Estuary

Estuaries are a body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flow into the ocean, mixing with the seawater. Although influenced by the tide, estuaries are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, mud, or the sand that surround them. Making them a safe environment for creatures like: mussels, crabs, plankton, and seals. Notable examples of estuaries are: The Amazon River, Long Island Sound, and New York Harbor.

Because we rely on water, more than half of the people in the US live within 100 miles of the coast - and the shores of estuaries. Coastal communites are growing faster and faster than is countries elsewhere in the world. As more people flock to the shore, we upset the natural balance of estuaries and are threatening their health. We endanger estuaries by pollution, building on the lands surrounding them. By doing this we affect ourselves and it also leads to: beach and shellfish bed closings, harmful algae blooms, declines in fisheries, loss of habitat, and fish kills.