St. Lawrence Estuary stretches from west to east for 655 km, from the outlet of lake Saint-Pierre to Pointe-des-Monts, where it becomes the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada.
Lake Saint-Pierre, lighthouse, shoreline, Pointe-du-Lac
Runing for about 160 km, the fluvial estuary or estuarine section of the river extends from the outlet of lake Saint-Pierre to the RCM L'Islet; the portion of the river under the power of freshwater tides.
Starting with lake Saint-Pierre, the ecological conditions of the St. Lawrence underwent a radical change. The slow and continuous advance of the great mass of fresh water gradually gives way to the regime of the upflow tide, where twice every twenty-four hours the shores undergo a short alternation of emersion and immersion.[3]
Situationedit
The estuary of the St. Lawrence River is located downstream of the St. Lawrence River and upstream of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It refers to the place where the fresh and salt waters mix between the river and the gulf. The St. Lawrence Estuary begins at Lake Saint-Pierre[4] and ends at the widening of the shores at the Pointe des Monts on the Côte-Nord to the city of Matane, opposite, in the Gaspé Peninsula, the distance is only 52 km. These points serve as a boundary between the estuary of the river upstream and the much wider Gulf of St. Lawrence downstream.[5]
The estuary is divided into sections: the St. Lawrence River estuary at Île d'Orléans (Orleans Island), the middle estuary to the Saguenay River. At this point, the St. Lawrence is characterized by a saline front at the eastern tip of Île d'Orléans.
The zone of contact between fresh and salt water corresponds to a region of high concentrations of suspended matter causing a zone of maximum turbidity (MTZ) of a length that can vary from 70 to 120 kilometres (43 to 75 mi), depending on the flow of the river.[6] This zone of maximum turbidity is located between Île d'Orléans (salinity greater than 0 PSU) and Île aux Coudres (salinity below 10 PSU). The mechanisms of estuarine circulation associated with this environment make it a privileged site of primary and secondary production which shelters many fish nurseries. High environmental turbidity provides shelter against predators while larvae are maintained under optimum temperature and salinity conditions.[7][8][9] Large variations in salinity and turbidity result in a wide variety of physicochemical conditions and planktonic communities on the river.
Fauna and floraedit
An emblematic species is the beluga (beluga whale), but many other species are present. An identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence was completed in 2008.[10]
^"Pointe des Monts". Toponymy Quebec Commission (in French). Government of Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 20 February 2024. The coastline of Pointe des Monts on the North Shore and the city of Matane, opposite, in the Gaspé Peninsula, are the points that serve as the boundary between the estuary of the St. Lawrence River upstream, and the much wider Gulf of St. Lawrence, downstream.
^ ab"A river, estuaries, a gulf, the great hydrographic divisions" (PDF). Atlas of the St. Lawrence (in French). Atlas environnemental du Saint-Laurent. 1991. Retrieved 11 April 2024. The width of the Lower Estuary varies from 24 km to Tadoussac 50 km to Pointe-des-Monts
^Frère Marie-Victorin (1935). "St. Lawrence Estuarine Section". florelaurentienne.com (in French). pp. 53, 54. Retrieved 12 April 2024. The estuarine section is the portion of the river under the power of freshwater tides
^"0303-carte.jpg". Sustainable development, Environment and Park. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
^"Pointe des Monts". Commission de toponymie Quebec. Gouvernement of Quebec. 1968-12-05. Retrieved 8 April 2024. The Pointe des Monts on the North Shore, at the city of Matane, opposite, in the Gaspé Peninsula, are the points that serve as the boundary between the estuary of the river and the Gulf of St. Lawrence
^Silverberg, Norman; Sundby, Bjørn (1979-04-01). "Observations in the turbidity maximum of the St. Lawrence Estuary". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 16 (4): 939–950. doi:10.1139/e79-080. ISSN 0008-4077.
^Sirois, P; Dodson, Jj (2000). "Critical periods and growth-dependent survival of larvae of an estuarine fish, the rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 203: 233–245. doi:10.3354/meps203233. ISSN 0171-8630.
^ North, E. W.; Houde, E. D. (October 2001). "Retention of White Perch and Striped Bass Larvae: Biological-Physical Interactions in Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Turbidity Maximum". Estuaries. 24 (5): 756. doi:10.2307/1352883. JSTOR 1352883. S2CID 32886478.
^ Winkler, G; Dodson, Jj; Bertrand, N; Thivierge, D; Vincent, Wf (2003). "Trophic coupling across the St. Lawrence River estuarine transition zone". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 251: 59–73. doi:10.3354/meps251059. ISSN 0171-8630.
^C. Nozères, D. Archambault, P.-M. Chouinard, J. Gauthier, R. Miller, E. Parent, P. Schwab, L. Savard and J.-D. Dutil (2010). "Identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence and sampling protocols used during trawl surveys between 2004 and 2008" (PDF) (in en and fr). Regional Science Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maurice Lamontagne Institute. Retrieved 8 April 2024. Important source of information on the status of marine resources harvested in the estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
April 12, 2024
estuary, lawrence, homonymy, saint, lawrence, lawrence, estuary, stretches, from, west, east, from, outlet, lake, saint, pierre, pointe, monts, where, becomes, gulf, lawrence, quebec, canada, lawrence, estuaryestuaire, saint, laurent, french, maritime, section. For homonymy see Saint Lawrence St Lawrence Estuary stretches from west to east for 655 km from the outlet of lake Saint Pierre to Pointe des Monts where it becomes the Gulf of St Lawrence in Quebec Canada St Lawrence EstuaryEstuaire du Saint Laurent in French Maritime section at Port au SaumonShow map of QuebecShow map of CanadaEtymologySaint Lawrence of RomeLocationCountryCanadaProvinceQuebecPhysical characteristicsSourceSaint Lawrence River locationLake Saint Pierre Trois Rivieres Quebec Canada coordinates46 16 17 N 72 38 5 W 46 27139 N 72 63472 W 46 27139 72 63472MouthGulf of St Lawrence Atlantic Ocean locationPointe des Monts Quebec Canada coordinates49 08 N 67 14 W 49 133 N 67 233 W 49 133 67 233 elevation0 m 0 ft Discharge locationbelow the Saint Lawrence RiverThe estuary is divided into 3 parts the fluvial estuary the middle estuary and the maritime estuary 1 2 Main articles St Lawrence river and Gulf of St Lawrence Contents 1 Fluvial estuary 2 Situation 3 Fauna and flora 4 See also 5 External links 6 ReferencesFluvial estuary edit nbsp Lake Saint Pierre lighthouse shoreline Pointe du LacRuning for about 160 km the fluvial estuary or estuarine section of the river extends from the outlet of lake Saint Pierre to the RCM L Islet the portion of the river under the power of freshwater tides The average depth of the main channel varies from 13 to 40 m with pools of 21 m in Trois Rivieres Ouest and 60 m in Quebec City 2 Starting with lake Saint Pierre the ecological conditions of the St Lawrence underwent a radical change The slow and continuous advance of the great mass of fresh water gradually gives way to the regime of the upflow tide where twice every twenty four hours the shores undergo a short alternation of emersion and immersion 3 Situation editThe estuary of the St Lawrence River is located downstream of the St Lawrence River and upstream of the Gulf of St Lawrence It refers to the place where the fresh and salt waters mix between the river and the gulf The St Lawrence Estuary begins at Lake Saint Pierre 4 and ends at the widening of the shores at the Pointe des Monts on the Cote Nord to the city of Matane opposite in the Gaspe Peninsula the distance is only 52 km These points serve as a boundary between the estuary of the river upstream and the much wider Gulf of St Lawrence downstream 5 The estuary is divided into sections the St Lawrence River estuary at Ile d Orleans Orleans Island the middle estuary to the Saguenay River At this point the St Lawrence is characterized by a saline front at the eastern tip of Ile d Orleans The zone of contact between fresh and salt water corresponds to a region of high concentrations of suspended matter causing a zone of maximum turbidity MTZ of a length that can vary from 70 to 120 kilometres 43 to 75 mi depending on the flow of the river 6 This zone of maximum turbidity is located between Ile d Orleans salinity greater than 0 PSU and Ile aux Coudres salinity below 10 PSU The mechanisms of estuarine circulation associated with this environment make it a privileged site of primary and secondary production which shelters many fish nurseries High environmental turbidity provides shelter against predators while larvae are maintained under optimum temperature and salinity conditions 7 8 9 Large variations in salinity and turbidity result in a wide variety of physicochemical conditions and planktonic communities on the river Fauna and flora editAn emblematic species is the beluga beluga whale but many other species are present An identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St Lawrence was completed in 2008 10 See also edit nbsp Canada portal nbsp Rivers portalExternal links edit1998 Annee internationale des oceans Nouvelles des sciences Institut Maurice Lamontagne Centre de recherche en science de la mer 10 pages Fr David Anderson Minister of Fisheries and Oceans at the meeting with the Quebec fishing industry in Montreal Speech September 10 1998 Info Oceans 4 pages Fr References edit Pointe des Monts Toponymy Quebec Commission in French Government of Quebec 1968 12 05 Retrieved 20 February 2024 The coastline of Pointe des Monts on the North Shore and the city of Matane opposite in the Gaspe Peninsula are the points that serve as the boundary between the estuary of the St Lawrence River upstream and the much wider Gulf of St Lawrence downstream a b A river estuaries a gulf the great hydrographic divisions PDF Atlas of the St Lawrence in French Atlas environnemental du Saint Laurent 1991 Retrieved 11 April 2024 The width of the Lower Estuary varies from 24 km to Tadoussac 50 km to Pointe des Monts Frere Marie Victorin 1935 St Lawrence Estuarine Section florelaurentienne com in French pp 53 54 Retrieved 12 April 2024 The estuarine section is the portion of the river under the power of freshwater tides 0303 carte jpg Sustainable development Environment and Park Retrieved 27 November 2008 Pointe des Monts Commission de toponymie Quebec Gouvernement of Quebec 1968 12 05 Retrieved 8 April 2024 The Pointe des Monts on the North Shore at the city of Matane opposite in the Gaspe Peninsula are the points that serve as the boundary between the estuary of the river and the Gulf of St Lawrence Silverberg Norman Sundby Bjorn 1979 04 01 Observations in the turbidity maximum of the St Lawrence Estuary Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16 4 939 950 doi 10 1139 e79 080 ISSN 0008 4077 Sirois P Dodson Jj 2000 Critical periods and growth dependent survival of larvae of an estuarine fish the rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax Marine Ecology Progress Series 203 233 245 doi 10 3354 meps203233 ISSN 0171 8630 North E W Houde E D October 2001 Retention of White Perch and Striped Bass Larvae Biological Physical Interactions in Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Turbidity Maximum Estuaries 24 5 756 doi 10 2307 1352883 JSTOR 1352883 S2CID 32886478 Winkler G Dodson Jj Bertrand N Thivierge D Vincent Wf 2003 Trophic coupling across the St Lawrence River estuarine transition zone Marine Ecology Progress Series 251 59 73 doi 10 3354 meps251059 ISSN 0171 8630 C Nozeres D Archambault P M Chouinard J Gauthier R Miller E Parent P Schwab L Savard and J D Dutil 2010 Identification guide for marine fishes of the estuary and northern Gulf of St Lawrence and sampling protocols used during trawl surveys between 2004 and 2008 PDF in en and fr Regional Science Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maurice Lamontagne Institute Retrieved 8 April 2024 Important source of information on the status of marine resources harvested in the estuary and northern Gulf of St Lawrence a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint unrecognized language link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Estuary of St Lawrence amp oldid 1218545298, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
