Estuaries-+The+Basics

__The Basics of Estuaries and the San Francisco Bay Estuary__

The San Francisco Bay is an estuary and the San Francisco Bay Estuary is located in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco Bay Estuary is a very large estuary, in fact it is the largest estuary on the West Coast. An estuary is a place where salt water from the ocean and freshwater from rivers mix. This mixture creates a perfect environment for many types of life because most young are not as resilient to environmental changes as adults are and therefore estuaries with their diluted salt-water and physical barriers provide protection for young. In addition, estuaries are rich in nutrients, which flow from the rivers and are deposited by the tides of the ocean. The nutrients provided support a diverse ecosystem. Many marine animals are born in estuaries, mature, leave, and then return to reproduce. This is why estuaries are often called the nurseries of the seas. media type="file" key="Estuaries_.mov" width="389" height="386" align="left"