Temperate+Salt+Marsh+Estuary

=__Temperate Salt Marsh Estuary__=

Temperates salt marsh estuaries can be found on coastlines throughout the globe, primarily in higher latitudes, like the United States, Europe, and New Zealand. They have brackish waters that are subject to changes in temperature and salinity because freshwater from streams, rivers, etc. are combining with salt water from the ocean in these areas. The constant inundation of new water deposits sediment and nutrients, which results in a high biodiversity.

Native Species


Native species of temperate salt marsh estuaries include:
 * Ospreys
 * Fiddler Crabs
 * Sparrows
 * Shrimp
 * Herons
 * Clams
 * Cord Grass

Pictured: a Fiddler Crab

Non-native Species


Reed phragmite australis is an invasive type of reed that is crowding out natural species of feeds.



Nutria, another invasive species, are a rat-like animal that was introduced to the United States from South America in the 1930s. They damage vegetation and habitats in salt marsh estuaries.

==Ospreys are considered an indicator species in these biomes, because they are at the top of the food chain, and therefore are easily affected by disturbances in the food chain. Ospreys are also considered a keystone species because of their position on the food chain. They are major predators in this biome. They feed on a large number of fish species, and so help control the populations of fish. ==

Interspecies Competition Avoidance
A type of adaptaion to avoid interspecies competition is that most temperate salt-water marsh estuary birds have differant size beaks so that they can each reach differant depths to eat there food. Another adaptaion is that birds will prefer differant types of food; from insects to fish to crustaceans.

Predator-Prey Relationship
Ospreys feed on many different species of fish that live in the water of temperate salt marsh estuaries. The ospreys slowly fly around over the water, looking for fish to attack. Once they spot a fish, they dive to the surface of the water from 30 to 100 feet up, and use their curved claws, equipped with rotating talons, to grab the fish out of the water.

Symbolic Relationship in Temperate Salt Marsh Estuaries
A type of parasite plant, the salt-marsh dodder (//Cuscuta salina//), attaches to plants such as pickleweed (//Salicornia virginica//). The dodder does not undergo photosynthesis and feeds off the nutrients from its host.

=Ocean County College gets $400,000 in grants to study Barnegat Bay=

The Environmental Protection Agency will be granting the Ocean County College money to study the conditions of Barnegat Bay, a temperate salt estuary in New Jersey. The study will measure things like the health of the plants, as a way of measuring the overall health of the ecological community. According the to article, Barnegat Bay was listed as one of the most heavily polluted estuaries by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The pollution causes an excessive algae growth, which blocks sea grasses from receiving enough sunlight. Mid-Atlantic wetlands have received little protection from any environmental agencies like the EPA. One fourth of Barnegat Bay's wetlands have been developed, and the Delaware Bay has lost wetlands due to rising water levels.

To read the entire article, click this link: [|Current Event Article]

Sources:
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/nutria.shtml http://www.ospreys.com/platform.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_marsh http://www.oceaninn.com/the-nature-preserve/248/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/osprey/ http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/ocean/article_e59f27e8-f44e-11df-b519-001cc4c002e0.html