CHESAPEAKE BAY
Chesapeake as an Estuary
An .
estuary is a semi-enclosed
body of water that has a free
connection with the sea
Chesapeake as an Estuary
Estuaries have more food for
organisms, but the organisms
usually have to deal with large
temperature and salinity
changes, high silt content and
pollution.
Why do you think high silt
would be a problem for marine
organisms?
Hint How does
this organism
get its food?
Many marine organisms are
filter feeders so silt can be a
major problem.
Many of these filter feeders are
important as food to humans.
Colonization of Estuaries
Estuaries are regions of
transition and sharp gradients.
Estuaries support fauna
recruited mostly from the sea
The number of species in an
estuary is greatly reduced, but
the number of individuals is
large.
What does that mean? Can you
explain that last statement?
The Answer
For those
organisms that
can survive the
problems of the
estuary, there is
a great deal of
food.
The Answer
These
organisms
tend to be in
large
numbers.
Estuary Types
The Chesapeake Bay is a drowned
river valley. This is the most
common type of estuary. It was
formed during the last ice age
some 12,000 – 18,000 years ago.
Estuary Types
The Chesapeake Bay is a drowned river
valley. This is the most common type of
estuary. It was formed during the last ice
age some 12,000 – 18,000 years ago.
There are other types of estuaries. Can
you name any of them?
Bar-Built Estuaries
These are
found where
sand bars and
barrier islands
form.
Bar-Built Estuaries
The shallow
water behind
these barrier
islands forms
low salinity
estuaries.
Tectonic Estuaries
These
estuaries
form where
land sank or
subsided.
Tectonic Estuaries
Agood
example of
this type of
estuary is San
Francisco
Bay.
Do you know the name
of the last type of
estuary?
Think Ice!
Fjords!
Fjordswere
created when
retreating
glaciers cut
deep in the
earth.
Fjords!
Where in the
United States
might we find
fjords?
Facts About The Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest
estuary in the United States.
The bay is shallow. Can you guess
its average depth?
106 ft.
56 ft
32 ft.
21 ft.
14ft.
9ft.
THE ANSWER!
21feet is the correct answer.
The deepest spot in the bay is
174 feet near Annapolis Md.
A watershed is the
drainage area for the bay.
Can you name the 6 states
that make up the watershed
of the Chesapeake Bay?
Virginia
Maryland
West Virginia
Delaware
New York
Pennsylvania
Can you name the 5 major
rivers that flow into the bay?
From South to
North
James
York
Rappahannock
Potomac
Susquehanna
Which of those 5 rivers
contributes the most fresh
water to the bay?
The Susquehanna River
provides about 50% of the fresh
water coming into the Bay.
The river empties an average of
19 million gallons of water per
minute.
Can you name a mammal that is
named after the Bay?
Thinkyou
know?
The
Chesapeake
Bay Retriever
The Bay area is home to over
15,000,000 people!
About
50,000
commercial
vessels enter
the Bay each
year.
The Bay area is home to over
15,000,000 people!
All these
people and
activities
put a strain
on the Bay
ecology.
Bay Organisms
TheBay is home to over
3600 living organisms!
Marsh Dwellers
Marsh dwellers
are located in
and around
marshes. They
include small
fish, birds, and
marsh grasses.
SAV Communities
Submerged
Aquatic
Vegetation
Communities are
important for
many reasons.
They include
ducks, crabs,
and eelgrass.
Plankton Community
The plankton
community
includes the
drifters of the
Bay.
Plankton Community
Itincludes
phytoplankto
n, bacteria,
and
zooplankton.
Benthic Communities
Benthicrefers
to the bottom
of the Bay.
Benthic
organisms
include oysters,
clams,
barnacles, and
mud crabs.
Nekton Communities
Nekton refers
to the
swimmers of
the Bay.
Nekton Communities
Croaker,
Spot, and
menhaden
use shallow
water in the
Bay as a
nursery
