ESTUARY
N., PLURAL ESTUARIES | [ES-CHOO-AIR-EE]
The wide lower channel of a river where it flows into the sea. Estuaries experience tidal flows, so their water is a changing mixture of fresh and salt. which makes them fertile areas for a wide variety of marine life. (See why they're so important?)
ESTUARIES ARE A BIOLOGICAL ORCHESTRA
Their harmonious combination of brackish water, shallow depths and high levels of nutrients form an ideal environment for microscopic marine organisms, which in turn form the base of the marine food chain by fostering healthy populations of fish, amphibians and shellfish. In an estuary, every species plays its part.
The scientific story of what makes our waters so plentiful starts with our estuaries. And if you're lucky, it ends on your plate.
