Roanoke Sound
Maddie Norr
Importance of Estuaries
Estuaries provide many habitats for animals, stabilize shorelines, and control erosion. They protect places from floods and even bring nutrients from nearby watersheds. Best of all, they filter pollutants found in the water.
Plant and Animals found in the Roanoke Sound
- Long tailed Duck
- White-tailed deer
- Black needle rush
- Cat-tails
- pine trees
- crepe Myrtles
- river otters
- sea turtles
Threats to Estuaries
- Dredging for boats to be able pass though causes clouds of sediment to build up and can clog fish's gills.
- sea levels are rising due to global warming and threatening swamp forests.
- High levels of nutrients are also a threat. They produce algae growth. Algae growth blocks sunlight causing other plants to not grow well.
- Excess toxins create plant overgrowth and cause fish to suffacate because they take up too much oxygen
The Pamlico Sound and the Albemarie Sound join with the Roanoke Sound. The Atlantic Intracoastal waterway feeds into Roanoke Sound.