saltwater marshes
Tidal coastal wetlands
Saltwater marshes are coastal wetlands regularly flooded by tidal seawater, characterized by grasses, sedges, and other salt-tolerant plants.
They form in protected areas where rivers meet the sea—estuaries, bays, and behind barrier islands.
These ecosystems serve as nurseries for fish and shellfish, buffer shorelines against storms, and filter pollutants.
Also called salt marshes or tidal marshes.
- coastal wetlandsSaturated shoreline ecosystems
- sea-level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- coastal floodingSeawater overtaking shore areas
- cordgrassSalt-tolerant marsh vegetation
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
salinity · tides · low tide · biodiversity · carbon sequestration · mangroves · flood mitigation · mudflats · estuaries · fiddler crabs · blue crabs · herons · egrets · erosion control · oysters · invasive species · clams · sedimentation
saltwater marshesfreshwater marshes
Non-ocean wetland ecosystems
peat bogs · bogs · fens · prairie potholes · river deltas
saltwater marshesdeserts
Abandons or barren lands
arid lands · sand dunes · badlands · scrublands · savannas
saltwater marshesmountain peaks
Highest elevations of ranges
highlands · alpine meadows · uplands · plateaus · ridgelines
salt, water, marsh, saltwater, salted, salting, salty, salts, watery