Wetlands, Ramsar Convention, Montreux Record, Estuaries 

Wetlands

Areas intermediate in character between deep-water & terrestrial habitats, transitional in nature & often located in-between them (Riparian >> relating to or situated on the banks of a river)

• Experience periodic flooding, often contain water logged & hydric soils (Not enough oxygen for plants) with Hydrophytes & halophytes plant types
• Wetlands (usually less than 3 m deep over most of their area) are rich in nutrients & abundant in growth of aquatic macrophytes
• Support high densities & diversities of fauna & have high value of biodiversity conservation

Ramsar Convention

• an international treaty for the conservation & sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands & their economic, cultural, scientific, & recreational value
• named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was signed in 1971;
• Canada has the highest area under wetland and UK has highest number of wetlands

Montreux Record

• a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference
• a voluntary mechanism to highlight specific wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention, which are facing immediate challenges

Estuaries

• located where river meets sea which means freshwater from river mixes with salt water of the oceans via tides
• Estuaries are the most productive water bodies in the world, located at the lower end of the river & are subjected to tidal fluctuations
• An estuary is semi enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it with free connection to open sea
• Complete salinity range from 0 to 35 PPT is found, from the head (River end) to the mouth (Sea end)
• Depicted as most productive regions & heavily populated with about 60 % of world population, living along estuaries & coasts.
• Trapping of suspended mud & sand carried by the rivers leads to formation of deltas alongside estuaries

• Referred by different names as lagoons, inlets, bays, harbours etc. (Coastal lakes which have their connection with the sea through small openings are better known as lagoons or backwater)
• In India, major estuaries occur at bay of Bengal as most of the rivers in peninsular India are west to east flowing & hence on the eastern coast (Larger in size than estuaries at western coast)