Croatan Sound
Jadelyn Lathrop
Location of the Croatan Sound
The Croatan Sound is located between Roanoke Island, the towns of Wanchese and Manteo. It separates them from the mainland.
the importance of estuaries
Estuaries are important natural places. They provide goods and services that are economically and ecologically indispensable. Often called nurseries of the sea (USEPA, 1993), estuaries provide vital nesting and feeding habitats for many aquatic plants and animals.
Animals and rivers
Various animals call this beautiful estuary home such as ducks, geese and other fowl that flock there. It also was once a marsh with pines, wood thickets and smaller beaches.
Rivers
The Croatan sound is fed by the Albermarle's many small streams causing the sound to be almost consistently moving.
Croatan Sound
Plantlife
Sundew in the Croatan nation Foresthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatan_National_Forest
Threats to this Estuary
Dredging of channels to allow large boats to pass through or dock damages plants and oyster beds and stirs up sediment that clouds the estuary water, and increases sediment deposition in the estuary creating a situation where more dredging has to occur to remove the accumulation. When sediment is suspended throughout the water, fishes’ gills can become clogged, contaminants previously settled in the soil are taken in by fish, and predators have a hard time seeing their prey. Fishing gear that digs into the floor of the estuary or channels cut for irrigation or flood control also increase water turbidity.
Croatan Sound Dolphins