Estuary By: Shannon and Kelsey
Climatologist • An estuary is an enclosed body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flow. into the ocean, bays, lagoons, harbors, or sounds. Ex. San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Boston Harbor, and Tampa Bay. • 60 inches of rain per year. • Has mild and humid climates and an average rainfall. • Oceans cover about 75% or the earth’s surface.
Geologist • • •
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Primary coasts- happen because of changes in the land, such as river deltas or lava flows. Secondary coasts- caused by changes in the ocean, such as the creation of barrier islands or coral reefs. Running water has an effect on the earth because it erodes it. Erosion is the process of weathering and transport of solids in the natural environment of their sources and deposits them elsewhere. Erosion wears away the land. Rift valley is a linear-shape lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift or fault. Groundwater- the water beneath the surface of the ground, consisting largely of surface water that has seeped down the source of water in springs and wells. Water table- the level below which the ground is completely saturated with water.
Biologist • • • • • • • • •
Animals- shore birds, fish, crabs, lobsters, marine mammals, clams and other shellfish, marine worms, sea birds, and reptiles. Plants- Gardena and Zuleus. Depending on if the water is salt or fresh, that’s what type of plants and animals are there. Endangered plants- Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak. Endangered animals- Steelhead Trout, Thailand Giant Catfish, Chinook Salmon. Poisonous plants- Hygrophila balsamica are poisonous to fish. Poisonous animals- jellyfish because the tentacles have about 5,000 stinging cells. Largest and smallest plants- largest is the Mangrove tree and the smallest is algae. Largest and smallest animals- largest is the Western Sandpiper and the smallest is the Lugworm.
Environmentalist • Runoff containing fertilizer pollutes estuaries because it enters rivers, ponds, and lakes and make algae grow rapidly which makes the water unusable and kills many of the organisms. • Pollution, over fishing, sewage, tourism, and real estate are some of the human activities that put this biome in danger. • Shallow open waters, freshwater marshes, and river deltas are sources of drinking water. • Malaria is a disease caused by bad water.