An estuarine habitat is a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with saltwater from the ocean. This unique blend of freshwater and saltwater creates a very dynamic environment that supports a diverse range of plants and animals.
Estuaries are among...
Week 9
Estuarine Habitats
Estuarine habitat is a body of water formed at the coast as a result of the action of
tides which mix salt water from sea with fresh water from the land. The mixing of salt
water and fresh water results in the formation of a brackish water. This brackish
water is what is called estuarine.
Characteristics of Estuarine Habitats
The followings are the characteristics of the estuarine habitats:
1. Fluctuation in salinity: Salinity fluctuates in this habitat. Salinity is lower at the
mouth of a river and gets higher towards the sea. Salinity is also affected by
season. While rainy season reduces salinity due to addition of fresh water, dry
season increases it.
2. Turbidity: Turbidity of estuarine habitat increases especially during the rainy
season when lots of debris is brought down by rivers to the habitat. This high
turbidity also reduces the rate of photosynthesis and respiration by organisms
3. Shallowness of water: Unlike the sea water which is deep, the water in
estuarine habitat is very shallow
4. Low species diversity: The estuarine habitat has low diversity of species
compared to marine habitat. Common plant species are phytoplanktons algae,
marsh vegetation, etc. while animal species are crabs, oysters, lobsters, fishes,
etc.
5. Water is affected by tides: Sea water usually flows rapidly into estuaries at
high tides and rushes back into the ocean at low tides
6. High level of nutrients: The estuarine habitat contains abundant nutrients
especially the organic debris which form the bulk of producers in the habitat
7. Low oxygen content: Oxygen content of estuarine habitat is generally very low
and as a result, much of the microbiological activities are anaerobic.
Types of Estuaries
Estuary is found in the following bodies of water
1. Delta: A delta is where a river divides into many channels before entry into the
ocean or sea. Brackish water or estuary (delta) is formed at the mouth of a river
as it enters the sea
2. Lagoon: Lagoon is a body of ocean water that enters into the land through a
canal and therefore has the opportunity of mixing with fresh water from rivers
and streams
3. Bay: Bay is a little or small portion of the sea water which enters into the land
and mixes up with fresh water from rivers and streams. It should be noted that
a lagoon is bigger than a bay and it may be long enough to join the sea at another
end while bay is very small and not long enough to rejoin the sea in another end
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