Saltwater Wetlands
Saltwater wetlands are transitional areas between land and water and are characterized by the influence of tides and saline/brackish water. The salinity in saltwater wetlands changes according to distance from the ocean, water depth, freshwater input (i.e., precipitation, runoff, ground water, river discharge), and season. The vegetation growing in this type of wetland is salt tolerant, called halophytes, and it is adapted to a changing environment including fluctuations in salinity, periodic and variable water inundation due to the tides, and temperature changes as a result of the rise and fall of the tides. Common types of saltwater wetlands include tidal salt/brackish marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds.
