PRESENTATION OUTLINE
•An estuary is a place where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with the saltwater from the sea.
•The point in the estuary where the two waters meet differs as the water flows forwards and backwards with tidal movement.
WHY ARE ESTUARIES IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS
Estuaries are important ecosystems as they provide homes for many animals and plants, they also provide food for other organisms.
WHAT FACTORS ARE USED TO DETERMINE THE HEALTH OF ONE
Some factors that are used to determine the health of and estuary ecosystem, are the water quality, how many animals and plants live there and how much pollution there is.
WHAT FACTORS CAN INFLUENCE THE HEALTH OF AN ESTUARY
Factors that can influence or impact the health of an estuary are, human impacts such as pollution, urbanisation and deforestation.
NATURAL ESTUARY AND ARTIFICIAL ESTUARY
The main differences between the artificial and the natural estuarine habitat are the amount of animal life there is, there is also a lot of micro algae in the artificial habitat. The other difference is that the natural habitat has many more trees.
WHY ARE ESTUARIES BROWN IN COLOUR
Estuaries are brown in colour as sediment form the land s transported into the water, these then lowers the light levels in the water.
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF HIGH LEVELS OF TURBIDITY AND NUTRIENTS
The negative impacts of high levels of turbidity and nutrients can affect the estuary as, too many nutrients act like a fertiliser making phytoplankton grow out of control and create an algal bloom.
WHAT IS THE SEQ HEALTY WATERWAYS PARTNERSHIP
The SEQ Healthy Waterways Partnership is a partnership between the government, industry, researchers and the community. They are responsible for keeping our estuaries healthy and protect their values.
ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC FACTORS IN LODERS CREEK
Some abiotic and biotic factors that are in this ecosystem are: Trees, bushes, grass, fish, birds and bugs.
LODERS CREEK ENERGY SOURCE
The energy source that produces the most energy for Loders Creek is the sun light.
CURRENT CONDITION OF LODERS CREEK
The current condition of Loders Creek is quite terrible as there is lots of rubbish such as bottles and plastic in and around the water.
Loders creek is 8.3km long and spends from Morten bay to the ocean.
The Lodus Creek Catchment Management Group was established in 1994
They assist in maintaining the health of Loders Creek by constructing nature trails, storm water education booklets, brochures and board games, they also undertake fauna surveys of the catchments. Other things they do is host work for the dole projects to undertake restoration along the creeks.
A few ways I could reduce negative impacts upon Loders Creek are: Picking up rubbish whenever I see it around and stop littering.
WATER QUALITY PARAMETER - DEFINITIONS
Ph- pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. A difference of one pH unit is equivalent to a ten-fold change in acidity or alkalinity. An acceptable pH range for an estuary is between 7 and 9 according to the ANZECC guidelines. It is important to know when monitoring long term that a shift of 1 pH unit is quite significant.
Salinity- Salinity is a measure of the salt content of water. Salinity levels vary along an estuary depending on the mixing of freshwater and saltwater at a site. Generally, salinity increases along a coastal stream as it gets closer to the river mouth, where tidal influences are strongest.
Dissolved oxygen- dissolved oxygen is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. Oxygen dissolves in surface water due to the aerating action of winds.
Phosphate- a slat or ester of phosphoric acid, containing PO43'or a related anion or q group such as OPO(OH)2
Turbidity- Turbidity is the cloudiness or muddiness of water. In general the more suspended, solid material there is in water, the higher the water’s turbidity and the lower its clarity. Suspended material can be particles of clay, silt, sand, algae, plankton and other substances.
