Estuary

What is the defining difference between the marine, freshwater, and estuary biomes?

• Salinity (dissolved salt)

• Sunlight

• Oxygen

• Amount of Water

Which aquatic biome is characterized by where rivers meet oceans?

• Marine

• Freshwater

• Coral Reef

• Estuary

When salt and fresh water mix, what is the new water substance called?

• Brackish Acid
• Fresh Water
• Salt Water
• Brackish Water

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Why does the water level in an estuary rise and fall?

• ocean tides bring water in and out of the shore, causing flooding in the estuary

• rivers add new water off and on through the day

• people all flush their toilets at the same time and it fills the estuary

• lots of rain makes the flooding

Why is it important that some birds and trees can only live beside the river at the top of the estuary?

• those birds and trees have adaptations for only freshwater and not any flooding

• because they like the weather there better

• because the river did not wash them away

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Why is it important that plants like cattails and mangroves live only in the region of the estuary that is brackish water and stays partly flooded during the day?

• they have adaptations for living in freshwater and saltwater and need the waters to flood their roots each day.

• because if they lived close to the ocean, the turtles would eat them all

• because the water is too cold farther up by the river

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Why does it matter how much salt is in the water for organisms?

• the wrong amount of salt causes organisms to become ill or die

• they don't like the way it tastes

• salt makes it easier to swim

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Why is it important that plants like spatterdock and animals like fish have adaptations for living in salty water, underwater all day?

• they live on the ocean side of the estuary, which is covered in salty water most of the time

• the ocean water is the correct temperature for them

• that is the best place to find food

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Why is it important that plants and animals only live in a certain part of the estuary, like near the river, in the brackish water, or by the ocean?

• They can only have adaptations for one type of environment.

• Predators prevent them from living anywhere else.

• The soil is specific for each part of the estuary.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Why is there usually a lot of mud in some parts of the estuary?

• The river carries small particles of sand and dirt, which settle to the ground and become mud when the water levels go down.

• Pollution has caused all of the plants to die, leaving mud.

• The plants lived in the wrong part of the estuary and then died.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2