• Estuaries change constantly. Change is necessary for healthy estuaries. Estuarine organisms have adapted to tolerate the changing conditions of estuaries.  
• Tides are necessary for healthy estuaries as they flush the systems and provide nutrients to keep the food webs functional. However, tides create constantly changing conditions of exposure to air and inundation to water. 
• Estuaries can be classified according to their water circulation as salt-wedge, fjord, slightly stratified, vertically mixed and freshwater. 
• The depth and location of an estuary affects and changes conditions such as temperature and number of organisms present. 
• Weather patterns, seasonal cycles and climate change affect and change conditions in estuaries. The Earth’s climate is warming at a faster rate than normal. This warming is causing sea level to rise, which may ultimately result in flooded and lost estuaries.

Want to Learn More?

1. The Constantly Changing Estuary
2. Tides Create Cyclical Changes in Estuaries
3. Classifying Estuaries by Water Circulation
4. Water Depth and Estuary Location
5. Weather, Seasons and Climate Create Change in Estuaries