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Connecticut Water Trails
Program
Estuaries
Estuaries Are Unique And Important Places
Estuaries are unique places that are valuable to the environment and to
society
Estuaries are places like no other. Each with its own specific
characteristics, but all playing vital roles in the environment and in
our lives. Some examples of estuaries’ unique and important features
are:
Each estuary can make up an individual
ecosystem. Look on a world map. The Mississippi Delta estuaries in
the Gulf of Mexico are different from estuaries in San Francisco
Bay, California. However, estuaries are also interconnected with
other surrounding environments (oceans, lakes, forests, grassy
plains) and nearby human communities.
Estuaries are constantly changing and are areas
of transition. Life is dynamic and diverse in estuaries. Some
animals and plants specialize in, or adapt to, living in the unique
conditions of estuaries.
Estuaries vary widely around the world. Earth’s
changing geology, flowing water and different weather patterns help
create many diverse types of
estuarine
habitats.
Rivers provide nutrients, organic matter, and
sediments to estuaries. Rivers flow downstream delivering fresh
water from streams, small rocks and silt, and leaves and other
vegetation debris. Nutrients support life in the estuary.
Estuaries can filter small amounts of pollutants
and runoff. Vegetation helps filter and trap silt. However, too much
nutrient or sediment input will create an unbalanced situation
causing the health of the ecosystem to decline.
Estuaries act like huge sponges, buffering and
protecting upland areas from crashing waves and storms and
preventing soil erosion. They soak up excess water from floods and
stormy tidal surges driven into shore from strong winds.
Estuaries provide a safe haven and protective
nursery for small fish, shellfish, migrating birds, and coastal
shore animals. In the U.S., estuaries are nurseries to over 75% of
all fish and shellfish harvested.
People enjoy living near estuaries and the surrounding coastline. They
sail, fish, hike, swim, and enjoy bird watching. An estuary is often the
center of a coastal community
 What Types Of Plants And Animals Live In Estuaries?
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