Estuaries, the ‘nurseries of the sea’, are disappearing fast

Study reveals repurposing of ecologically vital land for homes or agriculture is happening particularly rapidly in AsiaEstuaries – the place where a river meets the ocean – are often called the “nurseries of the sea”. They are home to many of the fish we eat and support vast numbers of birds, while the surrounding salt marsh helps to stabilise shorelines and absorb floods.However, a new study shows that nearly half of the world’s estuaries have been altered by human