estuarine
Where rivers meet
Estuarine describes things relating to or found in estuaries—the tidal zones where rivers meet the sea.
These brackish environments support distinctive ecosystems: estuarine habitats, estuarine species, estuarine waters.
The term appears mainly in scientific and environmental contexts: The estuarine wetlands provide critical nursery habitat for commercial fish species.
Mildly salty water
- haloclineSharp saltiness change layer
- salineSalt-water solution
- osmoregulationMaintaining internal solute balance
- anadromousMigrating upstream to breed
osmotic · stratification · freshwater · seawater · gradient · mixing
Waterlogged land ecosystem
- marshlandWaterlogged lowland area
- mudflatExposed shore sediment
- spawningReleasing eggs to reproduce
- nurseryRoom for infants
migratory · shorebird · wader · heron · egret · terrapin · crab · shrimp
Coastal wetland with brackish water
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- nurseryRoom for infants
- spartinaSalt-tolerant marsh grass
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
phytoplankton · zooplankton · detritus · biofilm · nutrient · productivity · foodweb · benthic
Land-water boundary
- littoralRelating to seashores
- inletWater extending into land
- embaymentRecess in coastline
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
sound · firth · drowned · barrier · sandbar · spit · foreshore · coastline
Gradual retreat seaward
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- highwaterPeak tidal elevation
- springtideMaximum tidal range
- neapTide of least range
slackwater · flood · currents · intertidal · semidiurnal · diurnal · tidepool · mudflat
Water-deposited loose sediment
- sedimentationParticles settling in liquid
- siltationAccumulation of fine waterborne particles
- avulsionForcible tissue separation
- fluvialRelating to rivers
geomorphology · accretion · floodplain · meander · distributary · levee · sediment · deposition
Lacking molecular oxygen
- buttressArchitectural wall reinforcement
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- subtropicalClimate near the tropics
- rookeryCommunal bird nesting site
brackish
Mildly salty water
- haloclineSharp saltiness change layer
- salineSalt-water solution
- osmoregulationMaintaining internal solute balance
anadromous · osmotic · stratification · freshwater · seawater · gradient · mixing
wetland
Waterlogged land ecosystem
nursery · migratory · shorebird · wader · heron · egret · terrapin · crab · shrimp · flounder
saltmarsh
Coastal wetland with brackish water
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- nurseryRoom for infants
- spartinaSalt-tolerant marsh grass
eutrophication · phytoplankton · zooplankton · detritus · biofilm · nutrient · productivity · foodweb · benthic · pelagic
shoreline
Land-water boundary
lagoon · sound · firth · drowned · barrier · sandbar · spit · foreshore · coastline · rivermouth
ebb
Gradual retreat seaward
- flowUnbroken forward movement
- highwaterPeak tidal elevation
- springtideMaximum tidal range
neap · slackwater · flood · currents · intertidal · semidiurnal · diurnal · tidepool · mudflat · flushing
alluvium
Water-deposited loose sediment
- sedimentationParticles settling in liquid
- siltationAccumulation of fine waterborne particles
- avulsionForcible tissue separation
fluvial · geomorphology · accretion · floodplain · meander · distributary · levee · sediment · deposition · turbidity
anoxic
Lacking molecular oxygen
- buttressArchitectural wall reinforcement
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- subtropicalClimate near the tropics