Estuary
The place where a river meets the sea, where fresh and salt water mix, rich in food and young fish.
Also: backwater, lagoon
An estuary is a partly closed body of water where river water mixes with the sea. Salinity rises and falls with the tide and the seasons. Estuaries, lagoons such as Chilika in Odisha, and backwaters such as Vembanad in Kerala are among the most productive waters on Earth, fed by nutrients from the land. Many sea fish use them as nurseries, and fish such as the mullet, milkfish, barramundi and pearlspot live in them as adults. They are also where cities, ports and farms crowd, so they are often polluted.