Unit 2: Estuaries Exam

Where is the largest estuary in the 48 contiguous United States?

• Great Lakes

• Gulf of Mexico

• Chesapeake Bay

• off the coast of Florida

When salt and fresh water mix, what is the new water substance called?

• Brackish Acid

• Fresh Water

• Salt Water

• Brackish Water

True or False:

Estuaries are the most productive Ecosystem/Biomes in the world

• False

• True

Bay, lagoon, harbor, inlet, and sound are other names for

• wetlands

• lakes

• bogs

• estuaries

The most common type of estuaries were formed when:

• Sea levels rose at the end of the last Ice Age

• A massive storm eroded the coastline causing saltwater intrusion

• a large meteor struck the Earth

• early civilizations began to build dams

Salinity in an estuary can fluctuate drastically. However, when moving UPSTREAM salinity will always ____________.

• increase

• decrease

• stay the same

Where would you find greater salinity in an estuary?

• on the surface of the water

• near the bottom

• somewhere in the middle

Here in the U.S. estuaries are nurseries to over ____ % of all fish and shellfish harvested.

• 99

• 10

• 75

• 100

What does the National Estuary Program do?

• Works to restore and maintain the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance.

• Regulate fishing in and around estuaries located in the United States.

• Provide meals for homeless people who live near estuaries.

• There is no National Estuary Program!

Are salinity levels in estuaries higher or lower than the open ocean?

• Higher

• Lower

• The same