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Estuarine Systems
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| The
southeastern coast of the United States is unique and beautiful.
Salt marshes, barrier
islands, maritime forests, creeks and rivers all
separate the land from the sea and provide habitat
for a diversity of wildlife. Together, the marshes, forests, creeks, rivers,
and animal inhabitants make up the estuarine
system. If you consult a dictionary,
you will find that an estuary is an arm of the sea at the lower end of a
river where fresh water meets the salt water of the ocean. This definition
is deceptively simple as estuaries and the associated forests and marshes
serve many important functions. |
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|
The Importance
of Estuarine Systems
|
| *Water Quality- The salt marshes and upland forests associated with estuaries act as filters to remove excess nutrients and contaminants from rain water and runoff before they enter the creeks and streams where they could have deadly impacts on the plants and animals who live there. The upland forests also provide nutrients essential for the healthy growth of plants and animals living in the estuarine waters. |  |
| *Habitat- Many organisms utilize estuarine waters and the surrounding marshes and forests as habitat. The stands of Spartina alterniflora and the relatively calm waters of estuaries offer protection for juvenile fish including red drum, flounder, and spotted sea trout. The waters are rich with plankton and other small invertebrates such as grass shrimp which provide the nutrition necessary for these recreationally and economically important fish species. |  |
| *Flood & Erosion Control- Salt marshes and tidal creeks act as "sponges" to absorb water and wave energy from storm events such as hurricanes. Without the absorbing ability of the estuarine system, development in upland areas could be devastated by such events. Salt marshes also protect upland areas from erosion. |  |
| *Recreation- Estuaries are used every day by locals and visitors to the coast for a variety of recreational activities including: Fishing, crabbing, collecting oysters, kayaking, birding, and boating. |  |
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*Economic Importance- Aside from being home for a large proportion of the commercial fish catch, estuaries support numerous jobs in wetlands management, tourism, education and other related fields. Estuaries are also crucial to ecotourism based companies which capitalize on the popularity of wildlife viewing and outdoor recreation. For more information on the economic importance of estuaries, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov. |
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| Back to Top | |
| *Coastal Growth- Currently, over 110 million Americans live in coastal counties (within 50 miles of the coast). On average, coastal counties are growing nearly three times as fast as non-coastal counties. To accommodate the population growth, more and more upland forest is cleared for residential, commercial and industrial ventures. Click on the years below to view aerial photographs of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina as it has grown or click on the slideshow button to see the images in sequence. |  |
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| *Development Adjacent to Estuaries- Homesites adjacent to tidal creeks are extremely desirable to many people. In some cases, resident's desire to achieve the best view from their home leads them to clear their lot up to the salt marsh leaving little or no vegetation between the yard and the waterway. This removes a large portion of the upland forest which provides habitat, pollution filtering and nutrients for the estuary. |  |
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| *Dredging and Deposition of Fill- During the development of an area, dredging often takes place to deepen a channel. The material may then be used to fill other areas in. This can destroy critical habitat areas for wildlife and may remove large portions of salt marsh. |  |
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| *Bulkheads- In order to combat erosion, coastal residents may utilize a type of wall known as a bulkhead. These walls separate the upland from the stream channel and often take the place of salt marshes. The loss of the high marsh areas can be detrimental to the success of estuarine species such as grass shrimp. |  |
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| *Discharge of Pollutants- The discharge of pollutants from point sources as well as non point source pollution can be devastating to the health of the estuarine system. Contaminants originating from the combustion of petroleum products as well as sewage and other pollutants can be deadly to marine organisms and can be a risk to human health. |  |
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| Back To Top | Photos courtesy of NOAA
and USACOE www.photolib.noaa.gov |
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More
Information about Estuarine Systems |
|
For more information on estuaries, their
importance and conservation, visit the following sites: Land Use-Coastal Ecosystems (LU-CES) Study The Center for Watershed Protection South
Carolina Office of Visit our links
for more interesting sites. |