
Estuaries provide more than 28 million jobs.
The average American Spends 10 recreational
days on the coast of an estuary each year.
Slide 28
Health of Estuaries
Unfortunately, an increase in concentration of
people near estuaries is upsetting the
natural balance of estuarine ecosystems.
Slide 29
People can Harm Estuaries
Channels are
dredged, which
causes sediment to
get in the estuary
and cause higher
turbidity.
Slide 30
People Harm Estuaries…continued
Shorelines are
reconstructed to
make room for
housing and
agricultural needs
by filling marshes
and wetlands.
Slide 31
People Harm Estuaries, Continued
Water is polluted and
recreation creates
excess sediments.
“Over fishing” fish,
crabs and shellfish
affect the complex
food web of the
estuary.
Slide 32
The Following can Occur in an
Unhealthy Estuary:
Fish kills, unsafe drinking water, closing of
beaches and shellfish beds, harmful algal
blooms , unproductive fisheries, loss of
habitat and aquatic vegetation disappears.
Slide 33
Excess Nutrients Cause
Algae Blooms:
Slide 34
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 35
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 36
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 37
What do Estuaries look like?
Slide 38
• Windows to the Universe team.
Ecosystems. Boulder, CO: ©2000-04
University Corporation of Atmospheric
Research (UCAR), ©1995-1999, 2000
The Regents of the University of
Michigan, December 4, 2002. Online.
Available: http://www.windows.ucar.edu
. May 5, 2008.