The Pamlico Sound Estuary
ITS THE BIGGEST ONE IN NC!!!
So... Where is it located????
The Pamlico Sound estuary is located in North Carolina, from Manteo to Dare county on the coast, out to Portsmouth Island. Are these counties not ringing a bell? Well, lets just say if you've been to the Outer Banks, chances are high that you have more than likely saw this estuary. Check out the picture of its location next to this paragraph!!
Img Source: http://www.outerbanks.com/pamlico-sound.html
Another question: Why are estuaries even important?
Estuaries are largely important because they help to prevent erosion and flooding of the main land. On top of the added protection they provide, they also offer a safe place for certain fish and other sea life to lay eggs and/or nest their young. Think thats all? Well, it's not. Estuaries also provide some of the best places for us humans to fish due to their welcoming conditions for many types of fish.
These are some of the plants and animals found in the Pamlico Sound Estuary!
Red Drum Fish
Oysters
Striped Bass
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Three rivers that flow into this estuary are the Chowan, Roanoke, and Neuse rivers!
Threats to our North Carolinian estuaries!
One threat to Pamlico Sound is the global warming and the rising sea level. Some scientists have predicted that these rising levels could turn the Pamlico Sound estuary into more of a bay if the levels continue to rise over the barrier islands. Another harm to the estuary is that stormwater runoff often times goes into it, carrying many chemicals and other pollutants which can harm the wild life. Not only does this harm wildlife, but it also causes some fish to be uneatable for us humans due to their exposure. Finally, the Pamlico Sound is threatened by overfishing. If people fish more than law provides them to, they can put species in danger as they go to the estuary to develop their young.
Img Source:
http://images.the-scientist.com/content/figures/images/yr2000/oct02/pamlico2.jpg