th Estuaries How many meanders do you see? How are they beneficial? - “ Earth: The Water Planet” DVD 9:03 -Coach Lesson 23: “Marine Ecosystems and Estuaries” -Summary: “Wetland Environments” -Enrich: “The Shrinking Everglades”

Estuaries Areas where fresh and salt water mix Characteristics: -shallow, brackish water -variations in salinity -high biological diversity -traps nutrients and sediment carried from land by rivers and ocean tides -fertile environment of plant and animal life - Nutrients are constantly mixed, due to tidal action and river flow. - one of the most productive ecosystems on earth “Wealth in the Wetlands” VHS 23:42

In NC, estuarine waters are less than thirty feet; therefore, sunlight penetrates to the bottom of estuaries. This promotes plant growth. Plants add dissolved oxygen to the water through the process of photosynthesis. What gas do animals add to water through the process of respiration?

Estuary Floor * Sediments rich in nutrients settle onto the sand and mud of the estuary floor. These conditions create unique habitats for both plants and animals providing the basis for biological diversity in species. fish shrimp clams oysters Oysters filter impurities out of water as they eat, collecting contaminants in their bodies. One oyster can filter 25 gallons of water per day.

Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth.

Estuarine Producers and Consumers 1. What are the benefits of the producers in the above ecosystem?

Note the direction of the arrows: pointing to what is “being consumed”

Biodiversity in Estuaries

Estuary Food Web 1. Why is it beneficial for organisms to rely on more than one food source? 2.If removed from the above food web, which organism would have the greatest impact? 3. Where is there an overlapping aquatic/terrestrial food chain? 4. What examples of decomposers, producers and consumers are in this ecosystem? 5. What is the primary source of energy for the above food web? phyto (zoo plankton) Note the direction of the arrows: pointing to what is“consuming”.

Benefit of Estuaries #1 Estuaries are good nurseries providing a protected environment for species to hatch and grow before migrating to the sea.

Benefits of Estuaries #2 Help control erosion and reduce flooding of the mainland. -Swamps and marshes take the initial impact of high winds moving in from the ocean, soak up heavy rain and storm surges, and release the extra water gradually into rivers and groundwater. Swampmarsh

Continued: Erosion and Flooding Control Sand bars buffer the impact of waves. How does this help reduce erosion?

Continued: Erosion and Flooding Control Plants and shellfish beds anchor the shore against tides. Grasswort eel grass Oysters Mussels

Benefits of Estuaries #3 Environmental filters: - Plants and animals filter pollutants out of the water. Salt marsh plants trap some of the chemicals and pathogens carried by rivers and move them into soils where they can be neutralized. - Bacteria eat organic matter in the sediment and release carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), hydrogen sulfate (HSO 4 ) and methane (CH 4 ) into the atmosphere preventing these gases from being excessively stored in the estuary.

North Carolina’s Largest Estuary: Pamlico Sound Albemarle and Pamlico Sound. Purple arrows point to three primary inlets for water exchange in this estuarine ecosystem. Sand bars in estuaries and near the mouth of a river help buffer the impact of waves, while plants and shellfish beds anchor the shore against tides. Compared to water in the open ocean, does water at the mouth of a river have a higher or lower salinity? Explain.

Biodiversity in a Long Island Estuary As you view the Long Island Estuary slide show, notice each of the following: - biodiversity - symbiotic relationships (commensalism) - adaptations of organisms - predator/prey relationships