Tidal salt/brackish marshes

Tidal salt and brackish marshes occur along protected coastlines throughout the United States. They are periodically flooded by tides and are dominated by salt-tolerant vegetation including grasses, rushes, sedges and other soft-stemmed plants. The distribution and species of plants and animals found in tidal salt and brackish marshes are mainly determined by the salinity and the frequency and duration of flooding characterizing the environment. Tidal brackish marshes are transitional areas between salt marshes and tidal freshwater marshes. Thus, a brackish tidal marsh includes species from both habitats making it a wetland of high plant diversity.

Tidal salt and brackish marshes are very productive ecosystems. Detritus, derived from the decomposition of plant material by fungi and bacteria, forms the basis of the tidal marsh food web. This material is consumed by organisms such as plankton, clams, crabs, snails, and some fish, which are then a source of food for other organisms higher within the food web. In addition of being a source of food, tidal marshes provide protection and nursery grounds for a wide range of aquatic organisms. The growth of tidal marsh vegetation along the coastline also offers protection against erosion from storms and hurricanes.