Physical Characteristics and Processes of the Río de la Plata Estuary

Abstract

The Rio de la Plata Estuary, located at 35°00’S on the Atlantic coast, drains the second largest basin in South America. The drainage area covers over 3.1 x 106 km2 and includes parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is the most developed basin in South America: the population of the hinterland is estimated to be 30 million inhabitants. Two of the major ports in the region, the cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, lie along its shores. The Rio de la Plata also provides access to ports upstream along the Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers. Biologically, the estuary is also very important (Cousseau 1985; Boschi 1988). The outer region, where the fresh waters rich in nutrients interact with the coastal waters, is the spawning and nursery area of many coastal species. Because of its regional importance, the Rio de la Plata Estuary has been the subject of many research programs which try to understand different aspects of the environment and ecosystem.