“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder ... he needs the com- panionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” – Rachel Carson This activity book was made possible through a grant from the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), as part of its Living Coasts Program. CICEET works with NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System to develop tools for clean water and healthy coastal environments nationwide. Financial support for this publication was provided in part by grant number NA10NOS4200125 under the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD. Copies are available from the NC Coastal Reserve Headquarters Office 101 Pivers Island Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516 or www.nccoastalreserve.net. The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is a cooperative program between the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Coastal Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 00000 copies of this brochure were printed at a cost of or per copy. Introduction to Estuaries An estuary is the coastal ecosystem where fresh water flowing from the rivers meets the salty ocean water. In North Carolina we have 2.2 million acres of estaurine habitat. This is a nutrient rich environment that supports a great diversity and abundance of aquatic life. In fact, estuaries are called nursery habitat because many marine animals, such as fish and shrimp, start out their lives as eggs and juveniles in the estuary. Others, like dolphins, sharks and sea turtles use the estuaries as feeding areas or refuges. Much of the seafood that we eat relies upon having clean and healthy estuaries. The picture below shows how the conditions in an upstream watershed can effect the estuary. What are some of the factors upstream that can affect the estuary? Source image courtesy of Environment Waikato, New Zealand How Are You Connected To The Estuary? Twelve North Carolina rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Seven of these empty into estuaries along our state’s coastline. The other five rivers drain into different states. Estuaries come in many different shapes and sizes. They include a wide range of habitats including swamps, marshes, beaches and oyster reefs. In the northern part of the state, large sounds exist because of the barrier islands that formed far away from the mainland. Phoenix Mtn. Draw a star on the map where you live. 4690' C Mayo John H. Kerr Roanoke Rapids Dismal U r ALLEGHANY Lake R e Reservoir Reservoir Swamp R iv STOKES Lake CA IT R GATES U SURRY Hyco Gaston C NEW D ROCKINGHAM C h M C E a n Lake GRANVILLE NORTHAMPTON o P D K u ASHE r w A r e ROANOKE a n E r R iv i S N t e w R Q u N G i c s v U k W u n ta i n CASWELL CHOWAN e O a M o n r t to wn T a D a u r a Belews WARREN HERTFORD A u WATAUGA S PERSON N Which river basin are you in? g Lake a I VANCE K WATAUGA R e r . R i v HALIFAX Roan Mtn. WILKES in Lake P R d k Townsend PERQUIMANS a Ya Quaker s 6285' Lake Burlington R q o u W. Kerr Scott YADKIN Creek a o Grandfather Mtn. n t Reservoir Reservoir o CHOWAN a __________________________ 5964' s FORSYTH n S n k k a i e o n t FRANKLIN R u MITCHELL u GUILFORD i n o v d M TAR-PAMLICO d e N AVERY ORANGE BERTIE S o u n r o T l e r m a r th y a l be h DURHAM r NASH A T E r u s ALAMANCE F o e B r r e e v n R CALDWELL R i c iv e U ALEXANDER iv h r DAVIE e R C MADISON H Falls Lake r r YANCEY o a PASQUOTANK a L t B Mt. Mitchel w a r IREDELL r o n 6684' WASHINGTON o Mt. Sterling a Lake Hickor y t EDGECOMBE a d B Lake S g o Mt. Hardison 5835' Phelps TYRRELL i a l awb Rhodhiss B. Everett WAKE l u t Lake Hollow n a A 6134' P C R i DARE Looko ut Jordan MARTIN d i R DAVIDSON Ground Oregon g i D e v Lake Clingmans e FRENCH BROAD Shoals v e p e Swamp e o McDOWELL Lake Lake r r R Dome n i Pungo Lake s James BURKE v 6643' a in e New u n t BUNCOMBE S outh ROWAN Uwharrie Harris N r ay M o HAYWOOD High e WILSON Lake rw k y k Waterrock CATAWBA CHATHAM Reservoir u PITT te e a t S m o a r Rock RANDOLPH s a G r l P e W a tio n a Knob Lake N 6292' Cold Mtn. r L it Fontana Mountains M ountains iv e al tle Lake SWAIN 6030' CATAWBA R oast B Mt. Pisgah Tuckertown ntrac a Richland Lake I Lake LITTLE l 5721' Reservoir Badin s Balsam Lake Norman JOHNSTON BEAUFORT Mattamuskeet a LINCOLN Lake e i m R 6540' r GREENE Lure r T i v a NEUSE TENNESSE u P c e h Santeetlah k M RUTHERFORD e HYDE a o r e w LEE P a Lake s u B WAYNE m l GRAHAM T r CLEVELAND U ic o e e n o Mountain d n g t a D R iv n e a HENDERSON e r u Wayah N n d Kings Mountain Island e o e e i S a n POLK Reservoir e s CABARRUS Bald n s Lake CAPE FEAR t 5342' a s GASTON HARNETT e JACKSON h MONTGOMERY a R H e i BROAD MOORE o CHEROKEE l v STANLY c a i iw Nantahala e Gum Swamp l r R i S m a M TRANSYLVANIA v e Lake a Cape Hatteras s s Lake r R i v e r CRAVEN P e o MECKLENBURG Tillery L e Standing u HiwasseHIAe WASSE n MACON Lake R i v Indian Mtn. t L e CLAY R r a Wylie i i LENOIR 5499' n I Lake v s Chatuge s e k r YADKIN-PEE DEE H N n Lake o D Hatteras r r a SAVANNAH R t e Blewett Falls h PAMLICO iv i N R B v Lake HOKE SAMPSON e e A a r s JONES s e Ocraco t u RICHMOND S N e CUMBERLAND S o Long u Catsh t Lake ke UNION h W Lake ANSON DUPLIN Littel h Great it Lake Wolf Swamp e Lake SCOTLAND C d O n a u ONSLOW Lake Ellis Simon T o p a RE Drum k ARTE S e C R C BLADEN i F r a v e re p o Which rivers drain into the Atlantic Ocean? LUMBER e a e L e Bay Tree r C u r WHITE OAK m F b e Lake und t er a White S o r e u Lake B ogu Beau O __________________________________________________________ R Singletary Barden iv e Lake PENDER ROBESON r Bogu Cape Lookout rt Bear fo R B l a iv c Holly Brow e k e r Shelter New Swamp R n’ Which rivers drain into NC estuaries? i s v River e r Inlet Lake New __________________________________________________________ Waccamaw NEW Topsoil COLUMBUS Rich Wa Green Swamp c c a Maso What are the large sounds of NC? m HANOVER a n w BRUNSWICK R i v e __________________________________________________________ r Masonbor Carolina B o Lo Cape Shallott each Tubbs ck New Inlet Which sounds are smaller? woods Fear Ri e Fo __________________________________________________________ ver lly Trace a river you are near down to the estuary. Which sound (if any) does your river drain into? _________________ How salty is this estuary? ___________________ Inlets provide entry points for ocean waters into the sounds along the coast. Currently there are 20 inlets in North Carolina. Can you find all of them? Phoenix Mtn. 4690' C Mayo John H. Kerr Roanoke Rapids Dismal U r ALLEGHANY Lake R e Reservoir Reservoir Swamp R iv STOKES Lake CA IT R GATES U SURRY Hyco Gaston C NEW D ROCKINGHAM C h M C E a n Lake GRANVILLE NORTHAMPTON o P D K u ASHE r w A r e ROANOKE a n E r R iv i S N t e w R Q u N G i c s v U k W u n ta i n CASWELL CHOWAN e O a M o n r t to wn T a D a u r a Belews WARREN HERTFORD A u WATAUGA S PERSON N g Lake a I VANCE K WATAUGA R e r . R i v HALIFAX Roan Mtn. WILKES in Lake P R d k Townsend PERQUIMANS a Ya Quaker s 6285' Lake Burlington R q o u W. Kerr Scott YADKIN Creek a o Grandfather Mtn. n t Reservoir Reservoir o CHOWAN a 5964' s FORSYTH n S n k k a i e o n t FRANKLIN R u MITCHELL u GUILFORD i n o v d M TAR-PAMLICO d e N AVERY ORANGE BERTIE S o u n r o T l e r m a r th y a l be h DURHAM r NASH A T E r u s ALAMANCE F o e B r r e e v n R CALDWELL R i c iv e U ALEXANDER iv h r DAVIE e R C MADISON H Falls Lake r r YANCEY o a PASQUOTANK a L t B Mt.