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Estuarine Ecosystem
An estuary is a semi-enclosed body of water with variable salinity intermediate between salt and fresh water. Examples of estuaries are river mouths, coastal bays, tidal marshes and water bodies behind barrier beaches. Estuaries are among the most naturally fertile waters in the world (Odum, 1989). Their high productivity results from their unique juxtaposition at the edge of the continent. Nutrients from four sources contribute to the productivity of estuaries

One component of the estuary is shallow salt marshes that play an important role for organisms. Salt marshes are regularly rinsed by the ebb and flow of the tides. Waste products are diluted and removed and nutrients are brought in from the land and the sea. The materials of streams flocculate as the mixture of clay-sized particles and algae meet the sea waters. They settle down, leaving the water clear. In the salt marsh, plants need not expend energy in collecting minerals.
They are assisted in obtaining minerals from many organisms. Clams, oysters and mussels trap nutrients as they feed, and deposit the wastes as pseudo-faeces. In these nutrient-rich waters, plants grow, die, and cycle rapidly as they are consumed by the inhabitants of the estuary. The major energy flow is by way of detritus food chain rather than the grazing food chain