1. ESTUARIES

2. 1. What is an estuary? Partially enclosed body of water where saltwater mixes with freshwater Saltwater + freshwater = BRACKISH Where rivers meet oceans. Located in the Intertidal Zone.

3. 2. Name some different bodies of water that are types of estuaries? sloughs, bays, harbors, sounds, inlets and bayous

5. 3. What’s the name of the larges NC estuary?

6. EVER HEARD OF NEW YORK CITY? Well it’s an estuary

7. 4. Estuaries Importance – Biodiversity Estuaries are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on the planet. That means estuaries are home to more living things than most other places on Earth. LOTS OF BIODIVERSITY!

8. 4. Estuaries Importance – Ocean’s Nursery More than two thirds of the fish and shellfish we eat spend some part of their lives in estuaries. Many animals spend their “childhood” in estuaries. ESTUARIES = OCEAN’S NURSERY Baby shark – in estuaryAdult shark – in ocean

9. 4. Estuaries Importance – Filter They act as filters for terrestrial pollutants and provide protection from flooding. This means estuaries SPONGE UP POLLUTION coming from the land from getting into the oceans.

10. ESTUARY ESTUARIES ACT LIKE A SPONGE LOTS of POLLUTION LESS POLLUTION

11. 4. Estuaries Importance – Food Estuaries also have economic importance. These dynamic bodies of water provide us with an important source of FOOD McFish

12. 4. Estuaries Importance – Tourism Estuaries are also a popular tourist destination. This means people like to go on vacation in estuaries to boat, swim, bird watch and fish. TOURISM = MONEY

13. 4. Estuaries Importance – Flooding Estuaries stop flooding HOW? Wet land can hold more water than dry land because water sticks to water (cohesion)

15. 5. How do humans hurt estuaries Dredging Draining Bulldozing Paving Polluted runoff from Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas Dams Sewage Discharges Rural = farmland Suburban = neighborhoods Urban = cities

16. People dredge to grab the sand from the bottom of the estuary to put on other beaches that are running out of sand.

17. 6. What are some ways that we can protect estuaries? Conserve water use less fertilizer stop littering respect habitats follow signs that say DON’T WALK and NO WAKE keep our beaches clean.

18. 7. TRUE or FALSE. The tides affect estuaries 8. TRUE or FALSE. An estuary has more life per square inch than the best farmland 9. TRUE or FALSE. There are over 100 estuaries in the U.S. 10. TRUE or FALSE. Between 1973 and 1983 North Carolina lost more estuaries than any other state.

19. SO WHAT? HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOU? REMEMBER, YOU LIVE IN A WATERSHED. WHERE DOES ALL THAT WATER EVENTUALLY GO?