Coastal wetlands . Coastal wetlands in California have suffered a 67 per- 

 cent reduction in area since 1900. Most have been dredged out to make marinas 

 and harbors or filled to make building sites. Most wetlands remaining in 

 southern California are small, some are degraded, but they are critical to 

 coastal ecology. 



Wetlands are vital stopover points and feeding areas for local and migra- 

 tory birds along the Pacific Flyway. They also serve as temporary stores of 

 nutrients in the form of biomass. Nutrients are released at a relatively con- 

 stant rate, preventing pulses. This, as well as their function as feeding, 

 spawning, and nursery areas, makes wetlands important regulators of offshore 

 ecology as well (Cowell* 1978) . 



Wetlands are particularly vulnerable to impacts from oil spills. If oil 

 enters these complex environments (Figure 2), it may flow throughout the wet- 

 lands via systems of water channels, and can easily become trapped among 

 marsh plants or worked into sediments. In addition, organisms known to be 

 sensitive to oil (such as birds, larval fishes, and invertebrates) are often 

 concentrated in wetlands. 



Mugu Lagoon Wetlands System 



Pacific Ocean 



I" ■••" -1 = Salt marsh 

 m^l = Sand flats 



Figure 2. Mugu Lagoon wetlands system. 



83 



