Ecosystems · Coastal
Estuaries
A changing transition between fresh water and the sea.
The meeting of rivers and the coast
What to understand
- 1Estuaries are coastal water bodies where river water meets and mixes with seawater.
- 2Tides and river inflow make conditions vary across an estuary.
The distinction to remember
Salinity is variable: an estuary is not uniformly fresh or uniformly marine.
Conservation connection
Changes to river inflow and nutrient pollution can alter estuarine conditions.
Pause & recall