1. Coastal Wetlands ACOS #7 Identify reasons coastal waters serve as an important resource.

2. Coastal land areas that are covered by salt water for all or part of the time • They include bays, lagoons, salt marshes, estuaries, barrier islands, and mangrove swamps. • Grasses are the dominant vegetation of saltwater wetlands. Coastal Wetlands

3. Coastal habitats provide ecosystem services essential to people and the environment. Services provided by coastal wetlands include: • Flood Protection • Erosion Control • Wildlife Food &Habitat • Commercial Fisheries • Water Quality • Recreation Why are coastal wetlands important?

4. Estuaries are very productive ecosystems because they constantly receive fresh nutrients from the river and the ocean.

5. Estuaries are formed wherefresh water meets and mixes with ocean water. • Estuaries are found where rivers meet the sea. • Bays, harbors, sounds, and inlets are all estuaries. Estuary

6. Salt marshes form in estuaries in areas protected from high-energy waves. • Tidal flats are part of many estuaries. Oyster and clams are harvested here. Estuary Features and Landforms

7. Mangroves Barrier Islands Run parallel to the shoreline. Long, thin islands that help protect the mainland and the coastal wetlands. • Mangrove forests surround wetland areas in southern estuaries. Estuary Features and Landforms

8. Many types of plants grow in estuaries. One of the most common is cordgrass. • Eelgrass is another common plant that grows in brackish water. Flora of Estuaries

9. Many bivalves, such as oysters, and mussels, inhabit estuaries • Blue crabs are harvested to eat • Diamondback terrapins are the only turtle that lives in brackish water • Coho salmon migrate up rivers to spawn each year, returning to the area they were spawned. • Great blue heronsfeed on fish and amphibians living in estuaries. Fauna of Estuaries

10. Quick Check: • Why is an estuary a very productive ecosystem? • Why are estuaries vulnerable to the effects of pollution? • Compare and contrast salt marshes to mangrove swamps.