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Saltwater Marsh Ecosystems

As one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, saltwater marshes house a variety of plants and animals, many of them endangered. These marshes serve as transition areas between land and sea.

Geography
- Because of these marshes' close proximity to oceans, many of the fauna found there can also be found around beaches, like the blue heron pictured here.
  
  Saltwater marshes are usually found near estuaries and coastlines. Their salinity varies and can be as great as ocean water or almost zero. The soil is often very soft and frequently has high concentrations of sulfur.
Plants
- Reeds are common plant life in marshes.
  
  Many plants, shrubs, and trees, such as mangroves, thrive in saltwater marshes. Plants, like the spartina, decay and provide food for the other plants and numerous bacteria and microorganisms.
Animals
- Egrets are common wading bird in marshes.
  
  Many fish and invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, and snails live in saltwater marshes. Wading birds, like the heron, eat both the fish and invertebrates, and songbirds, like the red-wing black bird, eat the multitudes of insects which thrive in the marshes. Reptiles, like snakes and turtles, can also be found in most of these ecosystems, but alligators live only in low-salinity marshes.

Nature