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The most important variable characteristics of estuary water are the concentration of dissolved oxygen, salinity and sediment load. There is extreme spatial variability in salinity, with a range of near-zero at the tidal limit of tributary rivers to 3.4% at the estuary mouth. At any one point, the salinity will vary considerably over time and ...
The denser seawater moves along the bottom up the estuary forming a wedge shaped layer and becoming thinner as it moves landward. As a velocity difference develops between the two layers, shear forces generate internal waves at the interface, mixing the seawater upward with the freshwater. [6] An example is the Mississippi estuary. [citation ...
There, the two bodies of water that mix off the coast of Tadoussac give the Maritime Estuary characteristics that distinguish it from other reaches of the St. Lawrence: nutrient-rich surface waters throughout the summer and upwellings of deep, cold water that favour the formation of Euphausiids. -Krill.
This is typically found where rivers meet the ocean or sea. The wildlife found within estuaries is unique as the water in these areas is brackish - a mix of freshwater flowing to the ocean and salty seawater. [16] Other types of estuaries also exist and have similar characteristics as traditional brackish estuaries. The Great Lakes are a prime ...
The Brazos River Estuary is the second of three minor estuaries located on the upper-mid Texas coast in Brazoria County between Matagorda Bay and Galveston Bay. It is a riverine estuary system consisting only of the lower reaches of the Brazos River, with no associated bay. [44]
Estuaries provide habitats for a large number of organisms and support very high productivity. Estuaries provide habitats for salmon and sea trout nurseries, [43] as well as migratory bird populations. [44] Two of the main characteristics of estuarine life are the variability in salinity and sedimentation.
Brackish water estuaries Freshwater seasonal stream and river mouths and deltas . The term bar can apply to landform features spanning a considerable range in size, from a length of a few meters in a small stream to marine depositions stretching for hundreds of kilometers along a coastline, often called barrier islands .
This term has been widely used to refer to beaches inside estuaries and bays where locally-generated wind waves are the main source of hydrodynamic energy [5] [32] [25] [7] however, the term can also be applied to beaches outside estuaries and bays, with different characteristics. Sheltered beaches.