Bacterial Production - Estuary, which is the coastal adjunct of the marine ecosystem, can itself be studied as an ecosystem since its physical, chemical and biological characteristics are much different from the marine environment. An estuary is a semiepclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea (pelczar et al, 1986).
Unlike those of ocean waters, the characteristics of an estuary such as salinity, temperature, turbidity, and nutrient load are not generally constant. These characteristics fluctuate over a wide range in relation to space and time.
For example, an ideal estuary has a salinity gradient from less than 5% at the upper end to more than 25% at the mouth. Estuaries are complex and are characterized by intensive exchange of water, energy and materials across the margin between marine and freshwater environments.
