Brennan McClung Shanon Moore Abby Brancaleon

Coastal Wetland Coastal Wetlands are land areas covered with water all or apart of the year. They include rivers, inlets, bays, sounds, and mangrove forest swamps in sheltered regions along tropical coasts: all in temperate zones. Coastal Wetlands are located mainly by large bodies of water. Coastal Wetlands can be in all parts of the world, a few examples include: The Texas Gulf Coast Mississippi River Delta Southern Florida-Everglades

Climate Temperature in Coastal Wetland: degrees F Rainfall- They usually get 40 inches of rain a month so they are humid foggy and at times freezing Unpredictable flows of freshwater from coastal land and rivers after heavy rains and of salt water from the ocean as a result of storms, hurricanes, and typhoons affect the Coastal Wetlands overall Climate. Average temperature in the Everglades stays between 65 and 85 Degrees F. The rainfall, on the bottom, varies from about 1 inch to 7 and a half inches.

Plant Adaptation's Annual Spikerush The Annual Spikerush is able to stay in Coastal Wetland Biomes because of the Warm temperatures.

Plant Adaptation's (cont) Arrow Arum This plant can grow in light or darkness. So the Arrow Arum can survive in a coastal wetland even when there is too much or too little light.

Plant Adaptations (cont) American Lotus This plant is able to grow in 16 ft deep water. And with coastal wetlands having there numerous deep waters, the American Lotus can survive.

Short bill for shallow water Pointed bill to jab at mud quickly Sense of Touch in bill to locate pray

Can Tolerate large range of salinity Non-retractable feeding tubes Eggs develop into larvae within a day

Live off plant detritus between high/low tidal marks Climb stems of marsh grasses to avoid predators Operculum used to protect from cold

Soil and Chemical Cycling Hydric silty soil Good quality Filter pollutants and excess nutrients from plants

Economic Value Reduce storm damage Provide large amounts of species for food Store excess water to reduce flooding

Human Disturbance One third of mangrove forests destroyed Over-fishing of animals

Human Disturbance One third of mangrove forests destroyed Over-fishing of animals

Whooping Crane Grus americana

Lives in North America in the coastal wetlands of Texas USA They migrate not disperse They eat: Crabs, clams, crayfish, snails, minnows, frogs, larval insects, and leeches Live in a nest made of bulrushes about 4 feet wide with flat topped central mound up to 5 inches above water Their habitat is salt flats and marshes in the prairie during the winter and during the summer they live in poorly drained wetlands in Canada

Endangered because: power lines, illegal hunting, and habitat loss. They are also susceptible to chemical spills and petroleum contamination

They are endangered. It is thought that there are about 173 whooping cranes left.

These birds are seriously endangered. They are trying to increase the numbers by observing them in forest preserves and in captivity and they are trying to save their habitats and minimize human threats with law enforcement.

Coastal Wetlands Protection Act Year:2003 Mississippi

Regulated Activities: Dredging, excavating, or removing of aggregate of any kind Dumping, filling, depositing, aggregate of any kind Killing or damaging flora or fauna Erecting structures that affect the flow of the tide This is enforced by the Mississippi Commision on Marine Resources and the state of Mississippi

This law is protecting all the living things in the coastal wetlands and preventing human intervention that could potentially cause harm to the environment and living things. No Changes have been proposed or made to this law