Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program
Estuaries
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.
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