Coastal and Oceanic Landforms (41.Salt Marsh )

                                                                                                                                         Back to Coastal and Oceanic Landforms

• A salt marsh known as;

                            - Coastal salt marsh
                            -Tidal marsh

• It is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone,between;

                            - land & open salt water / brackish water

• Regularly flooded by the tides.

•  It is dominated by salt-tolerant plants such as;

                                           herbs

                                          grasses

                                          low shrubs

• These plants are terrestrial in origin.

• Salt marshes play a large role;

                            1.the aquatic food web.

                           2. the delivery of nutrients to coastal waters. 

• They also support terrestrial animals and provide coastal protection.

• Salt marshes occur on low-energy shorelines in temperate and high-latitudes.

• Commonly shorelines consist of mud /sand flats.

• They are nourished with sediment from inflowing rivers &  streams.

• These typically include sheltered environments such as;

                                 embankments

                                estuaries 

                                barrier islands 

                                spits

• Salt marsh  instead of herbaceous plants.

• Salt marshes are located among different landforms.

• Include deltaic marshes;

                 estuarine

                 back-barrier

                 open coast

                embayments

                drowned-valley

• Deltaic marshes associated with large rivers.

                    Southern Europe

                    Camargue

                    France (Rhone delta )

                   Spain (Ebro delta)

• They are extensive the rivers of the Mississippi Delta in the United States.

• In New Zealand, salt marshes occur  head of estuaries

                                                      Manawatu Estuary

                                                      Avon-Heathcote Estuary 

Atlantic ribbed mussell,  low marsh

• Salt marshes are sometimes included in lagoons

                           example :Venetian Lagoon in Italy 

• Plant species diversity is relatively low.

• The most common salt marsh plants are;

                     Glassworts (Salicornia spp.)

                    Cordgrass (Spartina spp.)

Glasswort

• Plants grow once the mud has been vegetated by the pioneer species.such as;

-sea lavenders (Limonium spp.)

-plantains (Plantago spp.)

-sedges

-rushes 

• Salt marshes are quite photosynthetically active.

• They serve as depositories for a large amount of organic matter.

• Feeds a broad food chain of organisms from bacteria to mammals. 

•  Salt marshes are ecologically important providing habitats for native migratory fish and acting as sheltered feeding and nursery grounds.

• Restoring and managing salt marsh systems based on scientific principles.

• salt marshes are located next to urban areas.