. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile . Figure 11. Net water current patterns in the Apalachicola estuary as indicated by flow models developed by B. A. Christensen and colleagues. (A detailed analysis of such currents can be found in Conner et al. (1981).) may be affected by excessive land runoff or high velocity winds from the east or west. Strong north to northeast winds deflect water downwind and to the west. Gorsline (1963) estimated a tidal prism equal to about ?0^ of the bay water volume, and he suggested that the residence time of river water in the estuar
. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile . Figure 11. Net water current patterns in the Apalachicola estuary as indicated by flow models developed by B. A. Christensen and colleagues. (A detailed analysis of such currents can be found in Conner et al. (1981).) may be affected by excessive land runoff or high velocity winds from the east or west. Strong north to northeast winds deflect water downwind and to the west. Gorsline (1963) estimated a tidal prism equal to about ?0^ of the bay water volume, and he suggested that the residence time of river water in the estuary ranges from a few days to a month. The two western passes account for over 669$ of the total bay discharqe, even though they account for only 10°4 of the inlet area (Gorsline 1'563). The bulk of river flow exits through these passes, and the effects of river flow on salinity can be felt ?65 km (165 miles) offshore in the gulf. Tidal deltas extend seaward from Indian Pass, West Pass, and East Pass, indicating appreciable sediment transport through these areas. Current velocities in the bay rarely exceed m sec"^, while velocities in the passes may reach 2-3 m sec"l. ?.4. PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL HARITAT Important habitat features of the Apalachicola Bay system include physio- • graphic, climatic, and river-flow conditions. While marshes (emergent vegetation), oyster beds, and qrassbeds (submerqent veqetation) represent important biological habitats of the estuary. the primary physical habitat in terms of areal extent is the shallow, unvegetated soft sediment bottom (Table 1). Within the myriad of rapidly changing gradients of physical and chemical features of the estuary, there are certain recurrent patterns and general trends that remain more or less constant in soace and over time. Such water-quality features and nutrient distributions are important determinants of the habitat conditions in the Apalachicola Bay system. ?.^.\. Temperature and Salinity Because of the
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