Estuary Basics
Definition of an estuary ecosystem
What is a place where freshwater and saltwater mix?
The three habitats in an estuary.
What are wetlands, mudflats, and channels?
One species of marine bird or shorebird we saw while birdwatching. (Must be a specific species!)
What is ______?
Possible acceptable answers: snowy egret, great blue heron, mallard duck, ibis, seagull, etc.
An area of land that trains all streams and rainfall to a common outlet.
What is a watershed?
Definition of brackish water
What is water that is saltier than freshwater but less salty than seawater?
The term used to refer to a temperate wetland.
What is a salt marsh?
The physical adaptation that helps many species of marine birds and reptiles survive in saltwater.
What are salt glands?
DAILY DOUBLE
In the documentary we watched this unit, what was the main behavior the videographer wanted to capture in the Galapagos?
The name of our local estuary/watershed
What is Newport Bay?
Also acceptable: What is Back Bay?
The main type of vegetation in a tropical wetland.
What is a mangrove tree?
What is one feature of feathers that allows them to be waterproof?
What are interlocking barbs?
What are oil glands?
One main human-caused threat to estuaries.
What is urban runoff?
What is fertilizers/pesticides?
What is habitat destruction?
The event that caused the formation of most estuaries.
What is glacial melt after the ice age?
The main type of organism living in a mudflat.
What are benthic invertebrates and birds?
Also acceptable: phytoplankton
The name of the behavior of marine reptiles and many other marine species that allows them to control their body temperature.
What is thermoregulation?
The percentage of Southern California estuaries that remain intact. (Will accept within 5%)
What is 10%?
The relationship between biomass (the number of individuals) and biodiversity (the number of species) in most estuaries.
What is high biomass, lower biodiversity?
The percentage of commercial fish that use estuaries for nurseries. (Correct answer can be within 5%)
What is about 70%?
The chemical that nearly wiped out several local marine birds, including brown pelicans, bald eagles, and ospreys.
What is DDT?
The natural disaster that mangrove trees help protect against.
What is a tsunami?
What is a storm surge?
What is a hurricane?