11.3 - Bays and Estuaries - Value

11.3 - Bays and Estuaries - Value

Destination Texas

Coastal barrier islands and wetlands provide habitat and protection from storms for millions of migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and neotropical migratory birds from throughout the western hemisphere.​

Multiple Choice

Coastal _______ _______ and wetlands provide habitat and protection from storms for millions of migrating bird species.

• estuary tides

• barrier islands

• oxbow lakes

• resaca ciengegas

Destination Texas -Migratory Birds

• Redhead duck- over 75% of the world’s population winters in the Laguna Madre 

• Whooping crane- endangered and one of the rarest birds in the world

  •  feed almost exclusively on blue crab, but crabs in the bay are dependent on the amount of freshwater inflow from the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers. Low inflows already have resulted in loss of cranes. 

• Roseate Spoonbills

• Reddish Egrets

• Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle- our barrier islands are nesting areas for the critically endangered turtle

Multiple Choice

Over 75 % of the world's population of this species is found in the Laguna Madre.

• Whooping crane

• Reddish Egrets

• Redhead duck

• Kemp's Ridley Sea Turt

Multiple Choice

This bird found in Texas' coast is one of the rarest in the world.

• Whooping crane

• Redhead Duck

• Reddish Egrets

• Roseate Spoonbills

Importance of Bays and Estuaries

• ​More than one-third of Texas’ population and about 70% of our industry and jobs are located within 100 miles of the coast.

• Texas has 10 large seaports and over 420 miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. 

  • This waterway is like a giant highway for ships.

Multiple Choice

More than _ of Texas' population is found within 100 miles of the coast.

• 1/4

• 1/2

• 1/3

• 2/3

Multiple Choice

How many large seaports does Texas have?

• 1

• 5

• 7

• 10

Importance of Bays and Estuaries

• Texas estuaries annually produce over 100 million pounds of seafood valued at $150-to-$250 million per year. 

• Saltwater recreational fishing generates an estimated $2 billion and coastal tourism provides $5.4 billion in economic activity annually. 

  • Tourism is the third largest industry in Texas, after oil and gas production and agriculture. Nature lovers from all over the world visit the Texas coast just to see rare species. 

  • Tourism for just the whooping crane alone results in over $6 million to Texas’ coastal economy.​

Multiple Choice

Texas estuaries annually produce over ___ million pounds of seafood

• 10

• 25

• 100

• 300

Multiple Choice

Saltwater recreational fishing generates an estimated $_ billion

• 1

• 2

• 5

• 9

Multiple Choice

Tourism is the _ largest industry in Texas.

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 5th

• 6th

Importance of Bays and Estuaries

• About 50% of Texas’ coastal wetlands have been filled in, eroded away, or otherwise destroyed. 

• Up to 60% of the seagrass beds are gone, and over 50% of the oyster reefs no longer exist. 

​

Loss of bay and estuary habitat for aquatic species is the greatest threat to our coastal economies and marine life. 

​

Compounding the challenge is that our coastal region is one of the fastest-developing in the world and is vital to the economy of the United States.​

Multiple Choice

About _% of Texas’ coastal wetlands have been filled in, eroded away, or otherwise destroyed.

• 10

• 25

• 50

• 75

Multiple Choice

Up to _% of the seagrass beds are gone, and over _% of the oyster reefs no longer exist.

• 50 / 60

• 45 / 50

• 50 / 50

• 60 / 50