Definition:
An estuary is a body of water created where fresh water from a river mixes with the salt water of the ocean. You'd find an estuary, which may also be called a harbor, bay, lagoon, inlet, or sound, along the coast wherever a river/stream enters the ocean.
Estuaries provide important habitat for a variety of marine life, including plants like seagrasses and mangroves, and animals such as manatees, dolphins, fish, birds, and marine invertebrates such as snails and horseshoe crabs.
Since they are often popular areas for development and recreation, estuaries can be threatened by pollution and habitat destruction.
