Rivers west of there flow through states further south. Influenced by conditions on land and in the atmosphere as well as the mixing of the fresh and salt waters, estuarine areas are found along the ocean's edge around the world. North Carolina has over two million acres of estuaries separated from the ocean by our fringe of barrier islands. Each of these plants and animals has one thing in common. Every living thing in an estuary must be able to adapt to an environment that changes by the hour.
Ocean tides push salty sea water in and out of estuaries.
Land that is covered with cool water in the morning may be dry and hot in the afternoon. Water that is salty in the afternoon may become nearly fresh by nightfall as water flows out of the estuary when tides fall and river water rushes in. Yet many plants and animals survive here. A site of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is a collection of saltmarshes, dredge spoil islands, and tidal flats located on the North Carolina coast. Using your computer you can see and ask questions about many of the plants and animals that make estuaries special places.