What is a body of water in which salt water and fresh water mix?

• A. Estuary
• B. Ocean
• C. River
• D. Bay

Answer: (A)

Estuary is the place where a river’s freshwater meets the ocean’s saltwater, so the water becomes brackish as the two mix. The salinity can change with the tides and rainfall, and estuaries are rich habitats that often serve as nurseries for many species. In Virginia, a well-known example is the Chesapeake Bay, where river water and seawater combine as they flow to the coast. Oceans stay salty throughout and don’t mix with freshwater in the same way; rivers are freshwater bodies, and bays are coastal inlets that can be salty but aren’t defined by the mixing of river and sea water like an estuary.