Major estuaries of the South Atlantic Region are (24, p. 16): 



Pamlico River 



Pamlico Sound Alligator River 



Cape Fear Croatan Sound 



Georgia Salt Marshes Bogue Sound 



Albemarle Sound New River 



Currituck Sound Topsail Sound 



North Carolina possesses more acres of oyster beds than all the 

 other states in this region combined. This reflects the exten- 

 sive shallow water areas behind the barrier islands and the waters 

 are less turbid than those in Georgia. 



The Pamlico River is one of the major rivers in this region. This 

 estuary is wide and shallow with wide sandy areas along the shore. 



The marshes behind the Outer Banks of North Carolina consist of 

 either vast, pure stands of black needlerush, primarily Juncus 

 roemerianus , or stands of Spartina patens that resemble the salt 

 meadows of New England. The area south of Cape Lookout, North 

 Carolina is the region for optimum development of salt marshes 

 in the United States. These low marshes characterized by vast 

 expanses of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterni flora , form behind 

 narrow barrier islands in areas influenced by heavy silt 

 deposition from large rivers. There is only a small amount of 

 open water behind the barrier islands. This region includes the 

 famous Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. The broad, 

 level expanses of grass and soft sediment develop dendritic creeks 

 and deep tidal channels in vast numbers that are characteristic 

 when viewed from the air. 



Oyster reefs, which are found in the brackish region from Canada to the 

 Gulf of Mexico, generally occur in salinities between 5 to 28 ppt 

 (23, p. 6-23). Because of this physiological restriction, they are common to 

 almost all brackish estuaries from New England to Florida, though the exact 

 location of local reefs must be determined from state fishery agencies. 

 In this way, the alignment of pipelines can be arranged to bypass productive 

 oyster grounds. 



Impacts on nearshore and shoreland habitats from OCS oil and gas devel- 

 opments may be similar to impacts which occurred from past activities such as 



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