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The North Carolina Estuarium

© Stephen Strother

The town of Washington is located on the Pamlico River deep within the heart of eastern North Carolina. The Pamlico River is part of a unique ecosystem called an estuary. Located within Washington and on the banks of the Pamlico River is the North Carolina Estuarium. The North Carolina Estuarium exists in part because of an organization called Partnership for the Sounds and it is a rare and unique gem among museums and aquariums.

Before reading further it is important to understand what an estuary actually is. Before I visited the Estuarium I thought I knew but soon realized that I really had no idea. The web site, www.partnershipforthesounds.org, defines an estuary as "a water system where salt water and fresh water mix to produce varying levels of salinity. Estuaries are located at the mouth of coastal rivers and in the sounds." I learned during a recent visit to the Estuarium that estuaries are very fertile breeding grounds for fish and other species that are usually associated with the ocean. Estuaries are generally more protected than the open ocean and they are also much shallower--making them the perfect nurseries for developing sea life. The Albemarle-Pamlico Sound Estuary in North Carolina is actually the second largest estuary in the United States (the Chesapeake Bay is the largest).

The Estuarium includes over 200 displays focused on the ecology and history of North Carolina's Estuaries. Like more traditional aquariums, the Estuarium houses many aquariums (ranging in size from 130 to 650 gallons). These aquariums allow visitors to view native North Carolina estuary wildlife in at least somewhat realistic settings. There are also touch tanks so that children can learn first hand not only how estuarine creatures look but also how they feel. Other exhibits include art work, a slide show, and interactive displays. On the web site www.pamlico.com/nce Tom Stroud of Partnership for the Sounds captures the spirit of the North Carolina Estuarium nicely when he states, "There's more to knowing about the estuary than just the science. We want people to appreciate it in their soul as well as know the workings of it."

I can say first had that my visit to the North Carolina Estuarium certainly did help me further appreciate not only the importance of estuaries but also their beauty. A focus of the North Carolina Estuarium that really got my attention is educating visitors on the effects of pollution on an estuary. Because estuaries are so significant in the life cycle of so many types of sea life any amount of pollution within them can disrupt the health and numbers of many species. Unfortunately, because estuaries are located at the mouths of rivers there is ample chance for water feeding into an estuary from upstream to be contaminated. The town of Washington has taken a very interesting and proactive step toward fighting this type of pollution. On the sight where the Estuarium stands, the town has also built a five acre wetlands area. When it rains, the town's runoff rain water is directed into this wetland area where it is naturally filtered and cleaned by a series of natural water plants before being released back into the Pamlico River. This replaces the more traditional method of piping polluted runoff rainwater directly back into the river. I was amazed to see this. The wetland area is both beautiful and functional. There is a boardwalk around the perimeter of the wetland so that visitors can view the wetland system in action.