ECOLOGY OF BUZZARDS BAY: An Estuarine Profile 



Cape Cod 

 Bay 



Cape Cod 

 Canal 



East Branch 



Kilometers 



Fig. 1.4. Rivers and harbors of the Buzzards Bay system. 



(Table 1 .2) and is a partial reason for the high 

 water quality of the bay. 



While Buzzards Bay has a water surface of 

 about 550 km 2 it is functionally divided be- 

 tween open water (i.e., the central bay area, 476 

 km 2 ) and 27 major embayments (75 km 2 ) (Table 

 1 .3). The embayments, because of their location 

 and physical structure, are the areas first subject to 

 coastal eutrophication; embayments have restricted 

 circulation and smaller volume for dilution of nutri- 

 ent inputs from land. Most of the eelgrass (Zostera 

 marina) beds and bivalve stocks are located in 

 nearshore areas and embayments less than 5 m 



deep. In fact, about 3% of the "water" portion of 

 the bay is actually tidal flat. The bay itself is rela- 

 tively shallow with a mean depth of 1 1 m and a 

 relatively uniform basin. 



The "terrestrial" portion of the system supports 

 some significant salt marsh areas (for New England) 

 primarily on the western shore. The overall ratio of 

 bay surface to salt marsh is about 25, but in the 

 isolated embayments (e.g., Westport) the ratio is 

 less than 3. Most of these wetlands remain "healthy," 

 functioning as nutrient transformers and spawning 

 and nursery grounds for fish and shellfish 

 populations. 



