What is an estuary and how do barrier islands form? Why are estuaries important for both the natural world and for humans?

Learning Goal: I’m working on a writing multi-part question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Read before writing your journal Marine field trip objectives Marine field trip objectives Estero Island is a barrier island with species much different than those found farther inland. Matanzas Pass Preserv is the last tropical hardwood (or maritime) hammock left on Estero Island. The rest was long ago cleared for development. The insulating properties of the Gulf of Mexico allow more tropical plant species to grow here.

View the following field trip videos:

Maritime Hammock

Matanzas Pass Preserve – Maritime Hammock”>Matanzas Pass Preserve – Maritime Hammock

Black Mangrove Forest

Matanzas Pass Preserve – Black Mangrove Forest

Tidal Marsh

Tidal Swamp

Your journal will take the form of a 3 to 4-page Word document, double-spaced with 12-point font, and will be submitted through the assignment in Canvas. Submit as a word document or PDF. Google docs and .pages is not acceptable. Your journal will be graded using a rubric that considers the following :Ecological literacy, importance of the site, personal contribution, mechanics, connections to course materials. Please review the longer, detailed description of these criteria under the assignment rubric

Address the following questions in your journal-

What is an estuary and how do barrier islands form? Why are estuaries important for both the natural world and for humans?

Why are mangroves important in this ecosystem?

What are other 3 plant or animal species other than mangroves you might find at the Matanzas Pass Preserve.

What is Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program? What is the history of its development and what has the program accomplished?

How has land use changed on Estero Island over time and what are the resulting challenges? Think about the hurricane.

Barrier islands are, by their very nature, temporary. They shift constantly with wind and waves. Should we be building on them at all?

What are some of the human impacts on the marine environment? What solutions do they offer in your textbook? (Helpful to review Chapter 7 Ecosystems and Habitat)

Include at least 3 photos to support your journal. These can be sourced from the internet.