Charlotte Harbor (estuary)

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Estuary mouth
Estuary mouth

Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the most productive wetlands in Florida.[1] The estuary has a large watershed, including the Peace River, Caloosahatchee River (via Pine Island Sound) and Myakka River basins and covering 12,653 square kilometers, the second largest open water estuary in the state.[2][not in citation given] It is classified as a bar-built estuary, formed when sandbars build up along the coastline. The sand bars block the waters behind them from the sea. Such estuaries are tend to be shallow with minimal tidal action.[3]

This is a threatened ecosystem resulting from the rapid increase of growth and development, poor land use policies, and the overuse of natural resources.[4] The Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves, established by the state of Florida in 1975, are five contiguous aquatic preserves within the greater Charlotte Harbor estuary. It includes salt marshes, mangroves, seagrass, oyster and tidal flats.[5] It is the preserve of many endangered species, including the Florida panther, American Alligator, manatee, bald eagle, wood stork, piping plover, American crocodile, green sea turtle, loggerhead turtle, sturgeon, pawpaw, moss and many more.[2]

Charlotte Harbor estuary is included in the The National Estuarine Research Reserve System, a partnership between individual states and NOAA.[6]

Florida seagrass

Loggerhead turtle (closeup)

Coastal mangroves

Florida seagrass bed

  1. ^ Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. floridastateparks.org. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
  2. ^ a b National Estuary Program - Charlotte Harbor. epa.gov. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
  3. ^ Bar-Built Estuary. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  4. ^ Charlette Harbor National Estuary Program. Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
  5. ^ The Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves. dep.state.fl.us. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
  6. ^ The National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.

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