Estuaries along the coast of California come in many different shapes and sizes. Despite their tenuous connection to the ocean, even the smallest ones provide important ecological functions such as nutrient exchange, storm buffering, and primary production, not to mention critical habitat for many of the state's threatened and endangered species such as Steelhead, Coho salmon, Tidewater Goby, and California Red-legged Frog. These small estuaries are often undervalued due to their size and lack of public awareness as to their ecological significance, but provide immense cumulative benefits that are both ecologically and socially valuable