Estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water alo | Upsc Environment

Estuary

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean. [Primary productivity in estuaries is very high. Fishing is a dominant occupation around estuaries. Most of the estuaries are good bird sanctuaries].

Estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea and freshwater to salt water.

Although influenced by the tides, they are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by such land forms as barrier islands or peninsulas.