The Plants and Animals of Salt Marshes and Mud Flats By: Emily & Marley

Salt Marshes A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salty water, dominated by dense stands of halophytic (salt- tolerant) plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. They are very conspicuous along the shorelines of the East Coast and Gulf Coast of North America. On the Atlantic coast, salt marshes are found in New England, become more extensive from New Jersey to northern Florida, and are most extensive on the coasts of the Carolinas and Georgia.

Animals in Salt Marshes A wide variety of invertebrates live in salt marshes: insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms and more. Although many bird species feed at the marsh, only some species nest there. Wading birds are fairly common throughout the marsh. Some birds prefer particular zones. Only two reptiles are salt marsh specialists: Diamondback Terrapin(turtle) and Salt Marsh Water Snake. Other reptiles visit occasionally. Mammals are the hardest animals to observe in the salt marsh. Many are nocturnal and most are secretive. Some common mammals include raccoons, mink, muskrats, and voles.

Plants Different plants are adapted to the various zones of the marsh. The Lower Marsh is dominated by Salt-Marsh Cord Grass, which grows eight feet tall and has eight-inch-long upright spikelet's. Glasswort is a little plant that grows about a foot tall with jointed, fleshy, cylindrical stems. Sea Lavender grows one to two feet tall. At the highest edges of the marsh, observe clumps of Black Grass, a one to two-foot-tall wiry- stemmed rush, with tiny, blackish flowers.

Mud Flats Mudflats (also mud flats, tidal flats, tide flats, etc.) are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. M ud flats (also known as tidal flats) are found next to salt marshes. Twice each day, water flows in and out with the tides, filling or draining the flat.

Animals Phytoplankton and zooplankton are abundant. So are mud snails. Animals like oysters and clams that filter-feed live in mud flats because of the availability of plankton. Because there is little or no oxygen, they breathe through tubes to get oxygen from the surface. Fish and crabs move through the flats at high tide. Birds and predatory animals visit tidal flats at specific times for their catch.

Plants Sometimes mats of green seaweed can be seen covering the mud, particularly during the summer. This is Gut weed and Sea Lettuce. If there is too much seaweed it can harm the mud’s ‘ecology’. The only true plant that can live in the sea is the rare Eelgrass. It grows in sheltered places in the mud. However, when the mud sediment begins to build up other plants such as Cord Grass begin to take root in the mud and salt marsh is formed.