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By: ESAI, ROBIN, and CHELSEA
 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)
Estuaries are
shallows as well as
fertile, so the
temperature ranges
widely depending on
the time of year and
location.
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 "

Turbidity 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.
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air/water temp
water depth
salinity
dissolved oxygen
turbidity-water clarity
PH
Nutrients
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species diversity
chlorophyll A
Photo pigment
Plankton
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Salmon
Sea Trout
Stripped Bass
Flounder
Eels
Turtles
Rays
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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.
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)
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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.
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Phytoplankton
 Zooplankton
 Algae
 Sea Grasses
 Salt Marsh Plants
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Some Primary Producers
Estuaries have high
fertility and large
phytoplankton and
zooplankton
populations.
 estimated that 60 to
80 % of the
commercial marine
fisheries resources
depend on estuaries
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Continued
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Phytoplankton is a huge contributor
to the health of an estuary.
Estuaries 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.
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.