Estuary

Estuary

Fresh water runoff in the form of rivers and groundwater seepage interfaces with marine water in estuaries.

Estuaries are more productive than ocean or fresh water inflow because nutrients are carried by rapidly inflowing rivers and deposited at river mouth or deltas.

They are areas of highly variable environmental parameters such as temperature, salinity, p^H, organic loading and others.

Estuaries are subject to tides and exhibit tidal flushing.

In a typical estuary, the salinity gradient is from <5 parts per thousand at upper end to > 25 parts per thousand at mouth.

Figure: Estuary  by  Sadia Akhtar

The distinction between autochthonus and allochthonus organisms is difficult in such transitional zones. Both true freshwater and true marine organisms are only transitional members of estuaries.

As in freshwater wetlands, the productivity in estuaries is high. Photosynthesis in estuary exceeds respiratory activities. Large portions of estuary are overgrown with submerged higher plants.

The physical construction of estuaries means that the nutrients enter the estuary and produced within the estuary tend to be trapped there. Salt marshes estuaries tend to recycle nutrients internally with little relative loss to deeper ocean. Decomposer fungi are important in salt marshes.Top of Form

Estuary

Written By

Sadia Akhtar
Student of Department of Microbiology
Jagannath University.
Email- sadiabd810@yahoo.comBottom of Form