Estuaries - Ms. Snyder

Estuaries Nurseries of the Sea OBJECTIVE: EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HYDROSPHERE INCLUDING WATER DISTRIBUTION ON EARTH AND LOCAL RIVER BASIN AND WATER AVAILABILITY. Warm Up 1. Draw a picture of an aquifer (with labels)

2. What is an estuary? 4 Estuaries

Semi-enclosed areas where fresh water and seawater meet and mix. Interaction of land and sea!

Some of the most productive environments on earth! Most affected by humans! Harbors

Cities 5 Value of Estuaries

Protected fertile habitat Home for many! Vital breeding and feeding grounds Cities built near estuaries because of great fishing. (shrimp and crab)

6 Physical Characteristics of Estuaries Salinity in a salt wedge

Substrate Rivers carry nutrients into estuary by size and weight.

Mud = silt and clay high in nutrients Anoxic = low oxygen in mud b/c bacteria respiration. Anaerobic bacteria thrive in mud.

7 Physical Characteristics of Estuaries Water temp varies.

Exposed organisms during low tides. Sun, Drying out, Predation 10 High Tide

Low Tide The Salt wedge moves in and out with the tide 11 The daily tides play a crucial role in salt marshes.

They help circulate detritus and nutrients and expose mudflat organisms to predation by shorebirds and other animals

12 Look at the shallow roots of this mangrove tree reaching above the mud to get oxygen. Why does mud not

have much oxygen in it? 13 Cordgrass is an important component of salt water marshes

14 Pickle Weed is a common succulent plant in salt marshes around the world. 15 A salt marsh near Atlantic Beach, NC. Many of these types of marshes have been filled in and destroyed.

16 The Atlantic menhaden is an important commercial fish spawn offshore and larvae drift with tides into the estuary to grow. 17