Tamar Estuary Subtidal Habitats and Inhabitants
by David Maynard & Dianne Maynard

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The Tamar estuary has an amazing variety of marine habitats and resident plants and animals. The type of marine habitat at any location depends on a number of factors, including water depth, seabed type and environmental factors.

Six very different subtidal habitats can be found in the Tamar estuary, each with it own suite of plants and animals. These six habitats are seagrass meadows, sponge gardens, giant kelp forests, rocky reefs, silt and sand.

About the Tamar Estuary - physical and environmental conditions
The Tamar estuary is a drowned river valley, fed by the largest water catchment in Tasmania, the Esk river system . The flows form the north Esk and South Esk rivers join together at Launceston and flow 70 km to Bass Strait.