 Buy
Books about Estuaries
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. Some familiar examples
of major estuaries include San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, Chesapeake
Bay, Boston Harbor, and Tampa Bay.
Salt Marshes are one typical habitat type occurring commonly in estuaries.
Salt marshes are particularly important because they are among the most
productive habitats on earth and are home to a wealth of plant and wildlife
species. Salt marshes are technically wetlands, but are included here
because they are a dominant component of many estuaries.
ESTUARIES
 The Oregon
Estuary Plan Book. Interrain Pacific. You want to know about estuaries?
Well you can't do any better than this online book on the estuaries of
Oregon. The site contains basic and advanced information on estuaries
including their formation and classification. You'll also find information
on land useage and shoreline planning. This book is for anyone interested
in estuaries and land use. Highly recommended.
An
Introduction to Estuaries. National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
An excellent introduction to estuaries, the ecosystems that surround them,
and the conflicting human uses of them.
The
Estuarine Ecosystem. Ecology of the Intertidal and Subtidal Areas.
An introduction to the ecological processes and interactions of salt marshes
and mudflats in the eastern United States. Recommended.
The Coastal
Program. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Coastal Program focuses
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts in bays, estuaries and watersheds
around the U.S. coastline. This site details this program and in addition
has sections on "What is a Coastal Ecosystem?" and "Why
is a Coastal Program Needed?".
An
Introduction to Estuaries. National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
An introduction to estuaries, their biology, and their importance.
What
is an Estuary? Restore America's Estuaries. A short introduction to
estuaries and their importance.
San Francisco Estuary Institute.
This site features a number of technical resources among which is the
very impressive "Field Sampling Manual for the Regional Monitoring
Program for Trace Substances". You'll also find maps of the San Francisco
Bay region, news related to estuaries, and fact sheets.
Volunter
Estuary Monitoring: A Methods Manual. Environmental Protection Agency.
A manual specifically designed for volunteers to assist in monitoring
the environmental health of estuaries.
National
Estuary Program. Environmental Protection Agency. This site has some
basic information on estuaries and an estuaries newsletter.
Estuarine
Ecology. National Estuarine Research Reserve System. An introduction
to the ecology of estuaries.
SALT MARSHES
Tidal
Wetland Ecology of Long Island Sound. R.S. Warren and P.E. Fell. An
excellent general introduction to tidal wetland communities around Long
Island including salt marshes. You'll find a general description of salt
marsh ecology, the plants and animals, and the relationships betweeen
them.
Dynamics
of A Salt Marsh. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. A
nice introduction to salt marshes, their dynamics and biology, and the
importance of their conservation.
Assateague
Plants of the Bay-side Salt Marsh Area. The Assateague Naturalist.
Use this site to find out about the plants that occur in a salt marsh
in Virginia.
Salt Marsh
Restoration in New Hampshire. Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The restoration of degraded salt marshes is the topic of this web site.
Several restoration projects in New Hampshire are discussed with information
on the steps taken to return each to a more natural condition. The site
is very slow to download.
Tidal
Marshes of Long Island Sound. Glenn D. Dreyer and Willian Niering.
An excellent bulletin from the Connecticut College Arboretum on all aspects
of Tidal Marshes including their development, evolution, and ecology.
The presentation also includes information on marsh restoration and the
human effects on Tidal Marshes. Recommended.
The
Salt Marsh, New York, N.Y. Studio Ecology. A short introduction to
salt marshes and their restoration in New York City.
Salt
Marshes. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. A short introduction
to the Salt Marsh habitat in Florida.
Salvage
a Salt Marsh. Canadian Wildlife Federation. A list of suggested plants
for restoration of salt marshes in Canada.
The
Ecology of Salt Marsh Plant Communities. Mark Bertness. A short bibliography
of references on salt marsh plant communities.
|
Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc. 1999. All rights
reserved.