Science11 min read
Estuaries and Kelp: Life Between River and Sea
Estuaries layer fresh water over salt in shifting gradients. How estuarine circulation works, where kelp's brackish limit lies, and why the river–sea edge matters.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
#estuaries
6 articles
Encyclopedia8 min read
Hairy Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus oregonensis): The Quiet Workhorse of Mud and Marsh
The hairy shore crab is the Pacific coast's estuary specialist — bristle-legged, slow-footed and more comfortable in brackish water than its purple cousin.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
Encyclopedia8 min read
Starry Flounder: The Flatfish That Walks Between River and Reef
The starry flounder is the North Pacific's most river-loving flatfish, banded in orange and black. How to identify it, where it hunts, and why estuaries need it.
Dr. Theo Nakamura ·
Atlas9 min read
The Derwent Estuary: Kelp Restoration in a City's Front Yard
A guide to Hobart's Derwent Estuary — its kelp and seaweed habitats, a century of industry, urban restoration at Tinderbox, and where to see it yourself.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·
Science8 min read
Ocean Salinity, Explained: Why the Sea Is Salty and Layered
Why is the sea salty, why is some sea fresher than the rest, and why does salt settle into layers? The ocean's salt budget and haloclines, explained.
Dr. Lena Fischer ·
Encyclopedia7 min read
Graceful Crab: The Slender Scuttler of Kelp Country
Graceful crab species profile: the slim Metacarcinus gracilis of eelgrass, bays and kelp edges — how to tell it from a small Dungeness, and its estuary role.
Dr. Mara Ellison ·