![Picture](/uploads/3/9/8/0/39807527/993144723.jpg?504)
This image shows a common food web in an estuary.
Producers: Zoo plankton, Phytoplankton, and Seaweed
Primary Consumers (herbivores): Crab, and Whelk
Secondary Consumers (carnivores/omnivores): Fish, Gull, and Lobster
The keystone species in this food web are the limpets.
Only certain organisms can survive in estuaries due to high salinity (salt concentration in water) and constantly changing temperatures.
Producers: Zoo plankton, Phytoplankton, and Seaweed
Primary Consumers (herbivores): Crab, and Whelk
Secondary Consumers (carnivores/omnivores): Fish, Gull, and Lobster
The keystone species in this food web are the limpets.
Only certain organisms can survive in estuaries due to high salinity (salt concentration in water) and constantly changing temperatures.
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/8/0/39807527/857575412.jpg?1412207282)
Canada Goose: Migratory birds like the Canada goose use estuaries when migrating because they have an abundance of lush plants, and a plenitude of fish and other animals.
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/8/0/39807527/185628380.jpg?237)
Great Blue Heron: Many varieties of herons live in estuaries. Their long legs for wading and their long toes that allow them to walk in the mud.
Symbiotic Relationships in Estuaries:
Parasitism- The boring sponge can bore through bay oyster's shells which often kills the oyster. Mutualism- Sea anemones and clown fish help each other. The anemone gives the clown fish shelter, and the clown fish increases to water circulation around the anemone. Competition- The oyster and slipper limpet often compete for space. Commensalism- Barnacles hook onto other organisms which can sometimes include snail shells, or clams. The barnacle doesn't bother or help the other organism. |
Blue Crabs: This particular crab species is able to deal with sudden changes in salinity. In estuaries the salinity is constantly changing because of the ocean tides and the river flow. Any animal that cant live through these constant changes would have a hard time surviving in an estuary.
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