The different bodies of water are extremely vital to our existence on earth. There are many factors that contribute to the water's characteristics depending on where the body of water lies. The water starts up in the mountains where the headwater streams are small, shallow, swift and cold. There are a lot of nutrients that get carried downstream from the mountain top. As the water moves downstream, the volume of flow increases, the channel becomes wider and deeper, and the waters are not as swift compared to those on top of the mountains. In the lowlands, the water is the exact opposite of the water on top of the mountains. The flow is slow, and the bottom is soft with silt and mud which is inhabited by aquatic plants and animals instead of swift headwater organisms. Along with the warming temperatures and increasing volume, there are increasing nutrients, lessening speed, increasing turbidity, increasing oxygen, increasing pH, increasing wave action, and increasing salinity. .
Traditionally, salinity of the estuary is the highest during the summer months and also during a drought. Normally, the salinity should be from 2.3 to 2.9 parts per thousand. The salinity of the sea is always very constant; the average salinity is around 35 parts per thousand. Fresh water has a very low salinity usually ranging from .065 to .30 parts per thousand. The amount of sodium and chloride make the waters' salinity either increase or decrease. .
During our three field trips we explored five bodies of water in which we tested its waters. Two of the tests were done in Cheesequake State Park and the other three were done at Shark River. In Cheesequake we tested the water from the Bridge and also from the pond. At the bridge we found that the Secchi Disk was visible from 1 ½ ft. from the bottom of the salt marsh. The water temperature was 12 degrees Celsius and the air temperature was 34 degrees Celsius. The salinity was 25%.
