Answer:
What are the biotic and abiotic components in estuaries? An estuary is a place
where the freshwater from the river mixes with the salt-water from the sea.
Biotic factors are the living components in an ecosystem. These include all
the plants, animals, and microorganisms found in estuaries such as mangrove trees,
migratory birds, and small fishes.
Abiotic factors, on the other hand, are non-living components in the
ecosystem. These are the factors that affect organisms in estuaries. These include
waves, salinity, temperature, amount of sunlight, and type of soil.
Biotic and Abiotic Factors in an Estuary
Figure 2
(Oronia.nd)
❖ Waves refer to the movement of the surface of the water. These are strong
forces that organisms must learn to live with. An example of these organisms
is the kelp, a kind of algae, which has strong root-like structures that attach
themselves to rocks to keep it from being carried away by the waves.
❖ Salinity refers to the amount of salt in water. The combination of seawater
and freshwater in estuaries is called brackish water. Mangroves and blue
crabs have adjusted well to the constantly changing salinity of water due to
the nonstop flow of freshwater and saltwater through the estuary.
❖ Temperature refers to the level of hotness and coldness of the water.
Temperature differs because of the tides and the amount of sunlight. Some
organisms use plants like mangroves to keep themselves concealed from direct
sunlight or away from the coldness of the water.
