Life in an Estuary
An estuary is the wide part of a river where it flows into the sea. It is affected by both marine influences(tides, waves, and the influx of saline water) and riverine influences (flows of fresh water and sediment) and is therefore not a perfectly stable environment. As a result, an estuary contains fewer resident species than the nearby marine or freshwater ecosystems, resulting in less competition for food and space. Because there is less competition, many estuarine species tend to be generalists that is,they are able to consume a variety of foods, depending on what is available. Species that can tolerate the salinity and temperature changes in estuaries can exploit the area’s high productivity grow rapidly, and multiply into enormous populations.
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