Estuaries

Introduction

Estuaries, or transitional waters, represent the transition between freshwater and marine biomes and as such are influenced by both aquatic realms. Salinity level marks the position within the mixing zones of an estuary. The uppermost limit of an estuary is referred to as its head, while the southernmost limit is called the mouth of the estuary. Between the freshwater head and the saline mouth of the estuary lie a number of distinctive zones marked by intermediate salinity values, each with distinct characteristics pertaining to the water clarity and type of substratum, thus hosting different communities of organisms.

Division of transitional waters.

References

The main author of this article is Penk, Marcin Please note that others may also have edited the contents of this article. Citation: Penk, Marcin (2009): Estuaries. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Estuaries [accessed on 22-11-2024] For other articles by this author see Category:Articles by Penk, Marcin For an overview of contributions by this author see Special:Contributions/Marcin