We Are A Breeding Ground For Different Ideas
What is an Estuary?
An estuary is the place where the river meets the sea in shallow, protected bays . An estuary has very little wave action, so it provides a calm refuge from the open sea. The density difference between fresh and salt water makes estuaries interesting. It is an area of influx for riverine water and saline influences. As a result they contain many biological niches within a small area, and so are associated with high biological diversity.
Estuaries provide habitats for a large number of organisms and support very high productivity. In particular they provide breeding grounds for many fish nurseries, crocodiles, turtles and migratory birds thus creating a very rich biodiversity and acting as a safe haven for these species to grow, evolve and multiply.
Of the 32 largest cities in the world, 22 are located on estuaries. New York is located at the mouth of the Hudson River estuary. San Francisco is located on the bay which in itself is an estuary for the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. New Orleans is on the estuary of the Mississippi River. Other cities like London, Rotterdam and Shanghai are also located on an Estuary. Not to forget Mumbai – surrounded by the creek on its northern end, is in itself an estuary.
Why do we relate to an Estuary?
We at Estuary Labs associate ourselves with an Estuary because we are a breeding ground for different ideas. We are a safe haven for other organizations to grow, evolve and multiply.
What is the weird looking character in our logo?
The character is a Horseshoe Crab. Horseshoe crabs are among the world's oldest and most fascinating creatures. They are estimated to be at least 300 million years old. The earliest horseshoe crab species were crawling around the Earth's shallow coastal seas for at least 100 million years before the dinosaurs even arrived (which was about 200 million years ago). Since that time, the Earth's land masses have shifted dramatically, thousands of other species have come and gone, but horseshoe crabs have survived and today remain much as they were those millions of years ago.
Horseshoe crabs have been used by people for centuries. More recently, they have been instrumental to scientific research that has contributed significantly to human health. Still today, when people see for the first time this strange creature with an armored shell and spiked tail, it is often with trepidation, along with the question, "What is that thing?" Meet the remarkable horseshoe crab!