Bob

The estuaries of Populus are very rich communities. The richness in animal and plant life can be attributed to the fact that a constant supply of nutrients is supplied to these areas by the rivers that are flowing out to the oceans. All of the organisms in the estuaries have learned to deal with a variety of factors that have a direct bearing on their survival. These factors include the changing of the tides, the seasonal rise and fall of the rivers, and the changes in water salinity due to the mix of fresh and salt water.

	Squingrass is a long thin bladed grass that can anchor itself on rocks or in sand. The grass is usually about two to three feet long. It is very effective in this environment because its strong anchors allow it dig deep into sandy soils and establish itself where other plants would get washed away by river currents and the flow of the tides. Squingrass can survive in a wide variety of depths, but it does best when the top of the grass is right below the surface of the water.
	Durnam Grass is a hearty thin bladed grass of three to four feet in length that tends to grow right below the surface of the water. Tens of thousands of Durnam grasses grow close together anchoring themselves with strong holdfasts that cling to rocks and sand. A result of this closeness in growth is that many species of fish and other water animals live among the Durnam Grass, because it offers them protection from the constantly moving river and ocean currents. The Durnam grass also benefits from the rich chemical nature of the water as a result of the constant supply of decaying matter contributed by the animal species that live within its flowing blades.
	Myrioclose is another water plant that inhabits the estuaries of Populus. Just like the Estuary grasses, this plant does best when it grows very near the water's surface. As you can imagine, there is a high amount of competition for areas of ground right at the water's edge.

Glums live in the muddy waters of Populus' river mouths. The Glum is a large, slow herbivore. If given many years, a Glum can grow to a length of nine feet. They have very large mouths that they use to filter feed through water or sift through the mud. Their diet consists of very small organic organisms that float in the water or lie in the mud flats. In an indirect way, Glums do feed on all three of the water plants listed above. Much of their diet consists of small pieces of the plants which have flaked off and settled in the mud.

The Mantion is a large, fast animal that spawns in the estuaries of Populus. Mantions can grow quite large (they generally grow to about 48 inches in length). Some Mantions weigh over 250 pounds! The Mantion have adapted to feed upon many smaller species of water animals such as adolescent Glums. Their fast speed in combination with razor sharp movements have allowed the Mantion to dominate the estuaries of Populus unlike any other water animal.

Lion Fish are unique organisms that inhabit the estuaries of Populus. Due to their relatively small size, their diet consists of small fish, including hatchling Glums.

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