What is the interaction that takes place in an estuary?
The “estuarine mouths” are the primary factor in estuary-sea ecological interactions. Barrier islands are interrupted by estuarine mouths; where the river and sea meet also constitutes an estuarine mouth. In this subsystem, active exchange of water, pollutants, nutrients, organic matter, sediments and organisms occurs.
What kind of animals live in estuaries?
Fish, shellfish, and migratory birds are just a few of the animals that can live in an estuary. The Chesapeake Bay, as one example, includes several different habitats. There are oyster reefs where oysters, mud crabs, and small fish may be found.
How do animals adapt to estuaries?
In almost all estuaries the salinity of the water changes constantly over the tidal cycle. To survive in these conditions, plants and animals living in estuaries must be able to respond quickly to drastic changes in salinity. Plants and animals that can tolerate only slight changes in salinity are called stenohaline.
What is the difference between estuary and intertidal zone?
An intertidal zone is the area between the high tide mark and the low tide mark anywhere in the world where a coastline is tidal (IE borders a sea/ocean which has changing tidal cycles). Estuaries are bodies of water and their surrounding coastal habitats typically found where rivers meet the sea.
What would happen if estuaries were destroyed?
Estuaries are fragile ecosystems that are very susceptible to disturbances. If these beaches are destroyed, salt marshes and inland habitats adjacent to the estuary may become permanently damaged. Waves can also dislodge plants and animals, or bury them with sediments, while objects carried by the water can crush them.
What would happen if there were no estuaries?
Without estuaries, the number of fish in our oceans would decrease greatly. Occasionally, water in certain areas of the estuary can dry up and all that is left is a mud flat.
What are the 4 intertidal zones?
It has four distinct physical subdivisions based on the amount of exposure each gets — the spray zone, and the high, middle, and lower intertidal zones. Each subzone has a characteristic and distinct biological community.
What is the largest estuary in the United States?
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The largest estuary in North America, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 64,000 square miles and includes more than 150 rivers and streams that drain into the Bay.
