Perhaps your first impression of an exposed mudflat is that it is an unattractive, foul smelling expanse of muck and goo. An estuary is any partially enclosed coastal embayment where freshwater and seawater meet and mix. This includes the sound and the bays of our peninsulas. The headwaters of our bays, where stream water and bay water mix provide ecological functions much different from, but of equal importance to those of the open sound. Wollochet Bay is a special example of this type of important estuarine system.
Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems.
In fact, Puget Sound provides the equivalent in annual output to a cultivated and fertilized cornfield of equal size. The observation that mud flats are indeed a smelly expanse of muck and goo tells us that this environment is ideal for beneficial bacteria and other ecologically important microorganisms and invertebrates. These organisms form the foundation of the marine food chain. Because of this unusually high bi ological productivity, estuaries are essential for our region's environmental health. Ecological Benefits Estuaries provide ideal protection and forage for young stages of many macro-organisms too, serving as nurseries for many important shellfish and finfish species and providing refuge and feeding stations for migrating waterfowl.