Estuaries Lecture Notes Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards for the Estuaries lecture.

World Harbour Project

A project bringing together international research institutions and agencies concerned with the health of heavily urbanised waterways and the increasing challenges they face.

EstuaryWatch Goals

Citizen science monitoring program to detect change in ecosystem health or condition and to inform management.

Bioturbation

Reworking of sediments by animals and plants.

Macrofauna

Annelid worms, crabs, amphipods, molluscs which are greater than 500 m.

Meiofauna

Nematodes, copepods which are 62 - 500 m.

Microfauna & microflora

Bacteria, diatoms which are less than 62 m.

Estuary

A body of water partially surrounded by land, where fresh water from a river mixes with ocean water.

Intermittently open and closed estuaries (IOCE)

Entrances that can close to the ocean when tidal currents and river flow is low and can not erode sediment delivered onshore by waves.

Halocline

Layer in which salinity changes rapidly.

Estuarine Mixing

The mixing of fresh and salt water in estuaries, influenced by tides and river flow, creating a dynamic salinity gradient.

Estuarine Hypoxia

The process where dissolved oxygen levels decrease in an estuary, often due to excessive nutrient input and subsequent algal blooms.

Estuarine pH

The measure of acidity or alkalinity of estuarine water, crucial for the survival and health of aquatic organisms.

Estuarine Wetlands

Areas within estuaries that are saturated with water, supporting plant species adapted to wet conditions and providing habitat for various organisms.

Euryhaline Species

Species that can tolerate a wide range of salinity levels, commonly found in estuaries where salinity fluctuates.

Estuarine Pollution

The introduction of pollutants into estuaries, such as chemicals, nutrients, and sediments, which can harm the ecosystem.

Salt Marshes

Plant communities dominated by salt-tolerant species, providing habitat and stabilizing shorelines in estuaries.

Coastal wetlands dominated by mangrove trees, providing habitat, protecting shorelines,