Estuarine Habitats and some characteristics

Estuarine habitat, is a body of water formed at the coast as a result of the action of tides which mix salt water from the sea with fresh water from the land. The more mixing of salt-water and fresh water resulting to the formation of a blackish water. The blackish water is called Estuarine.

Estuarine is found in the following bodies of water.
1. DELTA: A delta is where a river divides into many channels before entering into the ocean.

2. LAGOON: A lagoon is referred to as a body of 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 mix up with fresh water from rivers and streams.

A lagoon, is bigger than a bay and it may be long enough to join at another end with the sea. While bay in the other hand, is not long enough to rejoin the sea at another end.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ESTUARINE HABITAT.

There are many characteristics of a the estuarine habitats, but I'll discuss about five(5) of them here. You can do your research to get others.

1. WATER AFFECTED BY THE TIDES: Sea water usually flows rapidly into estuarine at high tides and rushes back into the ocean at low tides.

2. LOW OXYGEN CONTENTS: Oxygen content of estuarine habitat, is generally very low and as a result, much of the microbiological activities are anaerobic.

3. HIGH LEVEL OF NUTRIENTS: The estuarine habitat, contain abundant nutrient especially the organic detrilus which form the bulk of producers in the habitat.

4. SHALLOWNESS OF WATER: Unlike the sea water which is very deep, the water in estuarine habitat is very shallow.

5. TURBIDITY: Turbidity of estuarine habitat increases especially during the rainy season when lots of debris are brought down by rivers to the habitats. This high turbidity also reduces one rate of photosynthesis and respiration by organisms.

You can get more by searching online.