Estuary Plants vs. School Plants

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What is an Estuary?

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water where salty ocean water and fresh river water meet. There are many names for estuaries and many types of estuaries, but all estuaries are mixtures of salt and fresh water.

 

estuary vs. school

Estuary
School

What is the difference between plants that grow at school and plants that grow in an estuary?

Q: What kinds of bodies of water mix in an estuary?
A: An estuary is a place where fresh water from rivers meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean.

Q: What happens to the water level in an estuary during a high tide and during a low tide?
A: Estuaries flood during high tides and empty during low tides.

Q: What does an estuary do for the animals and plants that live there?
A: Estuaries provide shelter, food and nursery grounds for animals like the salmon and invertebrates.

Q: What do you think happens to nutrients in an estuary?
A: It’s a perfect place for nutrients to be recycled and made available to living organisms.

Q: Aside from the five basics, what does a plant need to have or do to survive in an estuary?
A: A plant living in the estuary would need to withstand salt water, fresh water, and being submerged in water. Etc.

Q: How do plants at school get their water?
A: Most schools don’t flood often so plants get watered by sprinklers or rain.

Q: What kind of water do the plants at school get?
A: There is only fresh water available to plants growing at school.

Q: Are there any dangers that plants at school have to survive?
A: Animals like birds and squirrels often eat food off of plants. Kids walk over the plants.

Q: Aside from the five basics, what does a plant need to have or do to survive at school?
A: A plant living at school would need only fresh water. It needs to be strong enough to be stepped on or out of a walking area. Etc.

 

What is an estuary?

A body of water or A desert