 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Estuarine Habitats
Estuaries can have many different types of habitat. Some common estuarine habitats are: the water column, oyster reefs, coral reefs, kelp and other macroalgae, rocky shores and bottoms, soft shores and bottoms, submerged aquatic vegetation, coastal marshes, mangroves, deepwater swamps and riverine forests.
Habitat is home. It is where there is shelter and safety, where there is a suitable food and water supply, where there are associated plants and animals. Estuaries can contain several types of habitats, which define the types of organisms that live there. Some common estuarine habitats are:
- Water Column – The water column is the area of water from the seafloor up to the water surface. The water column contains free swimming, or pelagic, organisms and plankton (tiny drifting and floating organisms). The water column is a part of all bays, sloughs, lagoons and coastal areas; and is therefore part of an estuary.
- Oyster Reefs – Oyster reefs are communities of oysters formed by many individual oysters growing in clumps on the shells of dead oysters or other hard surfaces. Oyster reefs can be found around the entire coast of the country, except on the shores of the Great Lakes.
- Coral Reefs – Coral reefs are communities of many small individual, interconnected corals. One corals is made of a hard shell in which a small animal, called a polyp, lives. Most coral reefs are found on the shores of Hawaii, Florida and throughout the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.
- Kelp and Other Macroalgae – Kelp and brown algae are a type of large seaweed called macroalgae. Kelp communities grow on hard surfaces at the seafloor and extend up to the water surface, like underwater trees, to create forests. Kelp forests are found on the west coast of the U.S. Other types of macroalgae may form dense beds across the bottom of the estuary.
- Rocky Shores and Bottoms – Rocky shores and bottoms are hard surfaces made of stones, boulders and bedrock. Rocky shores may have high waves and strong winds (high energy). Rocky bottoms are often flooded with exposure to air occurring only when the tide goes out.. Rocky shores and bottoms are commonly found along the west and northeast coasts of the country.
- Soft Shores and Bottoms – Soft shores and bottoms are low-lying sand beaches, muddy shores and mudflats made of sediments that have mixed with detritus (think of muck or ooze). Some contain submerged and upland vegetation, some do not. Many different benthic communities (or bottom dwellers) flourish in the soft shores and bottoms including burrowing worms, snails, crabs and clams. Soft shore and bottom habitats are found along coasts across the country.
- Submerged Aquatic Vegetation – Submerged aquatic vegetation, also called SAV, are beds of leafy rooted, grass-like plants with tiny flowers, found in shallow waters where light can penetrate. They survive underwater (subtidal areas) or in areas that are both flooded and partially exposed by the tides (intertidal areas). SAV is found along coasts across the county.
- Coastal Marshes – Coastal marshes are composed of upright plants that live above the water surface, often with their roots submerged. Some examples of coastal marsh plats are cattails, grasses, and sedges. Coastal marshes are found across the county.
- Mangroves – Mangroves are trees that can survive in very salty areas. They are commonly identified by their unique roots which project from the muddy bottoms at the shore to the tree’s trunk. Mangroves grow in clusters and their roots form a complex maze along the coast. Mangrove forests grow along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean.
- Deepwater Swamps and Riverine Forests – Deepwater swamps and riverine forests are flooded, forested wetlands growing near edges of lakes, rivers and sluggish streams. They are different from other forests because they can survive in areas with prolonged flooding. Deepwater coastal swamps and riverine forests are found across the country, but are most common along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and throughout the Mississippi River valley.
|
Last Updated on: 06-24-2008
|
|
|
|