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The Estuary

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The Estuary
When fresh river water mixes with sea water in a semi-enclosed basin, an estuary is formed. The formation of estuaries can also occur in drowned river valleys (Owen, 1992, p.3). A variety of plant and animal species live in the estuary as they are provided with a wealth of living space, food and shelter. Many native flowering plants and seaweeds are included in the flora of the estuaries, where the plant species are distributed based on their salinity tolerances. Salt marshes form towards the high-tide level where the vegetation of the salt marsh consists of three zones. The lower marsh consist of “tall sea rush or mixtures of herbaceous plants” whereas herbaceous species such as the buck’s horn plantain and Selliera live in the mid-marsh zone. The upper salt marsh is formed by taller species such as jointed rush, tall fescue and coastal ribbonwood (Jones & Marsden, 2005, p.11). The animal species that are found in estuaries can either be shore-dwelling, benthic or pelagic, where the benthic invertebrates that reside on shore permanently, dominates the shore animals. The estuary is also used as a feeding and stopping-off point for birds during their migration. An example is the Manawatu Estuary, where native birds such as the Spotting Spoonbills and the endangered Wrybills, and migratory birds i.e Godwits, use the estuary as a place to rest and a place to hunt for food (Leckie, 2006, 2005). Besides that, the Manawatu Estuary is also used by the flounder and white bait as their breeding grounds (Electra, n.d.).
The estuary food webs are quite easy to understand as they are mainly based on detritus, which is the matter produced by the decay or disintegration of an organic substance, and the micro-organisms associated with it (Jones & Marsden, 2005, p.13). The food web below shows an example of a food web in an estuarine ecosystem.

Estuary Food Web.
Fig 1. (Estuaries – Estuary Food Web, n.d.)
The food web begins with energy entering the ecosystem


References: Convention on Biological Diversity (n.d.). Spartina. Retrieved April 10, 2010 from http://www.cbd.int/doc/case-studies/ais/cs-ais-nz-spartina-en.pdf Department of Conservation (n.d.) Fluoride Action Network (n.d.). Gallant * NF Herbicide. Retrieved April 19, 2010 from http://www.fluoridealert.org/pesticides/msds/haloxyfop-r.gallant.nf.pdf Helicopter to be used in search of estuaries for Spartina (2008) Retrieved April 27, 2010 from http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-doc/news/media-releases/2008/helicopter-to-be-used-in- Christchurch: Canterbury University Press Keep Tracking on with DOC, Issue 21, (2010). Retrieved April 27, 2010 from http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/29838/keep-tracking-on-with-doc-issue-21-march-2010.pdf Leckie, J. (2005) Spring at the Estuary.Guardian Retrieved April 27, 2010 from Retrieved April 27, 2010 from http://www.environmentnetwork.org.nz/127.html Marlborough District Council (n.d.) Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/Environment/Biosecurity/Aquatic-pests/~/media/Files/MDC/Home/Environment/Biosecurity/Spartina.ashx Northland Regional Council (n.d.) Owen, S-J (Ed.). (1992). The Estuary: Where Our Rivers Meet the Sea: Christchurch’s Avon-Heathcote Estuary and Brooklands Lagoon Partridge, T.R. (1987). Spartina in New Zealand. New Zealand: New Zealand Journal of Botany Vol.25 : 567 – 575 Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand (n.d.). Estuaries – People and estuaries. Retrieved April 21, 2010 from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/estuaries/6 Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand (n.d.) Washington State Department of Agriculture (n.d.). Common Cordgrass. Retrieved May 19, 2008 from http://www.wa.govt.agr.weedboard/weed_info/commoncordgrass.html West Coast Regional Council (n.d.)
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