Ocean water enters at inlets such as Ponce Inlet, Cape Canaveral Inlet, Sebastian Inlet and Jupiter Inlet. You may not see it, but this lagoon is full of life. Many of the fish, shrimp, clams and oysters spend part or all of their lives in this lagoon. The shallow waters, salt marshes, sea grasses and mangrove roots provide excellent hiding places from larger predators. Larger animals depend on the waters for various reasons.
Sea turtles spend their adolescent years growing up in the lagoon.
Manatee come to eat the tender grasses that grow on the lagoon's floor. Birds nest in the mangroves trees and feed on the fish. Dolphin feed on the schools of fish that are here. Some dolphin spend their entire lives in the lagoon. Many marine and land animals depend on the lagoon for food, shelter, breeding and nesting.