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Estuaries
Overview
Approximately 10,900,000 hectares of the U.S. coastline is estuarine, a semi-enclosed coastal body of water, with a salinity gradient measurable from its freshwater drainage to its ocean entrance. Bay and estuarine systems are among the most productive ecosystems on earth; however, many estuarine systems are experiencing a decline in productivity. NCCOS is currently seeking to check the status of the Nations estuaries, understand the factors involved in any decline, and develop methodologies for restoring estuarine habitats. CSCOR, through its Climate Change, Impacts of Land Use, Harmful Algal Blooms, and Hypoxia and Nutrient Pollution programs is helping understand the factors involved in any decline of the nation’s estuaries and develop methodologies for restoring estuarine habitats.