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Simply put, an estuary is a partially enclosed body of water where the river meets the sea. The ensuing conjunction of salt and fresh water in various degrees creates ideal conditions critical to the survival of many forms of wildlife. If the appropriate mix of salt and fresh water in any given portion of the estuary gets out of balance, all sorts of problems could crop up, some perhaps even affecting you. For instance, it could very well be that most of the fish you catch or dine upon, whether seafaring or river-dwelling, rely on the health of an estuary at some point in their lives.
All told, an estuary is one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, supporting more life per square inch than the richest farm land, which means that the health of an estuary is equally as important to the economy as to the environment. Estuaries affect and are effected by all plant, animal, insect and even microbial life inhabiting the water and surrounding uplands and wetlands, as well as by weather conditions, tides, and human activities.
Twenty-seven estuarine reserve sites make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). These sites are located in 20 of the 35 U.S coastal states and protect over 1.3 million acres of coastal land and waters from Alaska to Puerto Rico.
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Last Updated on: Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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