Estuaries filter out sediments and pollutants from rivers and streams before they flow into the ocean, providing cleaner waters for humans and marine life. However, coastal development, introduction of invasive species, overfishing, dams, and global climate change have led to a decline in the health of estuaries.
Estuaries act as natural filters. Water from rivers and streams can carry sediments, nutrients and pollutants into estuaries in runoff from the land, some of which can be retained in estuaries by a natural filtration process. Excessive amounts of sediment, nutrients and pollutants in runoff from the land puts estuaries and their biodiversity at risk.
This natural filtration can occur in riparian areas – the vegetated area adjacent to the edge of a waterway – where the vegetation and soils act to intercept sediment and nutrients in runoff from the land.
As rivers, creeks and streams flow into estuaries the speed of currents reduces, resulting in material being deposited into different parts of estuaries. This means water that flows to the downstream parts of estuaries and out to the ocean can be much clearer and cleaner. Clear, clean water benefits marine life and people interacting with waterways and the coast.
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Explanation:
Estuaries filter out sediments and pollutants from rivers and streams before they flow into the ocean, providing cleaner waters for humans and marine life. However, coastal development, introduction of invasive species, overfishing, dams, and global climate change have led to a decline in the health of estuaries.
Estuaries act as natural filters. Water from rivers and streams can carry sediments, nutrients and pollutants into estuaries in runoff from the land, some of which can be retained in estuaries by a natural filtration process. Excessive amounts of sediment, nutrients and pollutants in runoff from the land puts estuaries and their biodiversity at risk.
This natural filtration can occur in riparian areas – the vegetated area adjacent to the edge of a waterway – where the vegetation and soils act to intercept sediment and nutrients in runoff from the land.
As rivers, creeks and streams flow into estuaries the speed of currents reduces, resulting in material being deposited into different parts of estuaries. This means water that flows to the downstream parts of estuaries and out to the ocean can be much clearer and cleaner. Clear, clean water benefits marine life and people interacting with waterways and the coast.