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Estuaries

Estuaries lie at the boundary between the land and the coastal ocean. They are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and they are the home to many important fisheries species for some part of their lives. Many are located in urbanized or rapidly developing areas. They receive freshwater runoff from their watersheds that can bring nutrients and other pollutants from cities and farms far inland. The stresses that this brings are a challenge for coastal zone managers to address. CCFHR research helps managers in their role as estuarine stewards in many ways

Urban estuary

CCFHR provides survey methods to help characterize the habitats and their resources in many estuaries from San Francisco Bay to Kachemak Bay, Alaska, to Florida Bay, to Delaware Bay.

We monitor and develop models of the bioaccumulation of contaminants such as mercury in south Florida and the expected response to restoration activities on land. We develop restoration techniques for injured habitats in many estuaries.

Ecological forecasting techniques are being developed to provide warning and managerial response to such stressors as harmful algal blooms and hurricanes in estuaries.

The extent and ecological impact of invasive plant species has been investigated in several estuaries to support active restoration and remediation efforts.

The ecological role of estuarine habitats in supporting production of valuable fisheries species from finfish to bivalve molluscs has been evaluated along every U.S. coast. This has been useful in documenting the loss of ecological services from various stressors.