Vocab - Types and Features of Estuaries and Coastal Ecosystems

Estuary

A coastal area where freshwater from rivers mixes with saltwater from the ocean.

Drowned river valley

A river valley that was flooded by rising sea levels, forming an estuary.

Coastal plain estuary

A type of estuary formed when sea levels rise and flood river valleys.

Bayou

A slow-moving or still body of water, often found in flat, low-lying areas near estuaries.

Bar-built estuary

An estuary protected from the ocean by sandbars or barrier islands.

Tectonic estuary

Formed when tectonic movements cause land to sink, creating a basin for water to collect.

Fjord

A deep, narrow estuary formed by glaciers.

Delta

A landform at the mouth of a river, where sediment builds up and creates new land.

Bay

A body of water partially enclosed by land, usually smaller than a gulf.

Cay

A small, low-elevation island made mostly of coral or sand.

Key

Another word for a cay, often used in Florida (like the Florida Keys).

Barrier island

A long, narrow island parallel to the coast that protects the mainland from waves and storms.

Salt wedge

A layer of salty ocean water that moves underneath freshwater in an estuary.

Tidal current

Water movement caused by tides, helping mix salt and fresh water in estuaries.

Negative estuary

An estuary where evaporation is higher than freshwater input, making it saltier.

Euryhaline

Organisms that can live in a wide range of salinity.

Stenohaline

Organisms that can only tolerate a narrow range of salinity.

Brackish

Water that is a mix of fresh and saltwater, found in estuaries.

Succulents

Plants that store water in their leaves or stems, often found in salty environments.

Mudflats

Flat, muddy areas that are exposed at low tide in estuaries.

Salt marshes

Coastal wetlands flooded and drained by salt water, with salt-tolerant plants.

Wetlands

Areas where water covers the soil or is near the surface, like swamps or marshes.

Rhizomes

Underground stems that help plants spread and hold soil in place.

Mangals

Forests of mangrove trees found in tropical estuaries.

Pneumatophores

Air roots that grow upward from mangrove roots to help the plant breathe.

Outwelling

The flow of nutrients from estuaries into the open ocean, supporting marine life.

Saline

Containing salt; salty water.

Gulf

A large part of the ocean that extends into the land.

Turbidity

How cloudy or muddy the water is, often due to stirred-up sediment.

Deposit feeders

Animals that eat organic material in sediments, like worms or some crabs.