Estuary and Brackish Water Questions

What is an estuary?

• freshwater

• saltwater

• freshwater and saltwater mixed

• rivers

What is brackish water?

• unsalty water

• mixture of salty seawater and freshwater

• freshwater

• water from a lake

What is the water like in an estuary? (check all that apply)

• brackish and warm

• shallow, brackish, colder temperature

• deep, clear, and warm

• higher temperature, clear, deep

What is the water distribution in an estuary?

• freshwater at the top and bottom, saltwater in the middle

• freshwater at the surface, saltwater at the bottom

• saltwater at the top, freshwater at the bottom

• saltwater at the top and bottom, freshwater in the middle

Estuaries are important to the whole marine ecosystem because...

• no animals are born there

• chemosynthesis happens here

• they are the nurseries of the ocean where many animals have their babies

• there is no oxygen

Why do we need to protect estuaries?

Why do many animals reproduce and spend the early part of their lives in estuaries?

• saltwater and freshwater are not a healthy habitat

• saltwater and freshwater mix to make a unique habitat

• the extra freshwater makes it easier for the animals to breathe

• the extra saltwater makes it a better habitat than the mixture

Why are estuaries rich in nutrients?

• getting the nutrients only from the rivers

• getting nutrients only from the ocean water

• getting nutrients from the river and the oceans

• they are not rich in nutrients

What makes the life-forms increase within the estuaries?

• As nutrients increase, life-forms increase.

• Life-forms increase because there are less nutrients.

• The lack of fish increase life-forms.

• The increase of life-forms makes a decrease in life-forms.

Which of these get into estuaries from RIVERS and STREAMS?

• no rocks, no pollutants, no nutrients

• only nutrients but no pollutants

• Sediments, pollutants, nutrients

• only pollutants but no sediments or nutrients