Strait

A strait is a landform connecting two seas or two water basins. While the landform generally constricts the flow, the surface water still flows, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrowing channel that lies between two land masses. Some straits are not navigable, for example because they are either too narrow or too shallow, or because of an unnavigable reef or archipelago. Straits are also known to be loci for sediment accumulation. Usually, sand-size deposits occur on both the two opposite strait exits, forming subaqueous fans or deltas.

Marine habitats
Diagrammatic map of a strait
Coastal habitats Littoral zone Intertidal zone Estuaries Mangrove forests Seagrass meadows Kelp forests Coral reefs Continental shelf Neritic zone Ocean surface Surface microlayer Epipelagic zone Open ocean Pelagic zone Oceanic zone Sea floor Seamounts Hydrothermal vents Cold seeps Demersal zone Benthic zone Marine sediment
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