2. What Is An Estuary
• An estuary is a body of water formed where saltwater from the ocean meets
freshwater from places like a river or stream. The environment around the
estuaries transforms with it.
3. Bar-Built Estuaries
• Bar- Built Estuaries are formed when sand piles up along the coastline to make
sandbars. The water gets partially cut off and the shallow pool remaining has
reduced tidal action. They don’t have much water in them and from there can
grow to achieve the status of a beach or a small island. The wind is the most
important factor for mixing fresh and salt water in the estuary. These types of
estuaries can be found along the Florida Gulf, the Netherlands coast, the North
Carolina coast, and the Texas coast (not to be confused with Texas Toast which
is very delicious ).
4. Coastal Plain Estuaries
• Coastal Plain Estuaries were formed after the last ice age. The seas rose due to
the melted ice from the ice age. Coastal Plain Estuaries tend to be very shallow
and have slanted bottoms. As you venture closer to the river’s mouth, the estuary
get’s deeper. They’re very prevalent throughout the world. You can find Bluefish,
Cobia, Croaker, Flounder, Gray Trout, Spot, Striped Bass, White Perch, Blue
Crabs in these estuaries.
5. Tectonic Estuaries
• Tectonic Estuaries are formed by the movement of the Earth’s crust. It can cause
a section to sink or subside. This creates a depression or basin. Most of these
estuaries form along the fault lines when earthquakes occur. The seawater and
freshwater that pours into these estuaries after it’s creation is the estuary. A
good example would be the San Francisco Bay. It’s right on a fault line and the
area is known for it’s earthquakes.
6. Fjords
• A Fjord is classified as a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs. Glacial
activity carves them out of mountains.. They are formed when a glacier cuts a U-
shaped valley of a surrounding bedrock. They are usually found in higher middle
regions that are cold, such as Greenland. Furthermore, a Fjord's marine life is
thriving, and host thousands of life forms, such as plankton, coral, fish,
anemones, and sharks, which are all adapted to the great pressure of the water
column above them.
