Galveston Bay Estuaries Essay

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Saving Estuaries in Galveston, Texas Over the course of the last 100 years, many estuaries around the world have been destroyed from human interference, invasive species, and natural disturbances. The Galveston bay estuary is one of the estuaries in danger. Galveston bay has invasive species that are starting to impact the delicate ecosystem. The invasive species are the Australian spotted jellyfish and water lettuce. The Australian spotted jellyfish or the white spotted jellyfish, according to National Geographic, is an invasive species that is feeding off of, “. . . planktonic eggs and larvae of fish, crabs, and shrimp. . .” (The Quiet Invasion). According to Texas Invasive Species Institute, “. . . can clear 50 cubic meters of. . …show more content…

When people shop in Galveston, whether they’re locals or not, they also don’t buy non-toxic products. When people throw trash over their boat, fish and birds try to eat it. The toxins from plastic bottles, wrappers, and packaging materials, are poisoning, and killing the animals. (EPA) When the fish die in the estuary, then the population decreases, causing a decrease in other populations that eat the fish. The Australian spotted The second invasive species is water lettuce. The name comes from the way the leaves spreads out like little rosettes. The water lettuce has roots that can grow up to 3 feet long (The Quiet Invasion). The plants themselves grow in really dense patches across small ponds, lakes, and in wetlands. The water lettuce being so dense makes it so very little light can penetrate through it. It can even cause a depletion in oxygen levels beneath the water. The water lettuce is causing issues because it is, “. . . altering native aquatic and fish communities and causing a loss of biodiversity,” (The Quiet Invasion). The plants tend to reproduce quick causing the patches to grow rapidly, this causes the clog of irrigation canals and interference with boat traffic. When

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