tidal marshes
Saltwater flood plains
Tidal marshes are coastal wetlands flooded and drained by ocean tides.
They form in sheltered areas—estuaries, bays, behind barrier islands—where sediment accumulates and salt-tolerant grasses take root.
The regular tidal flooding creates a distinctive ecosystem, neither fully land nor sea: The tidal marshes teemed with crabs and wading birds.
They buffer coastlines from storms and filter pollutants from runoff.
- tidal flatsCoastline exposed at low water
- mud flatCoastal sediment exposed tidally
- tidal creekCoastal stream with fluctuating water
- fiddler crabCrab with one oversized claw
- deltasSediment formations at waterways' ends
spartina · estuaries · salt marshes · pickleweed · brackish water · nursery habitat · carbon sequestration · water filtration · sea-level rise · storm surge · invasive species · wetlands · migratory birds · coastal wetlands · bird sanctuary · egret · silt · heron
- coastal featuresshore, coast, beach, bay, cliff
- coastscliffs, shoreline, sandy shore, coves, bays
- Pacific CoastPacific Ocean, beach, Pacific coast, sand, Pacific beaches
- wetlandsswamp, swamps, marshes, marshland, marshlands
- Coastal AlaskaSitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, fjords
- Gulf CoastGulf of Mexico, Gulfport, Gulf beaches, Gulf Stream, Alabama
tidal marshesdesert
To leave behind completely
arid land · dryland · upland · sand dunes · rocky outcrops
tidal marshesfreshwater marshes
Non-ocean wetland ecosystems
bogs · peat bogs · fens · swamps · prairie potholes