tailieunhanh - Estuarine Research, Monitoring, and Resource Protection - Chapter 2

Waquoit Bay là một loại cửa sông cạn đầm phá nằm dọc theo đồng bằng outwash băng trên bờ biển phía nam của Cape Cod (hình ). Bay này có diện tích 600 ha, và nó hỗ trợ cộng đồng phong phú và đa dạng sinh học. Mặc dù bay chỉ có trung bình 1,8 m theo chiều sâu (tối đa độ sâu 3 m), cột nước thường stratiÞed (D'Avanzo và Kremer, năm 1994). Nước mặt và inßows nước ngầm từ đầu nguồn kết hợp với nước từ Nantucket âm thanh và âm thanh Vineyard | Case Study 1 Copyright 2004 CRC Press LLC 2 Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve INTRODUCTION Waquoit Bay is a shallow lagoon-type estuary that lies along a glacial outwash plain on the south shore of Cape Cod Figure . The bay covers an area of 600 ha and it supports rich and diverse biotic communities. Although the bay only averages m in depth maximum depth 3 m the water column is typically stratified D Avanzo and Kremer 1994 . Surface water and groundwater inflows from the watershed mix with waters from Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound. Characterized as a multiple inlet estuary Waquoit Bay is bounded along its southern perimeter by barrier beaches that are breached at two permanent locations Crawford 2002 . A navigation channel trending north-south bisects the main embayment into eastern and western sections. Proceeding upestuary the bay is bounded by salt marshes and it gives way to brackish ponds freshwater tributaries freshwater ponds and upland habitat. Flat Sage Lot Hamblin and Jehu Ponds are brackish ponds and Bog Bourne and Caleb Ponds are freshwater ponds. FIGURE Map of Waquoit Bay showing sub-basins of the estuary. From Short . and . Burdick. 1996. Estuaries 19 730-739. 35 Copyright 2004 CRC Press LLC 36 Estuarine Research Monitoring and Resource Protection Waquoit Bay is the main aquatic component of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Waquoit Bay NERR which is centered in the towns of Falmouth and Mashpee. Most of the reserve area consists of channels and open waters 510 ha . Uplands cover 300 ha marshes fresh- brackish- and salt-water marshes 120 ha and subtidal meadows 70 ha Geist and Malpass 1996 . The reserve encompasses an area of km2. It includes in addition to the site headquarters ha public lands within South Cape Beach State Park 175 ha and Washburn Island 133 ha . The Waquoit Bay NERR was designated in 1988 as the 15th site of the National Estuarine Research Reserve NERR system Geist .