Estuaries are partially enclosed water. They are were fresh water from inland meets denser salt water. They have complex food webs that start with the microscopic bacteria in the mud. Examples of estuaries are; mud flats, bays, mangrove forests, sloughs, inlets, salt pans and swamps.
Estuaries are important ecosystems as they provide food and shelter to several species of organisms. In the last several decades, estuaries were being destroyed as they were prime real estate and there were greedy developers. Fortunately, legislation saved the remaining estuaries and they are now protected indefinitely.
Large estuaries are common on gently sloping coastlines where rivers meet the sea, such as those found along the East Coast of the United States or in regions with significant tidal influences like the Bay of Bengal. These estuaries provide important habitats for a wide variety of marine and bird species.
An animal in an estuary may eat and rest in a habitat such as a salt marsh, mudflat, or mangrove forest. These areas provide food, shelter, and protection from predators for the animals living in estuaries.
There are a number of reasons for estuaries' high NPP. Estuaries are nutrient-rich, with both rivers and tides bringing in nutrients. These are then added to the nutrients released by the decomposition of detritus and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Estuarine producers are particularly adapted to live on muddy bottoms. Also, very few organisms graze on primary producers like salt-marsh grasses.
You would expect to find shellfish populations in coastal areas, such as bays, estuaries, and intertidal zones. Shellfish, including crabs, clams, and mussels, rely on these habitats for food, shelter, and reproduction.
An estuary is the wide part of a river where it nears the sea. It can be formed by many reasons. One of them is rising sea levels. Due to higher sea levels, river valleys were flooded and thus forming drowned river valley or coastal plain estuaries. Secondly, the movement of sand and the formation of sandbars can enclose bodies of water along the coastline and form lagoon-type or bar-built estuaries. Also, we have estuaries formed by glacial processes. In colder climates, glaciers cut deep valleys in the landscape. When glaciers recede during warmer climate periods, coastal waters fill the valley to form fjord-type estuaries. Lastly, tectonic processes such as earthquakes and faulting also play a part in the formation of estuaries. This may cause the rapid sinking of coastal areas below sea level to form tectonically produced estuaries.
One well known estuary in the United States is The Chesapeake Bay and it is the largest. To find out information about the other estuaries you can check out this website http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/chesapeake.html
What is happening to estuaries?
The three types of estuaries are coastal plain estuaries, bar-built estuaries, and tectonic estuaries. Coastal plain estuaries form when sea levels rise, flooding existing river valleys. Bar-built estuaries are separated from the ocean by sandbars or barrier islands. Tectonic estuaries result from land movement, such as faults or folding, creating a depression that fills with water.
There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.There are many estuaries in Ireland. The Shannon Estuary is the largest.
Estuaries are the most productive of all marine ecosystems.
The plural form of estuary is estuaries.
Crocodiles stays from estuaries to protect themselves because whales sometimes swim near estuaries and they eat crocodiles for their food.
biodiversity encompasses all related thinngs, that include estuaries.
yes. whales like belugas can live in warm water estuaries :D
One service that estuaries and wetlands provide is a home for animals and plants.
The sea.
estuaries