Sustainability Language

Biodiversity & ecosystems

Estuary

A partially enclosed coastal water body where river freshwater mixes with seawater — among the most productive ecosystems on Earth.

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Definition

An estuary is a coastal body of water, usually found where rivers meet the sea, in which freshwater draining from the land mixes with salty seawater to create brackish conditions. Estuaries support unique plant and animal communities adapted to variable salinity and rank among the most productive ecosystems in the world.

References

Overview

What it means

Geologically, estuaries include drowned river valleys, fjords, tectonic and bar-built types; hydrologically they range from salt-wedge to fully mixed systems. They filter runoff, buffer storms and serve as nursery grounds for fish, birds and other wildlife — and are under intense pressure from development, pollution and sea-level rise.

How it is used

Used in coastal management, habitat classification, fisheries science and protected-area systems (e. g. the US National Estuarine Research Reserve System).

Why it matters

Estuaries concentrate biodiversity, fisheries value and human settlement; their condition is a bellwether of coastal sustainability.

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