A salt marsh, a type of tidal marsh or tidal wetland, is a band of vegetation along coastal waters influenced by saltwater tidal flooding. It generally includes three ecologically distinct vegetation zones shown here as low marsh, high marsh and upper border. These zones, largely defined by the frequency of saltwater tidal flooding, are determined by small differences in the marsh surface’s elevation relative to normal or mean high water. The salt marsh is dominated by dense stands of salt-tolerant plants such as grasses and shrubbery. Salt marshes play a large role in the aquatic food web and the delivery of nutrients to coastal waters. They also support terrestrial animals and provide coastal protection.

 

Client: Long Island Sound Study