2. Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program Protecting Our Bays and Estuaries Thank you for caring!

3.  We’re 13 years old!  We’re protecting the bays and estuaries for you!  There are 28 estuary programs in the U.S.A. What is the CBBEP?

4. Ĕś chōō ĕŕē What is that?  An estuary begins where freshwater from rivers and streams meets with saltwater from the ocean.

5.  We depend on the health of the bays and estuaries.  YOU get to swim and play in healthy bays and estuaries  YOU can help! Estuaries - Important To You!

6. Estuaries Support Wildlife

7.  12 counties 11,500 square miles of land  515 square miles of bays and estuaries  3 of the 7 major estuaries in Texas are here: Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, and Upper Laguna Madre 12 Counties Texas Coastal Bend

8. Why Estuaries Matter…

9. Estuary Facts Nursery Food Like a filter Keeps bad things out

10. Estuary Facts You can go swimming, Fishing, and have fun! Home to ports And marinas. Protects from flooding

11. Estuary Facts Recap  Nurseries: Many marine organisms, and most commercially valuable fish species, depend on estuaries at some point during their development.  Productivity: Within the sediments – whether mud, silt, sand or rocks – live billions of microscopic bacteria, a lower level of the food web that subsist largely on decaying plants. Nutrients are essential to a healthy aquatic ecosystem, but in excess can lead to algal blooms causing eutrophication, a condition which results in low dissolved oxygen.

12. Estuary Facts Recap  Water Filtration: Water draining from uplands carries a load of sediments and nutrients. As the water flows through salt marsh peat and the dense mesh of marsh grass blades, much of the sediment and nutrient load is filtered out. This filtration process creates cleaner and clearer water.  Flood Control: Porous, resilient salt marsh soils and grass absorb flood waters and dissipate storm surges. Salt marsh dominated estuaries provide natural buffers between the land and the ocean. They protect upland organisms as well as billions of dollars of real estate that might otherwise be subjected to more intense natural forces.

13. Keep It Clean! Trash is bad!

14. Cbbep.org Coloring Contest Let’s color!

15. CBBEP Works For You! Our water is precious

16. You Can Make A Difference! As stewards of the bays and estuaries, our values and actions must reflect our commitment to protect the bay. Thank you for caring!