Estuaries provide enumerable ecosystem services to mankind in terms of provisional, regulating, supporting, recreational and information services. However, the persistent human-environment interactions for these services altered the ecological integrity of estuaries. Although the small estuaries receive little attraction in scientific studies due to their low surface area and regional importance, these ecosystems are more vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures and require urgent attention from the scientific fraternity. The Terekhol Estuary (TRE) is a small tropical estuary situated along Goa, west coast of India, gaining recognition in recent years due to the pollution risk from tourism activities. Moreover, the estuary also behaves as an extension of the marine realm during the dry season. The food web structure and network flow indices of the TRE was assessed to reveal its present ecological status. The Ecopath modelling approach was employed to delineate the ecosystem structure and trophic functioning of the estuary distributed in 22 ecological compartments from 2018 to 2019. The trophic level of the food web ranged from detritus (TL-1) to sharks (TL- 4.53). The ecosystem structure demonstrated a grazing chain (herbivory) based organization over the detritus-based pathway. The proportion of exports to the total flows was 35% for the TRE. The model has a high total system throughput (12,043.6 t km⁻² year⁻¹), low system omnivory index (0.17) and connectance index (0.21), and a moderate relative ascendency (45.1%). Finn's cycling index (2.17%) indicated very low recycling in the system. All these indicators along with the eco-exergy index (8567.22 g detritus equivalent m⁻²), specific eco-exergy (38.25) and robustness index (0.11) classified the estuary as be immature, less stable and less organized and is in the initial stages of its development. The ecological indicators analyzed here point towards a medium to a high level of impact in the TRE due to anthropogenic activities. We also highlight the management measures to be implemented in order to restore the ecological quality of the TRE.

河口在临时、调节、支持、娱乐和信息服务方面为人类提供了无数的生态系统服务。然而，这些服务的持续人类与环境相互作用改变了河口的生态完整性。尽管小河口因其低表面积和区域重要性而在科学研究中几乎没有吸引力，但这些生态系统更容易受到人为压力的影响，需要科学界的紧急关注。Terekhol Estuary (TRE) 是位于印度西海岸果阿沿岸的一个小型热带河口，近年来由于旅游活动带来的污染风险而获得认可。此外，在旱季，河口也是海洋领域的延伸。评估了 TRE 的食物网结构和网络流量指数，以揭示其目前的生态状况。采用生态路径建模方法描绘了 2018 年至 2019 年分布在 22 个生态区划的河口的生态系统结构和营养功能。食物网的营养水平范围从碎屑 (TL-1) 到鲨鱼 (TL-4.53)。生态系统结构在基于碎屑的路径上展示了基于放牧链（食草）的组织。TRE 的出口占总流量的比例为 35%。该模型具有较高的总系统吞吐量（12,043.6 t km 食物网的营养级范围从碎屑 (TL-1) 到鲨鱼 (TL-4.53)。生态系统结构在基于碎屑的路径上展示了基于放牧链（食草）的组织。TRE 的出口占总流量的比例为 35%。该模型具有较高的总系统吞吐量（12,043.6 t km 食物网的营养级范围从碎屑 (TL-1) 到鲨鱼 (TL-4.53)。生态系统结构在基于碎屑的路径上展示了基于放牧链（食草）的组织。TRE 的出口占总流量的比例为 35%。该模型具有较高的总系统吞吐量（12,043.6 t km^-2 年^-1 )，低系统杂食指数 (0.17) 和连接指数 (0.21)，以及中等相对优势 (45.1%)。Finn 的循环指数 (2.17%) 表明系统中的回收率非常低。所有这些指标连同生态能效指数（8567.22 g 碎屑当量 m ^-2）、特定生态能效（38.25）和稳健性指数（0.11）将河口归类为不成熟、不稳定和组织性较差的河口，处于初期其发展阶段。此处分析的生态指标表明，由于人为活动，TRE 对 TRE 的影响为中到高水平。我们还强调了为恢复 TRE 的生态质量而实施的管理措施。