Port Royal Sound is a marriage of ocean and land, a relationship created by the combination of rising sea level, exceptionally high tides, and its unique geology. The synergistic combination of these three factors has produced a marine environment that is one of North America’s overlooked ecological jewels. As residents of the Lowcountry, it is our responsibility to understand and protect it.
The Port Royal Sound system is unique compared to other coastal areas in North America because it is a large embayment dominated by expansive salt marshes and an area with high salinity water.
Maintaining a balanced, productive, and economically viable coastal ecosystem in South Carolina requires initiative and sustainable practices from all. Our Pesticide Information Tool focuses on commonly used pesticides in residential areas, and ways to reduce the impact of those pesticides.
Rapid population growth and urban expansion in our coastal zone can result in loss of valuable ecosystem functions and resources. If all residents make small changes in pest management strategies, then we all contribute to sustaining the beauty and function of where many of us call home - the estuarine ecosystem.