Kirk D. Rodgers Davina Passeri Scott T. Prinos Christopher Smith Christopher M. Swarzenski Beth A. Middleton Paul A. Conrads 2018 <p>Coastal communities are increasingly concerned about the dynamic balance between freshwater and saltwater because of its implications for societal, economic, and ecological resources. While the mixing of freshwater and saltwater sources defines coastal estuaries and lagoons, sudden changes in this balance can have a large effect on critical ecosystems and infrastructure. Any change to the delivery of water from either source has the potential to affect the health of both humans and natural biota and also to damage coastal infrastructure. This fact sheet discusses the potential of major shifts in the dynamic freshwater-saltwater balance to alter the environment and coastal stability.</p> application/pdf 10.3133/fs20183022 en U.S. Geological Survey Coastal estuaries and lagoons: The delicate balance at the edge of the sea reports