Tidal creek

Aerial photo of North Sea, tidal channels between the islands of Nigehörn (left) and Scharhörn (right)

A tidal creek or tidal channel is a narrow inlet or estuary that is affected by the ebb and flow of ocean tides.^[1] Thus, it has variable salinity and electrical conductivity over the tidal cycle, and flushes salts from inland soils. Tidal creeks are characterized by slow water velocity, resulting in buildup of fine, organic sediment in wetlands. Creeks may often be a dry to muddy channel with little or no flow at low tide, but with significant depth of water at high tide. Due to the temporal variability of water quality parameters within the tidally influenced zone, there are unique biota associated with tidal creeks which are often specialised to such zones. Nutrients and organic matter are delivered downstream to habitats normally lacking these, while the creeks also provide access to inland habitat for salt-water organisms.^[2]

Aerial photo of North Sea, tidal inlets from the Wadden Sea on Scharhörn

^ Healy, Terry R. (2005), "Tidal Creeks", in Schwartz, Maurice L. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Coastal Science, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 949–950, doi:10.1007/1-4020-3880-1_313, ISBN 978-1-4020-3880-8, retrieved 2021-04-02
^ Zedler, Joy B., ed. (2001). "Hydrology and Substrate". Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands. CRC Press.

[1] Healy, Terry R. (2005), "Tidal Creeks", in Schwartz, Maurice L. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Coastal Science, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 949–950, doi:10.1007/1-4020-3880-1_313, ISBN 978-1-4020-3880-8, retrieved 2021-04-02

[2] Zedler, Joy B., ed. (2001). "Hydrology and Substrate". Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands. CRC Press.

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