An estuary is a body of water in which fresh water draining from the land mixes with salt water from the ocean. The result of this mixture is an environment with abundant plant and animal life. The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary on Florida's eastern coast. It is a diverse estuary, supporting thousands of species of plants and animals.
The food web and food pyramid shown above are examples of the relationships that exist in the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem.