Salt Marsh

• Common in low energy environments like bays and estuaries. It is a very unstable vulnerable environment.
• At estuaries the mix of river and sea water during tide movement, clay particles stick together, flocculation (process by which a chemical coagulation added to the water acts to bond particles).
• This causes (flocculation) the clay to sink to the bottom/sides of the estuary. When the tide goes out the mud dries and builds. Plants can colonise these areas, the ground is less salty, help trap more sediment (water is slowed), helping stabilising the ecosystem.
• Halophytic plants are salt tolerant so adapted for marshes.
• The lower part of the marsh is under water for long periods of time so only halophytic plants grow their. While upper parts can house less salt tolerant plants.
• Spartina grass species are the dominant plants on marshes. While Glasswort are the pioneer plants
• Small channels/creaks at the upper marsh may dissect inundation although it is mainly above it.