The Pamlico Sound Esturary
Located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
What's so important about estuaries?
Estuaries provide a protected environment and an abundant food supply, making them a perfect location for young sea creatures to grow and reproduce.
What kind of organisms live there?
There are over 150 different species of organisms that live in North Carolina's estuaries. Some animals that live there include, loggerhead sea turtles, red drum fish, oysters, clams, pink shrimp, and many more.
Where does this water come from?
The Pamlico sound has many different water ways that feed into it, making it the largest estuary in North Carolina. Among these different waterways are the Neuse and Pamlico rivers, along with the Hatteras and Ocracoke Inlets, and many more.
Threats?
Some of the land around many estuaries in North Carolina is being developed for building and human purposes, which causes a change in the flow of water in these ecosystems, which can cause a problem for many organisms. Another is that is currently facing these estuaries is global warming that can cause the sea level to rise, which can cause flooding and a lot of destruction for these environments. These are just a couple of the many threats that are currently facing our state's estuaries.