Estuaries and Lagoons - South African Coastal Information Centre

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Salt-Marsh Vegetation
for fish and other marine life. Furthermore, they serveas protection for shorelines against erosion as theyhave a great capacity for trapping silt - their rootletsform a thick web that stabilises the mud banks andcleanses the water of silt.FLOWERING PLANTS colonise the sand or mud flatsand many of these, such as the attractive and delicatesea lavender, can tolerate extreme saline conditions.Cord grass, which occurs on the mud banks, also formsa distinct zone in many estuaries, and quickly stabilisesthe mud. Higher up the banks, a variety of aquatic orsemi-aquatic plants like the glassworts are found. Marshglassworts are very unusual and have fleshy stems withno leaves.SUBMERGED AQUATIC PLANTS like the eelgrass, arerooted in the muddy or sandy bottoms of estuaries.They too form a distinct zone and are only exposed atthe lowest spring tides. They provide food and shelterfrom predators for many juvenile fish species. Othersubmerged aquatic plants, such as the 'fonteingras',are also found in the more sheltered and less saltywaters; while the sheltered pools of the shallow mudflats and lagoons are home to many species of larger algae.Kosi Bay Fish TrapsAND A HAVEN FOR THINGS OF YESTERYEAR.Along our coastline, some traditional indigenous fishingmethods are still in practice alongside and in sharpcontrast to the modern way of doing things. This is thecase in the Kosi Bay estuary, where there is large-scaletraditional use of fish and related organisms. Designedto trap fish coming in on the high tide and to prevent themfrom returning to sea as the tide recedes, the Kosi Bayfish traps have remained virtually unchanged for centuries,and are still in full operation today.While most of the existing traps in other areas are beingreplaced by gillnets, this ancient method of fishing existshere along with recreational angling and gillnetting. Thisis a prime example of joint conservation management,where sustainable traditional practices are allowed tocontinue unhindered.
Page 1 and 2: Care For OurESTUARIES & LAGOONSEstu
Page 3 and 4: Along with rainforests and coral re
Page 5 and 6: Another unusual fish species is the
Page 7: A DIVERSITY OF WATER-LOVING PLANTS
Page 11 and 12: MANAGING ESTUARIES AND LAGOONSTO EV

Estuaries and Lagoons - South African Coastal Information Centre

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