Kella Randolph

Croatan SoundEstuary

• Location• Importance

• Plant life• Animal life

• Rivers, streams and other waterways that feed into the sound• Threats to the Croatan Sound estuary

Croatan Sound Estuary

• Croatan National Forest is the only one of the four national forests found in North Carolina to be located along the eastern coast rather than in the western mountains.  It also has the distinction of being the only true coastal forest east of the Mississippi. Croatan National Forest protects nearly 160,000 acres of pine forests, saltwater estuaries, bogs and pocosins; in particular, the pocosin ecosystems – essentially raised swamplands – are unique geological features of this forest. Bordered on the north by the Neuse River, on the south by Bogue Sound, and on the west by the White Oak River, it is not surprising that activities many activities are water related:  swimming, canoeing, boating, and fishing. 43 miles of trails offer opportunities for hiking and nature walks, however, and there are three campgrounds. http://www.nchistorichundred.com/home-geographic-regions/region-three-southeast-coastal-plain/carteret/

Croatan National Forest

The Croatan Sound is one of the smaller sounds on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It connects Pamlico Sound with Albemarle Sound and is bordered on the east by Roanoke Island. Roanoke Sound is on the other side of the island. Two bridges cross Croatan Sound, the Umstead Bridge and the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge which carries U. S. route 64. www.usends.com

Location of the Croatan Sound Estuary

• Estuaries come in all shapes and sizes and go by many different names, often known as bays, lagoons, harbors, inlets, or sounds. (Note not all water bodies by those names are necessarily estuaries. The defining feature of an estuary is the mixing of fresh and salt water, not the name.) http://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/estuaries.html

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with the salty sea water. Estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea, and from fresh to salt water. Although influenced by the tides, estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an estuary's seaward boundary.

What is an estuary?

• The tidal, sheltered waters of estuaries support unique communities of plants and animals, specially adapted for life at the margin of the sea. Estuarine environments are among the most productive on earth, creating more organic matter each year than comparably-sized areas of forest, grassland, or agricultural land. Many different habitat types are found in and around estuaries, including shallow open waters, freshwater and salt marshes, sandy beaches, mud and sand flats, rocky shores, oyster reefs, mangrove forests, river deltas, tidal pools, sea grass and kelp beds, and wooded swamps.

• The productivity and variety of estuarine habitats foster a wonderful abundance and diversity of wildlife. Shore birds, fish, crabs and lobsters, marine mammals, clams and other shellfish, marine worms, sea birds, and reptiles are just some of the animals that make their homes in and around estuaries. These animals are linked to one another and to an assortment of specialized plants and microscopic organisms through complex food webs and other interactions. http://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/estuaries.html

http://vidaecorganica.blogspot.com/2011/02/los-humedales-costeros-cuencas.html

Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea. They are fascinating and beautiful ecosystems distinct from all other places on earth.

Importance of the Croatan Sound Estuary

The Croatan National Forest's 160,000 acres have pine forests, saltwater estuaries, bogs and raised swamps called pocosins. Bordered on three sides by tidal rivers and the Bogue Sound, the forest is defined by water.

All this water provides a variety of recreation and diversity of wildlife- from deer, black bears and turkeys to wading birds, ospreys and alligators. Canoeing and fishing are popular on blackwater creeks and saltwater marshes. The Croatan is also home to the carnivorous Venus fly-trap, sunder and pitcherplant.

The Croatan National Forest has one Ranger District, the Croatan Ranger District. Please contact the District for more information. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48466

• Estuaries are a type of environmental filter as plants and animals in estuaries filter pollutants out of the water. Particles in the water are either removed by chemical processes (aerobic respiration, sulfate reduction, methanogenesis) or by the feeding of estuarine animals and bacteria. For instance, salt marsh plants trap some of the chemicals and pathogens carried by rivers and move them into soils where they can be neutralized. Oysters filter impurities out of water as they eat, collecting the contaminants in their bodies. One oyster can filter twenty-five gallons of water per day. Bacteria eat organic matter found in the sediment and in turn release carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfate and methane into the atmosphere preventing these gases from being excessively stored up in the estuary. However, toxins can accumulate in estuaries causing many environmental and health problems. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/544?ref=search

Spotted sea trout, red drum fish, and pink shrimp spend their early lives among the underwater plants, and predators such as flounder and rays hunt there. Bay scallops attach to the blades of plants. Spots, croakers, mullets, and sturgeon feed on algae and tiny animals on the soft floor of the estuary. Flounder, shrimp, and kingfish hatch there, and clams and worms burrow into the mud and sand.

Migratory birds, including tundra swans, sea ducks, and snow geese, winter along the estuary. Egrets and herons fish in the salt marshes. Loggerhead sea turtles hatch on the beach and head out to Pamlico Sound to feed. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/544?ref=search

Many birds and animals in danger of extinction depend on North Carolina’s estuaries.

Plants of the Croatan Sound Estuary

Spike grass is a short grass species that grows near and around marshland. It is the most common type of grass along the shoreline of estuaries. Cordgrass can often be found in areas of low elevation in the marsh. The flowering stalks resemble wheat and are arranged along one side of the stalk. http://excitingfacts.weebly.com/estuary-plants.html

Sea lavender plants are farthest away from the water in estuary biomes.

Purple loosestrife lives in marshland and near the shoreline.

• Two rare sea turtle species come ashore to lay eggs on ocean beaches of the Pasquotank River Basin: loggerhead and green turtles, which are both federally listed as threatened species. The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, which is federally listed as endangered, is occasionally seen in sounds. The federally endangered hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles are rare visitors to the sounds. The West Indian manatee can be seen occasionally in North Carolina’s inlets, estuaries and rivers between June and October. Manatees’ tendency to rest near the surface of the water makes them vulnerable to boat propellers. http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/Documents/RiverBasin_pdfs/final_web_pasquotank.pdf

Animals of the Croatan Sound Estuary

Left to right: black bear, deer, raccoon, alligator, white egret, blue heron, osprey, and wild turkey.Photos courtesy of Flickr, Wikipedia and Creative Commons.

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV)and animal life below the surface

• Atlantic Ocean• Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway• Currituck Sound• Albemarle Sound• Croatan Sound• Roanoke Sound• Oregon Inlet• Pamlico Sound• Hatteras Inlet• Onslow Bay• Raleigh Bay• Ocracoke Inlet• Core Sound• Drum Inlet• Barden Inlet• Back Sound• New Inlet• Isabel Inlet• Map courtesy of Flickr

Rivers, streams and waterways of the Croatan Sound Estuary

• Excessive Nutrients• Nutrients are substances which help plants and animals grow. Two nutrients, nitrogen

and phosphorous, are present in plant fertilizer and wastes from animals and people. Rain can wash fertilizer from lawns and fields into streams and the Sounds. This type of pollution is called "nonpoint source" since it does not come from a single point, but it is from water running off a large land area. Sewage treatment plants and leaky septic systems can also add nutrients to the water. When pollution comes from a single point, such as an outfall pipe, it is called "point source" pollution.

• When too many nutrients get into the water, they disturb the natural balance by allowing too much algae (microscopic plants) to grow. The algae cloud the water and block vital sunlight to underwater plants (submerged aquatic vegetation or SAV). When the algae die and decay, they use up much of the oxygen needed by fish and shellfish, often killing them. https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

Threats to the Croatan Sound Estuary

• Toxics are chemicals that can cause cancer (carcinogens) or other harmful effects. Their effects can be immediate such as a poison, or occur very slowly such as with cancer. Streams and rivers are very effective at hiding the effects of poisons. Often the fish that are killed are not seen. They may be small and hard to see or eaten by turtles, snakes, crabs, or other scavengers. Modern pesticides (i.e., chemicals used to kill animals, insects, or plants) used on lawns and fields are very poisonous but, fortunately, they break down much more quickly than older pesticides such as DDT. Because these modem pesticides are toxic they should not be used near rivers or streams or along roads with storm drains which lead to a stream. Cancer-causing substances enter our rivers from municipal sewage treatment plants or industrial discharges and sometimes from nonpoint source discharges. Although we are usually exposed to low concentrations of carcinogens, there are thousands of cancer-causing agents. The cumulative effects of these agents is not fully understood. https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

Toxic Materials

• Every time it rains around the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed, water erodes the land. The precious soil which washes away into streams is called sediment. Sediments are carried downstream and may eventually enter the Sounds, where they settle out of the water and cover the bottom.

• Sediments can harm Sound life in several ways. Sediment particles pick up toxic materials on their surface and concentrate them on the bottom of the Sound. Floating or suspended sediment clouds the water, cutting off light to SAV. Excess sediment smothers clams, oysters, and other bottom dwellers.

• https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

Erosion and Sedimentation

• An animal s habitat is its home. Habitat provides shelter, food, water, and space. As more and more people come to live and work around the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, more and more habitat is being lost. Some animals, such as squirrels, can adapt to these changes and learn to coexist with humans. But many others, such as black bears, bald eagles, and black ducks, do not adapt well to change. Habitat damage and loss can decrease a population of plants or animals or even cause extinction.

• Wetlands, one of the most important types of habitat, are threatened all around the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed. They are filled in for development, drained for agriculture, or dredged for marinas. Pollution has degraded water quality in the Sounds and their rivers, resulting in declines of important SAV and scallops.

• https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

Habitat Loss

• City Sewage Treatment Plants: Due to an increase in population, many sewage treatment plants receive more wastewater than they have been designed to handle. Often this leads to discharge of poorly treated sewage into our rivers and streams.

• Industry: Treating wastewater to the extent that it does not harm the environment takes a special effort. Certain industries do excellent jobs of cleaning their wastewater, but others do not. Since industries release tens of millions of gallons of wastewater into our rivers every day, proper treatment is essential.

What creates these problems?

• Agriculture and Forestry: Farms and forestry operations that allow sediment or pesticides to enter our rivers and streams, or that infringe upon wetlands, damage our estuary. • Development: Runoff during construction and from parking lots should be controlled to prevent erosion. Wetland areas should be preserved; they do not make good locations for homes and shopping centers. • Consumers: Most environmental problems are ultimately caused by the consumer. Industry and business must make a profit to provide jobs. We, as individuals, can help by doing our share. We can buy environmentally sound products such as brown paper; do without immaculate lawns which require fertilizers and pesticides; and do not waste water.• https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

• The Sounds depend on us for life just as we depend on the Sounds. Therefore, it is extremely important that we exercise great care with our actions. We must become responsible citizen caretakers of the Croatan watershed in order to restore and preserve our natural neighborhood.

How Can I help?

• Conserve water. Take short showers; run dish and clothes washers only when full; and place a plastic bottle in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water flushed.

•Make certain your septic system is working well and is not overflowing.

•Use household chemicals and pesticides carefully. Choose the least toxic material, and buy only what you need. Follow instructions, and dispose of leftovers carefully.

•Plant vegetation along streams to prevent soil erosion and to absorb excess nutrients from fertilizers.

• Recycle used oil, paper, aluminum cans, and glass.

• Use a sewage pump-out station on land to empty boat toilets.

• Observe posted boat speed limits. Large wakes from boats can erode shorelines and banks.

• Clean up debris and trash from a local stream to improve stream flow and water quality.

https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html

Here’s how I can help.

• http://www.outerbanks.com/croatan-sound.html• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatan_Sound• https://www.fws.gov/nc-es/edout/albewhatwrong.html• http://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/estuaries.html• http://vidaecorganica.blogspot.com/2011/02/los-humedales-coste

ros-cuencas.htm• http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48466• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/544?ref=search• http://excitingfacts.weebly.com/estuary-plants.html• http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/Documents/RiverBasin_pdfs/final

_web_pasquotank.pdf• Photos courtesy of Flickr, Wikipedia and Creative Commons.

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