When the Tide is Out, the Table is Set
That’s what the old timers would say and it meant you could dig for the many types of clams that make Puget Sound world famous for its good shellfish. But make sure you check local health advisories...
View ArticleOil in Estuaries
When we think about oil pollution in estuaries and along the coasts, many of us think of the giant oil rigs and big spills like the Deepwater Horizon spill last year. But most oil pollution is...
View ArticleLiving Shorelines
More than 85 percent of the Chesapeake Bay’s shoreline is privately owned. And most of that is lined with hardened bulkheads or riprap designed to protect waterfront property from erosion and sea level...
View ArticleNational Estuaries Day
Not all estuaries are created equal. Or at least there are different types of estuaries. Most scientists classify estuaries geomorphologically—that is, how were they formed and what is the end result...
View ArticleOysters: A Fall Treat
One commonly asked question is why oysters are traditionally eaten only during months with an “r” in them. There are two answers. One, earlier times lacked refrigeration and oysters spoil quickly in...
View ArticleRain Gardens – Miniature Marshes
Marshes, and particularly salt marshes, are renowned as “filters.” Streams and rivers flowing into marshes often carry large loads of sediment and silt which are trapped by marshes and used to build up...
View ArticleEstuary Plants and Animals are Adaptable
Despite being one of the most biologically productive areas on Earth—an acre of estuarine salt marsh is many times more fertile than an acre of the best farmland—living in an estuary isn’t easy. Plants...
View ArticleExplore Chesapeake Bay’s Tidal Rivers
Fall is a great time to explore the upper tidal portions of the Chesapeake’s rivers. Scientists classify these waters as tidal fresh, which sounds like an oxymoron but isn’t. In these areas,...
View ArticleSalt Marshes in Autumn
New England and other northerly points are renowned for the beauty of their fall leaves. Red, orange and gold foliage draws visitors from all over the country for peak viewing times. Salt marshes in...
View ArticleFreshwater Estuaries
The five Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario—have often been described as “inland seas” and “freshwater oceans.” Besides terminology, they have something else in common with oceans:...
View ArticleOysters in Galveston Bay
The current drought that Texas is suffering through is threatening the oysters of Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay needs freshwater to keep the salinity level of the Bay low to protect oyster reefs. Some...
View ArticleExtreme Weather Events
Severe weather events—hurricanes, flooding, tsunamis, storms and heat waves—can be bad news for estuaries. Strong storms, particularly hurricanes, tropical storms, and nor’easters, can wreak havoc on...
View ArticleWinter Flounder Have “Anti-Freeze”
Winter flounder are unique among fishes of the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Unlike most coastal marine fishes including salmon, shad and herring, winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes...
View ArticleWeather and Seasons Shape Estuaries
Estuaries may seem permanent and unchanging, but they are not. Weather patterns and seasonal cycles shape and affect estuaries. Winter storms and winds lash the coasts, raising waves that stir up and...
View ArticleEstuary or River?
Is the lower Hudson River really a river…or is it an estuary? The answer is both. In spring, rains and snow melt often force fresh water down the Hudson turning the tidal watercourse into an almost...
View ArticleSalmon and Estuaries
New research shows that estuaries are vital for salmon survival. Pacific salmon species—Chinook, Coho, sockeye, pink and chum, in particular—use intertidal marsh areas in estuaries as transition zones...
View ArticleWhale Watching: Thar She Blows!
Beginning in mid-April whales begin to arrive in the Gulf of Maine, many with newborn calves, to feast on plentiful sand eels, copepods, plankton and fish. Familiar visitors to Maine’s cold waters...
View ArticleSpring Rains and Galveston Bay
Spring rains mean that the historic drought in Texas may be over and that’s very good news for Galveston Bay. The multi-year drought reduced freshwater flow into the Bay from the Trinity River and...
View ArticleSummer Flounder
The Summer Flounder, Paralichthys Dentatus, is well named. Summer Flounder migrate inshore to shallow coastal and estuarine waters beginning in late spring and early summer to feed and spawn. Then, as...
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Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Chesapeake Bay
Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is critical to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Eelgrass (Zostera maritima) and other underwater plants form seagrass “meadows” in the Bay that support a wide variety of...
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