Deep channel includes the deepest portions of the estuary, at the base of the slopes, a common habitat for benthic invertebrates.
The figure at right shows a cross-sectional diagram of habitat types at various elevations in an estuary (based on Procter et al. 1980a).
Controlling factors that affect deep channel:
Currents
Elevation/Depth/Bathymetry
Hydrodynamics
Salinity
Sediment Quality
Temperature
Ecosystem processes that are affected by deep channel:
Food Web Support
Element Cycling
