. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Florida Apalachicola Bay; Estuarine area conservation -- Florida. are dependent to a larqe degree on water- shed runoff, flood plain toooqraphic relief, and drainage characteristics. b. Marshes. Most of the intertidal areas around the estuarv are surrounded by freshwater, brackish, and saltwater marshes (Figure 19). The freshwater and brackish-water marshes are characterized by bull rushes (Scripus spp.), cattails (Tvpha spp.), saw grasses (Cladium spo.), cordgrass (Spartina spp.), and needlerush (Juncus
. The ecology of the Apalachicola Bay system : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Florida Apalachicola Bay; Estuarine area conservation -- Florida. are dependent to a larqe degree on water- shed runoff, flood plain toooqraphic relief, and drainage characteristics. b. Marshes. Most of the intertidal areas around the estuarv are surrounded by freshwater, brackish, and saltwater marshes (Figure 19). The freshwater and brackish-water marshes are characterized by bull rushes (Scripus spp.), cattails (Tvpha spp.), saw grasses (Cladium spo.), cordgrass (Spartina spp.), and needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Salt marshes of the region are represented by black needle- rush, cordgrass, Distichl is spicata, and Salicornia spp. Maior marsh develooment is found along the lower flood plain and areas adjacent to East Bay. These marshes are dominated by mixed freshwater soecies. Similar marsh associations are found in the New River and Ochlochonee River drainages to the east. Narrow stands of brackish water marshes occur intermittently along the lagoonal interface of the Alligator Point peninsula (at the extreme east end of the system; Figure 3) and along the bayside portion of the barrier islands. Limited marshes are located along the mainland east and west of the Aoalachicola River mouth. The East Bay marshes dominate the system by area (Table 1) with lesser marsh development along St. Vincent Sound and along the lagoonal oortions of St. George Island and Dog Island. The marshes in the entire bay system comorise approximately l^% of the total water surface. The Apalachicola marshes are significant feeding and reproductive zones for various aquatic and terrestrial species (Livingston lQR3c). Vertical and lateral stratification of this habitat has provided conditions that house and feed some of the most important species (ecologically and commercially) in the river-bay system. ?. Seagrass Beds Grassbeds in the Apalachicola estuary (Figure 19) account for about 10% of the.
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