Estuarine, intertidal, organic, lagoon, eulittoral

Lagoons are formed when longshore water-borne sediments are deposited to form a spit closing off (partially or totally) an embayment. This category includes a variety of marsh types, varying with intertidal elevation and salinity. Characteristic vegetation varies with these two key factors.

Habitat attributes

Class ID: 
87
Class name: 
Estuarine, intertidal, organic, lagoon, eulittoral
Length: 
31.0 km (in WA)
Primary substrate: 
Organic
Secondary substrate: 
Mud
Tertiary substrate: 
Substrate stability: 
Stabilized by vegetation
Substrate key details: 
No stable surface features
Wave exposure: 
Protected, Very protected
Blue book classes: 
[No class in 1990 publication]
Map/survey site examples: 
Mouth of Pysht River, parts of Cultus Bay, Foulweather Bluff
Fish sampling sites: 
Skagit Bay lagoons and pocket beaches
Diagnostic species: 
  • Carex lyngbyei
  • Distichlis spicata
  • Salicornia depressa
  • Triglochin maritima
  • Jaumea carnosa
  • Schoenoplectus maritimus
  • Gasterosteus aculeatus
  • Cymatogaster aggregata
  • Leptocottus armatus
  • Clevelandia ios
  • Hypomesus pretiosus
  • Cottus asper
Species notes: 
Diagnostic species dependent on salinity and substrate