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♤ An Estuary is a semi enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it.
♤ It has a free connection with open sea.
♤ The complete salinity range from 0-35 ppt is seen from the head (river end) to the mouth (sea end) of an estuary.
♤ An estuary has very little wave action, so it provides a calm refuge from the open sea. It provides the shelter for some of the animals.
♤ It is the most productive region as it receives the high amount of nutrients from fresh and marine water.
♤ Estuaries are most heavily populated areas throughout the world, with about 60% of the world’s population living along estuaries and the coast.
Coastal lakes which have their connection with the sea through small openings are better known as lagoons or backwaters. They exhibit a gradient in salinity from freshwater to marine depending upon the extent of influence of the sea water.