ESTUARIES

WHERE RIVERS MEET THE SEA

 Estuaries
Origins and Types of Estuaries
Characteristics of Estuaries (Salinity, Substrate, Other
Physical Factors)
Estuaries as Ecosystem (Types of Communities, Feeding
Interactions)
Human Impact on Estuarine Communities
 Semi-enclosed areas where fresh water and seawater meet and mix
Close interaction between land and sea
Among the most productive environments on earth
Among the environments most effected by humans

• Estuaries are the transitional zones between the rivers and sea and have specific ecological
properties and biological composition
• They are usually divided into three sectors- marine or lower estuaries having free connection with the open sea; middle
estuaries where strong salt and fresh water missing and upper and fluvial estuaries characterized by freshwater water but
subject to daily tidal action
• Subdivided into three zone-Tidal zone; mixing zone and near shore turbid zone
 Classification of estuaries –
Based on environment-there is lack of uniformity among tropical estuaries in terms of size,
shape, depth, physical and chemical feature and other environmental factor
The tropical estuaries environment can be divided into –
• Open estuaries- these estuaries are never isolated from the sea. example- Hooghly
Matlah. The tidal impact of the system is felt upto 200 km Mahananda and Godavari is
also open type
• Estuarine coastal water- the shallow nature of the such coastal water and their physical
condition and lowered salinity and high turbidity make.
• Blind estuaries- the estuaries in this categories are small both in the length and catchment
area during the summer the estuaries are temporary closed by the sand bar across the sea
mouth during this period no tidal current. Mouth open during rainy season –many
estuaries locate din Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
• Coastal lake- coastal lake have some forms connection with sea and at same they receive
water from fresh water through no of river. example- Chilka (Odisha) and Pulicate
(Andhara Pradesh)
Based on pattern of salinity distribution – estuaries can divided into
Positive estuaries, negative and neutral estuaries
Positive estuaries- when fresh water inflow in estuaries exceeds evaporation
Negative estuaries- when the evaporation exceed the inflow high rate of
evaporation increased the surface salinity
Neutral estuaries- evaporation and inflow of fresh water in equilibrium. This
categories of estuaries are almost absent. Evaporation and inflow of fresh water
are never equal.
Geomorphic classification
Coastal plain estuaries (drowned river valleys river)- most common type of estuaries.
Formed by the lower reaches of river valleys and drowned river mouth
• formed when the sea invaded (occupied) lowlands and river mouths
• formed by rise in sea level when river valley became increasingly more flooded by melting
glaciers
• Estuaries of this types are generally elongated and shallow, branches and irregular
• Most of the Indian estuaries are belong to this categories
Bar-built estuaries- formed from the accumulation of sediments that build up and create
sand bars and barrier islands dividing fresh and salt water
• Enclosed shallow area may develop estuaries
• This type of estuaries have narrow connection with the sea example- Vellar estuaries Tamil
Nadu
Tectonically produced estuaries-
• Tectonic Estuaries are caused by the folding or faulting of land surfaces.
produced due to land slide and volcanic eruption. San Fransicso Bay
Fjord estuaries- created from deep cuts by glaciers that later filled in by rivers
Both type of estuaries are not found in india
Fjords are U-shaped valleys formed by glacial action.
Estuarine ecosystem
In general estuaries are the most productive natural ecosystem in the world
Reason for the high productivity are –
Abundant avability of primary productive unit –phytoplankton, zooplankton benthic algae and
green rooted plant (mangrove)
Oxygen content of estuaries water are high than other water body due to tidal action and
current
Rapid regeneration and conservation of nutrient due to biological activity of primary consumer
Estuaries also receive organic detritus from wetland around the estuaries system
Most of the tropical estuaries are bordered by mangrove forest –produced organic detritus
Also called nutrient trap as it receive abundant nutrient from fresh water discharge
Estuaries water resources of India
Total estuaries area estimated to be – 1.44 million ha
West Bengal- 2.10 lakh ha
Odisha- 4.17 lakh ha
Andhrapradesh-0.79ha
Tamil nadu-0.56 lakh ha
Major estuaries are- Hooghly Matlah estuaries
Godavari, Krishna, Cauverry

Estuaries of east coast

Estuaries of west coast
CHARACTERISTICS
• Have a unique combination of physical and chemical characteristics from the
mixing of salt and freshwater
• Estuaries having large variation in several parameters and create stressful
environment for organisms. This is the reason that large organisms are less in
number in this area than smaller organisms.
• Estuaries are dominated by soft muddy (combination of silt and clay) substrate
and is rich in organic matter.
Temperature
• The Water temperature in estuaries, except fjords, varies markedly because of
their shallow depths and large surface area.
• It heats up and cools down more rapidly under atmospheric conditions & the
reason for this is freshwater input.
• The surface water have the greatest temperature range & the deeper water
have lower temperature range.
Wave Action And Its Effect
• All the variations i.e, the salinity, the texture of substrate, temperature, organic
matter content and available oxygen are controlled by wave action and currents.
• The wave action in estuary is small.
• deposition of fine sediments and development of rooted plants.
Estuarine Current
• When dense, salty seawater flows into an estuary, it has an estuarine current.
High tides can create estuarine currents.
• Saltwater is heavier than freshwater, so estuarine currents sink and move near
the bottom of the estuary.
• When less-dense freshwater from a river flows into the estuary, it has an anti-
estuarine current. Anti-estuarine currents are strongest near the surface of the
water . Heated by the sun, anti estuarine currents are much warmer than
estuarine currents
 Current Velocities And Its Effects
• Velocities up to several knots can occur.
• The highest velocities occur in middle whereas in the bottom and side bank
the velocity is lowest.
• The erosion & deposition in the estuaries are due to currents which is a
natural cycle.
• However, In estuaries deposition exceeds erosion so there is a net
accumulation of silt. During dry part of the year, water movement is severely
reduced leading to stagnation, reduced oxygen content, formation of algal
blooms and incidence of fish kills
Turbidity
• The water of estuaries is turbid because of the great number of particulates in
suspension in the water.
• The turbidity is minimum near the mouth and increase with distance inland.
• The major ecological effect of turbidity is a marked decrease in the penetration
of light. Thus, in turn decreases photosynthesis by phytoplankton and benthic
plants, thereby reducing productivity.
Oxygen
• Oxygen is also the most important factors in the estuary system.
• Since the solubility of oxygen in water decreases with increase in temperature
and salinity, so the amount of oxygen varies with these parameters.
• The high organic content and bacterial population of the sediments exert a large
oxygen demand on the water.
• Estuarine sediments are, therefore, anoxic below the first few centimeters, unless
they have large no of burrowing animals such as ghost shrimp Callianasa and
Balanoglossus which by their activities oxygenate lower sediment layers.
hemichordate worm
Salinity-

• In Estuaries, water level and salinity rise and fall with the tide Salinity of the
estuaries water varies between – 0.5 and 35%
• These features also rise and fall with the seasons.
• During the rainy season, rivers may flood the estuary with freshwater and lowers
the salinity. During the dry season, the outflow from rivers may slow to a trickle,
the estuary shrinks and becomes much more saline.
• If the area has a diurnal tide, the organisms are subjected to two shifts in salinity
every day: one as the tide moves upstream and a second as it retreats. In an
estuary with semidiurnal tides, salinity changes four times a day
BIOTA OF ESTUATINE ECOSYSTEM
• The biota of estuaries is, in turns regulated by degree of mixing.
• Estuarine diversification is lower than river or marine because of tremendous
variation in physical environment.
• Major species are restricted to the estuarine situation, such as Oyster & Crabs
and those that come from sea, such as Shrimp.
• Very few species are derived from freshwater and only those that are capable of
osmoregulation in the saltier environment.
• Estuaries are nursery ground for vast number of marine animals shrimps and
crabs to fishes.
Primary producer
• primary producers do flourish on mudflats (The bottoms of estuaries that become exposed
at low tide often form mudflats)
• A few seaweeds—like the green algae Enteromorpha sea lettuce, and some red algae—
grow on bits of shell.
• Bacteria and archaea are extremely abundant on mudflats. They decompose the huge
amounts of organic matter brought in by rivers and tides. When the oxygen is used up by
decay, some bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide.
• Diatoms and bacteria, including photosynthetic bacteria, actually account for most of the
primary production on mudflats
Infauna
• The dominant animals on mudflats burrow in the sediment and are known as
infauna.
• Burrowers, like the fat innkeeper (Urechis caupo), polychaete (Hesperonoe
adventor), a crab (Scleroplax granulata), a fish (Clevelandia ios) and other
guests.
• Mudflat inhabitants that feed on detritus are:
Deposit Feeders- Animals feeding on organic matter that settles in the sediment.
Suspension Feeders- Animals, including filter feeders, that feed on particles
suspended in the water column.
Many deposit feeders and some other members of the infauna are known
as bioturbators because they move and mix sediment when burying or digging.
Bioturbation helps in the oxygenation of sediment
Meiofauna
• The Protozoans, nematodes, and many other minute animals that compose the
meiofauna also thrive on detritus.
• The meiofauna are also known as interstitial animals.
• The larger burrowing animals, or infauna, include many polychaetes.
• Most are deposit feeders.
Epifauna
• Very few mudflat animals can be classified as epifauna, those that either live
on the sediment surface or are attached to a surface as sessile forms.
• Crabs, Mercenaria mercenaria , Mya arenaria , Macoma , ghost, mud snail
(Upogebia) shrimps and Uca are some examples for epifauna.
• Some of these are of considerable commercial importance
Predators
• Most important predators in the mudflat community are fishes and birds.
• Fishes invade mudflats at high tide, whereas birds congregate at low tide to feed.
• The most significant predators on mudflats are wading [Link] include
the willet, godwits, dowitchers, and many species of plovers and sandpipers
such a curlews and phalaropes. They feed on polychaetes, ghost shrimps and
other small crustaceans, clams, and mud snails.
Why High Productive
• The high productivity results from estuaries being nutrients traps for both
physical (Based on the degree of mixing) and biological (Rapid recycling) reasons.
• Also estuarine producers, which include seaweeds and marsh grasses as well as
benthic algae and phytoplankton, are capable of nearly year-round
photosynthesis.
• The higher the fluctuation of water level, the higher the productivity, the tides
serving to remove waste and to transport food and nutrients.
Importance of Estuaries
• The Estuaries are tremendously productive and are home to large numbers of
organisms, many of which are of commercial importance.
• Estuaries also provide vital breeding and feeding grounds for many animals.
• Estuaries are important stopover (halt) and wintering areas for many species of
migratory birds.
• The worldwide economic value of marine wetlands as sources of food and as
nurseries of many food species, in recreation and tourism, as sources of wood
and other materials, in protection against storms and erosion, as well as in the
maintenance of biodiversity and water quality, is enormous
• As transition zones between land and water, estuaries are invaluable laboratories
for scientists and students studying the complexity of biology, geology,
chemistry, physics, history and social issues.
HUMAN INTERFERENCE AND THREATS TO ESTUARIES
• All around the globe estuaries - to make marinas, artificial harbors, and sea-
ports. Others are filled to create everything from industrial parks and urban
development to garbage dumps.
• navigation channels increases the exposure of estuaries to wave action, which
often results in the destruction of salt marshes.
• Another problem in some estuaries is the reduction or elimination of normal
freshwater input when rivers are dammed or diverted. Sediment input from
rivers is decreased so that erosion of sediments by tides is not refilled.
• Deforestation and agriculture brings about an increase in sediment, which in
estuaries like Chesapeake Bay, decreases water quality and increases pollution
Environmental Impacts
Dredged or filled and transformed into marinas/port, seaports, industrial parks,
cities and garbage dumps
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF MARSH LANDS
• The destruction of salt marshes by human activities is a major worldwide problem.
• The restoration of disturbed salt marshes to their natural condition is being carried
out as part of efforts to protect and preserve coastal wetlands.
• Some biologists encourage the natural regeneration of disturbed salt marshes, but
others prefer to accelerate recovery by replanting dominant species, particularly
cordgrass (Spartina ). For example, the University of Southern Mississippi operates a
nursery that grows salt marsh plants that are transplanted in damaged marshes.
• The success of replanting depends on factors such as wave action and tides, water
chemistry (salinity, dissolved nutrients), and the substrate (slope, sediment size,
oxygen content).
• Recovery can take many years, and the length of the recovery period depends on
the degree of disturbance, environmental factors, and the relative maturity of
marshes. The more mature marshes take the longest to recover.