MAST200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Corallite, Coastal Erosion, Tidal Range

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Six major coastal ecosystems: littoral zone, estuary, lagoon, salt marsh, mangrove swamp, coral reef. Lagoon - isolated or semi-isolated bodies of shallow coastal waters that do not receive an appreciable input of freshwater--that is, dilution of saltwater is negligible. In warm areas, greater evaporation: salinity rises at the far end of the lagoon and then sinks, slowing out to the ocean along the bottom--inverse flow. Salt marshes - intertidal flats covered by grassy vegetation. Commonly found in protected areas with moderate tidal range, such as landward sides of barrier islands. Marshes can be divided into two parts: low salt marsh and high salt marsh. Distribution and density of organisms in salt marshes strongly reflects: Low marsh more productive - nitrate is commonly a limiting nutrient. Spartina (common marsh plant) dies in autumn, breaks down, provides plenty of detritus for the food web, or accumulates to form peat. High marsh only flooded a highest spring tides or in storms.

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