About Estuaries - Where Rivers Meet the Sea

	Studying Estuaries

Conducting Research in Estuaries

Want to Learn More?

How We Learn about Estuaries
Monitoring Estuaries
Conducting Research in Estuaries

Research in estuaries allows scientists to answer scientific questions about estuaries by making observations and doing experiments.

Research is the observance of a situation in an attempt to answer questions. Research scientists use similar concepts and procedures to study and understand estuaries. They follow the scientific method. This provides them with assurance that the conclusions they draw from the data they are collecting are reliable and accurate. The scientific method is the process by which scientists, collectively and over time, endeavor to construct an accurate representation of the world. The scientific method has several steps including:

Ask a question
Do background research
Construct a hypothesis
Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment
Analyze your data and draw a conclusion
Communicate your results

When working in estuaries, scientists may conduct research on questions such as:

Is there enough fresh water flowing into the estuary to keep it healthy?
Is overfishing significantly reducing the number of valuable fish species in the estuary?
Are enough adult species returning to the estuary spawn to support their populations?
Has a new invasive species arrived and is it trying to compete with native species for food and shelter?
What caused a recent algae bloom?
Did the last hurricane or storm damage vegetation or estuarine habitat?
Are there chemicals and debris entering the estuary that could harm estuarine organisms? And, will this damage cause short or long term affects to the estuary’s health?
Are there measurable changes from global warming and the changing climate?

Last Updated on: 06-24-2008