Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Buttercup - Rannunculus bulbosus at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Star flower - Trientalis borealis; Canada mayflower - Maianthemum canadense. Northeast woods at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Birdfoot violet - Viola pedata on lawn at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Asteraceae at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Poison ivy and wild sarsaparilla - Aralia nudicaulis at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Lichen

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Wild sarsaparilla - Aralia nudicaulis at Swift.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Spartinas and sea lavender - Limonium nashii at Sage Lot Pond.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Box turtle - Terrapene carolina carolina.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ribbed mussels - Geukensia demissa.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ribbed mussel - Geukensia demissa.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Northern quahog - Mercenaria mercenaria.

Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Eastern oyster - Crassotrea virginica.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Aerial view of North Inlet (foreground) and Winyah Bay (upper left and top)

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Aerial view of Thousand-acre Ricefield on the Belle W. Baruch Foundation's property, Hobcaw Barony. Winyah Bay in foreground, North Inlet and Atlantic Ocean in background. During 1800's many rice plantations lined the rivers that flow into Winyah Bay and Georgetown was nation's largest rice exporter.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Aerial view of meandering tidal creeks and extensive pristine marshes in North Inlet Estuary.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Two varieties of the succulent salt marsh glasswort, Salicornia sp., that turn a beautiful red in the fall.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Black needlerush, Juncus roemerianus, is common at higher marsh elevations in the North Inlet - Winyah Bay NERR.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Sea Oxeye, Borrichia frutescens, a common high marsh plant in southern marshes, is a good nectar source for coastal butterflies.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Seaweeds like this red algae are important producers in estuaries, especially during winter months.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Panoramic view of a salt marsh in North Inlet Estuary. Cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, is the dominant plant in these tidal communities.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, in flower.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Cordgrass plant nearly covered at high tide. Note the periwinkle snail, Littorina irrorata, that has climbed high on the grass blade and avoided being covered by the tide.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Dead cordgrass, known as detritus, is carried by the tides and can form dense mats on the marsh surface. Detritus, especially the smaller decomposing plant pieces, is a very important component of salt marsh food webs.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Male fiddler crab, Uca pugilator, sporting its large protective claw as it attempts to hide under the glasswort, Salicornia sp.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The marsh periwinkle snail, Littorina irrorata, can be commonly observed on the cordgrass stalks.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria, thrives in the muddy sands of estuaries.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The American Oyster, Crassotrea virginica, grows intertidally in South Carolina estuaries and is most effectively collected at low tide by recreational and commercial harvesters.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Polychaete worms like this bloodworm, Glycera sp., abound in salt marsh sediments. Some of these segmented worms are free living while others are tube builders.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. This polychaete, Amphitrite sp., builds and dwells in a tube constructed of mud. The worm's white tentacles, used to build its tube and gather food particles, and red gills can be seen in this photo.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Edible shrimps, like this white shrimp, Penaeus setiferus, depend on healthy estuaries for their survival. They enter the estuary from the ocean as minute post larvae and return as adults in the span of just a few months.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Grass shrimp, Palaemonetes sp., about an inch in size as adults, are important links in salt marsh food webs.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. This tiny sand hopper or amphipod shrimp, Gammarus sp., lives among and under marsh detritus, which it consumes. It is eaten by small fishes and shorebirds.

Estuaries serve as vital nurseries for a wide variety of fishes, shellfishes, and birds. The bellies of these three juvenile fishes are packed full of goodies from the marsh's bounty. Pictured here from top to bottom are young of the year mullet, flounder, and spot, all of which enter North Inlet Estuary in February from their offshore places of birth.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Anchovies, Anchoa sp., are dominant members of fish communities in Southeastern United States estuaries.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, is one of the most abundant members of the North Inlet fish community. Juvenile spot dominate North Inlet fish collections from February to October.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Red drum, Sciaenops occelatus, also known as "spottail bass" in South Carolina, utilize the estuary during the first four years of their lives where they feed primarily on shrimp and crabs.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, are important recreational sportfishes. In most parts of their range, they travel from ocean waters or estuaries up rivers to spawn.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, are year-round residents of salt marshes and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and salinities. Two brightly colored males (top and bottom) are featured with a duller-colored female (middle) in this picture.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. A very dark color variation of the southern flounder, Paralicthys legostigma. Both sides of this fish are darkly pigmented. Only the head on the ventral side shows the traditional light color.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Tidal flats in estuaries are important foraging areas for shorebirds, including these dowitchers which use their long bills to probe the mud for worms and other invertebrates.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Estuaries are important breeding and feeding areas for a variety of wading birds , including these great (yellow bills) and snowy egrets (black bills) on Pumpkinseed Island in Winyah Bay.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. These hungry great egret chicks await a meal of regurgitated fish from their parents.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. White ibis nest by the thousands on a tiny island in Winyah Bay. Their bills turn a beautiful bright red during the breeding season.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. These dark-colored white ibis chicks will not get their adult plumage for two years. Their parents feed them crawfish from freshwater wetlands, when available. As juveniles and adults, they feed mostly on fiddler crabs.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. This osprey reigns over its nest in a dead cypress tree along the shores of Winyah Bay, near Georgetown. Most osprey overwinter in tropical areas and return to temperate nesting locations in late winter.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The eastern brown pelican has made a remarkable comeback after facing near extinction in the 60's due to the effects of pesticides. Still classified as threatened in South Carolina, pelicans nest on remote beaches and feed in the estuaries and nearshore coastal areas.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on South Carolina beaches from May to August. Adult and juvenile sea turtles can be observed in South Carolina estuaries during most months of the year where they feed on a variety of shellfish.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The diamond-back terrapin is a year-round resident in estuaries and feeds on fiddler crabs and snails. This female terrapin is returning to the water after successfully nesting above the tide line.

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Canebrake rattlesnakes, common in the coastal plain of South Carolina, are infrequent visitors salt marsh edges.