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- Algae. Plants
without roots that grow in estuaries and "feed" on nutrients
(such as nitrogen and phosphorus) in the water.
- Algae blooms.
Occurs when algae grows very fast because too many nutrients enter
the water. Algae blooms color the water a deep red-brown.
- Barrier island.
Refers to a long, narrow island running parallel to the mainland,
built up by waves and currents and protecting the coast from erosion
by surf and tidal surges.
- DDT. A group of
colorless chemicals, no longer made today, that was used to kill
insects. DDT is toxic to people and animals when swallowed or
absorbed through the skin.
- Drought. A period
without rain that can damage crops such as wheat and corn.
- Ecosystem.
A community of plants and animals, like a neighborhood.
- Endangered species.
A plant or animal that is in immediate danger of becoming extinct
and needs protection to survive.
- Erosion. The
process where soil and other matter are worn away by rain, stream
currents, and wind.
- Estuary. A partially
closed coastal body of water where freshwater and saltwater mix.
- Fertilizers.
Substances, such as chemicals or animal manure, used to provide
nutrients to help plants grow. Many people use fertilizers on
their lawns and gardens.
- Fisheries. A
place where large numbers of fish are caught.
- Fish kills. Refers
to large numbers of fish being killed, usually because there is
not enough oxygen in the water or because of a chemical spill.
- Food chain.
The relationship between who eats whom among plants and animals.
- Freshwater.
Refers to water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, underground streams,
and other sources. Water is continually lifted from the oceans
by evaporation and then returned to the land as ice, snow, or
rain. Ice and snow melt from mountains to release freshwater to
our rivers, streams, lakes, and to resupply underground streams.
- Habitat. The
place in which a plant or animal normally lives.
- Heavy metals.
A group of highly toxic metals that are generally harmful to plants
and animals.
- Hypoxia. A condition
where there isn't enough oxygen in the water. This forces fish
to either swim away or die and can suffocate plants living in
the water. Hypoxia occurs when there are too many nutrients in
the water.
- Nonpoint source.
Refers to pollution that enters estuaries from many places, such
as when rainwater washes over parking lots, lawns, or farms and
brings pollutants from all these sources into the estuary.
- Nutria. Animals
with reddish brown and black fur, webbed feet, orange front teeth
that stick out, and long tails. Nutria live throughout Louisiana
in coastal swamps, brackish marshes, ponds, streams, rivers, and
lakes. They eat plants and grass and can grow up to 4 feet long.
- Nutrients.
Refers to the "food" that plants need in order to grow.
Examples include nitrogen and phosphorus. Too many nutrients in
the water can cause problems in an estuary, such as hypoxia.
- Pathogens.
Tiny disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses, fungi, and
bacteria.
- Pesticides.
Chemicals used to destroy or control plant, fungus, or animal
pests.
- Point source.
Refers to pollution that enters estuaries from a single point,
such as a factory pipe.
- Reefs. Skeleton-like
ecosystems made up of colonies of limestone-producing, living
animals. Coral reefs tell us about water quality and the health
of an estuary.
- Runoff. Water
that flows across the surface of the land and empties into a body
of water.
- Seawater. Water
that comes from the ocean and is very salty.
- Sediment. Mud,
sand, silt, clay, shell debris, and other particles that settle
on the bottom of rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans. Sedimentation
refers to the build up of sediment.
- Septic systems.
Systems that carry wastewater away from our homes when we turn
on a faucet or flush a toilet.
- Sewage. The wastewater
generated by people in homes and businesses.
- Sewage treatment plants.
Places where wastewater is treated with chemicals and bacteria
to produce clean water that can be returned to rivers and other
waterways.
- Shellfish.
An animal such as a mollusk (clams, oysters, and snails) or crustacean
(crabs and shrimp) that have a shell or shell-like external skeleton.
- Stormwater.
Refers to rainwater as well as water from washing cars, overwatering
lawns, and other sources. Stromwater washes down storm drains
on the curbs of roads and leads directly into lakes, rivers, and
streams untreated. Stormwater can carry pollution directly into
our natural water resources.
- Tides. The rise
and fall of ocean waters produced by the gravitational pull of
the moon and the sun.
- Threatened species.
A plant or animal that is likely to become endangered if not protected.
- Watershed.
The area of land that drains into a particular body of water.
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