AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -An estuary is an area where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean. When freshwater and seawater combine, the water becomes brackish, or slightly salty.

Detailed explanation-2: -Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities that have adapted to brackish water-a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater.

Detailed explanation-3: -The mixture of seawater and fresh water in estuaries is called brackish water and its salinity can range from 0.5 to 35 ppt.

Detailed explanation-4: -Estuarine ecosystems. These are areas where both ocean and land contribute to a unique ecosystem. A basic feature is the instability of an estuary due to the ebb and flood of the tide. Plant and animal wastes are washed away, sediment is shifted and fresh and salt water are mixed.

Detailed explanation-5: -Estuaries are regions where freshwater and ocean water mix. Life in estuaries must be adapted to this mixture of saltwater and freshwater. Estuaries are home to many species of fish and shellfish, as well as several species of migratory birds that depend on estuaries for a place to nest and raise their young.