About 120 species of fish and 130 species of algae are found in the estuarine waters of this region. Over 160 species of macroinvertebrates have been identified. Circulation is driven by tidal pumping and those factors influencing tidal variation. Salinities are usually greater than 28 ppt in the major waterways, which have an average depth of less than 5 m. Water temperature ranges from 4 C to 32 C. Climate. Winter temperatures are highly variable but generally mild.
Ice occasionally forms on high marsh pools, but snow is a rare event.
Recent marsh muds overlay sands and clays, but details of the historical sequence remain unknown. Sandy expanses, with some mud or rock outcroppings, slope to a depth of about 20 m at a distance of 20 km offshore. This web site is maintained by the Baruch Institute .