ESTUARIES

By: ESAI, ROBIN, and CHELSEA

DEPTH, DISSOLVED 02, LIGHT

Estuary depth: Usually ranges from 5m-10m (16ft-33ft)

Dissolved 02: In estuaries, prominent plant deaths rob estuaries of oxygen levels. Shallow, well mixed estuaries do much better in oxygen levels.

Light: Light penetration is low due to high turbidity. (Effects Algae Growth)

TEMPERATURE

Estuaries are shallows as well as fertile, so the temperature ranges widely depending on the time of year and location.

CURRENTS

CURRENTS

TURBITITY Turbidity is one of the most important abiotic factors

in estuaries especially. As an abiotic feature it as a huge effect on the biological state of the estuary.

Because of the nature of estuaries they tend to be fairly open. This affects the light penetration, this can then affect both the function of the primary producers and all types of phytoplankton.

This has a huge effect on the entire food web, because if there is a low production on the most basic of levels, the organisms higher on chain are strained.

"Because light availability controls productivity it must also play a major role in

determining the population growth rate of estuarine phytoplankton, and we expect that biomass should vary "

TURBITITYTurbidity has an effect on another very important abiotic factor. tis is dissolved oxygen. the amount of dissolved oxygen can be effected by may things. These include the turbidity. which effects the presence of primary producers and potentially decaying mass, human factors, and many other things. This plays a huge role in the biological state of the estuary.

ABIOTIC FACTORS air/water temp water depth salinity dissolved oxygen turbidity-water clarity PH Nutrients

BIOTIC FACTORS species diversity chlorophyll A

Photo pigmentPlankton

VERTEBRATES

• Salmon• Sea Trout• Stripped Bass• Flounder• Eels• Turtles• Rays

INVERTEBRATES• Crabs• Oysters• Clams• Sea horses• Worms• Mud snails

Invertebrates - A variety of insects, molluscs, crustaceans, and worms make up the invertebrates that inhabit an estuary, and depending on the estuary, thirty or more types of invertebrate can live together in an area of an estuary. Sometimes, there are many thousands of individuals per square meter in an estuary.

HOW DO THEY SURVIVE??? Salinity of the water changes constantly

over the tidal cycle. Plants and animals living in estuaries must be able to respond quickly to drastic changes in salinity.

Salinity in the estuary varies with depth, side to side, and changes with the tide.

The changing salinity levels are intolerable for most organisms.

Plants and animals that can tolerate a wide range of salinities are called euryhaline. (rare)

SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS Many fishes and crustaceans migrate

offshore to spawn or breed. The eggs develop into larvae (immature forms) that are transported into estuaries by tides and currents. (Shrimp)

The smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) found in salt marshes, has special filters on its roots to remove salts from the water it absorbs. This plant also expels excess salt through its leaves.

PRIMARY PRODUCERS

Some Primary Producers

Phytoplankton Zooplankton Algae Sea Grasses Salt Marsh Plants

Estuaries have high fertility and large phytoplankton and zooplankton populations.

estimated that 60 to 80 % of the commercial marine fisheries resources depend on estuaries

PRIMARY PRODUCERSContinued

Phytoplankton is a huge contributor to the health of an estuary.

SPECIFIC ESTUARIESEstuaries in the bay of bengal: There are 39 estuaries that flow into the bay of bengal. these estuaries have a huge effect on the ecosystem. what the estries mainly do is allow for nutrients to reach the bay. certain nutrients come from the rivers and what they collect from flowing through ecosystems and habitats. there is also al effect on phytoplankton blooms. because there is a constant flow of fresh water this allows for the blooms to be controlled and not grow to a dangerous size.

SPECIFIC ESTUARIES (CONT’D)The Chesapeake bay: The Chesapeake bay estuary system is the largest estuary in the united states and a perfect example of how important estuary systems can be to a habitat. in the Chesapeake bay the estuary system creates may different habitats from marshes to sandy beaches, each of these habitats provide for certain species and allow for their success. Estuaries provide a huge amount of biomass especially in situations like this, because there is a habitat suitable for so many different species.

THE END