Overview
Approximately 10,900,000 hectares of the U.S. coastline is estuarine,
a semi-enclosed coastal body of water, with a salinity gradient measurable
from its freshwater drainage to its ocean entrance. Bay and estuarine
systems are among the most productive ecosystems on earth; however,
many estuarine systems are experiencing a decline in productivity.
NCCOS is currently seeking to check the status of the Nations estuaries,
understand the factors involved in any decline, and develop methodologies
for restoring estuarine habitats. CSCOR, through its Climate
Change, Impacts
of Land Use, Harmful
Algal Blooms, and Hypoxia
and Nutrient Pollution programs is helping understand the factors
involved in any decline of the nation’s estuaries and develop
methodologies for restoring estuarine habitats.