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Sponge?
An estuary soaks up water. As excess rains flood rivers and
streams, wetlands form to absorb water that may otherwise flood
dry living areas needed by both animals and people. |
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Hotel?
As birds migrate hundreds and thousands of miles across North
America, they stop in marshes and estuaries to eat and rest
before continuing on their journey. |
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Egg
beater? A coastal wetland is a place for nutrient-rich freshwater
from a river or stream to mix with saltwater from the bays.
As plants photosynthesize, oxygen is added to the mix. Fishes
and shellfish take advantage of this life-giving soup. |
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Cradle?
An estuary provides a protective haven for young animals: plenty
of food and places to hide from predators. Seagrasses and other
vegetation give cover. |
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Strainer?
The grasses of an estuary act like a sieve. Soil, branches,
leaves, and even trash that has washed into the estuary are
strained. This allows cleaner water to pass on downstream and
into the Gulf of Mexico. |
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Cereal?
Plants absorb nutrients and help cycle them through the food
web. As the grasses of the estuaries decay, or rot, a nutritious
food for animals and fertilizer for other plant life are supplied.
|
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Soap?
Estuaries trap, neutralize, and decompose sewage and other wastes.
Excess nutrients and chemical toxins are absorbed as well. Through
chemical reactions and processing by plants, water is cleaned
before it passes downstream. |
