Protecting nature’s nurseries – Study highlights importance of natural flow to estuaries

Abstract

Estuaries Protecting nature’s nurseries – Study highlights importance of natural flow to estuaries South Africa’s National Water Act of 1998 is hailed internationally as a ground-breaking piece of legislation, in particular because it protects the right of our waterbodies’ survival. Yet, the implementation of this law is often fingered as a problem, still leaving integral ecosystems open to exploitation. However, a recently published study has pointed out how far we’ve come with the protection of some of our most sensitive ecosystems, namely estuaries. As the interfaces between the marine and freshwater environments, estuaries are complex, dynamic and productive ecosystems. These systems provide numerous ecosystem services, including erosion control, provision of food, support for fish nurseries and provision of recreation and tourism opportunities. Consequently, they are the most heavily utilised and threatened ecosystems worldwide.

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