What indeed could be more liberating, especially in just a swimsuit, bikini or pair of trunks? The concept of open-water, or wild swimming, is nothing new – we’ve been doing it for centuries.īut as we ease out of the Covid pandemic, the idea of splashing around in the cold, life-affirming waters of Scotland seems to have increased its appeal. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.Īs summer hots up, increasing numbers of folk are stripping off and diving into lochs, rivers and seas all over the country. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Information An icon of an information logo. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. This protects upland habitat as well as valuable real estate from storm and flood damage.Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Wetland plants and soils also act as natural buffers between the land and ocean, absorbing flood waters and dissipating storm surges. Salt marsh grasses and other estuarine plants also help prevent erosion and stabilize shorelines. This filtration process creates cleaner and clearer water, which benefits both people and marine life. As the water flows through wetlands such as swamps and salt marshes, much of the sediments and pollutants are filtered out. Water draining from uplands carries sediments, nutrients and other pollutants to estuaries. Estuaries Perform Environmental ServicesĮstuaries also perform other valuable services. ![]() Coastal watershed counties provided 69 million jobs and contributed $7.9 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product in 2007 (National Ocean Economics Program, 2009). population lives in coastal areas, including along the shores of estuaries. When those natural resources are imperiled, so too are the livelihoods of those who live and work in estuarine watersheds. ![]() The economy of many coastal areas is based primarily on the natural beauty and bounty of estuaries. The protected coastal waters of estuaries also support important public infrastructure, serving as harbors and ports vital for shipping and transportation. Because many species of fish and wildlife rely on the sheltered waters of estuaries as protected spawning places, estuaries are often called the "nurseries of the sea." Estuaries Have Economic ValueĮstuaries have important commercial value and their resources provide economic benefits for tourism, fisheries and recreational activities. And many marine organisms, including most commercially-important species of fish, depend on estuaries at some point during their development.īecause they are biologically productive, estuaries provide ideal areas for migratory birds to rest and refuel during their long journeys. Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish and other wildlife depend on estuarine habitats as places to live, feed and reproduce. ![]() Below are additional ways in which estuaries are important (click to expand): Estuaries Are Critical Natural Habitats Estuaries are an irreplaceable natural resource that must be managed carefully for the mutual benefit of all who enjoy and depend on them. Estuaries provide places for recreational activities, scientific study and aesthetic enjoyment. Some of these can be measured in dollars and cents, while others cannot. Estuaries provide us with a suite of resources, benefits and services.
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