Salt marsh communities are found in protected coastal areas dominated by salt-tolerant grasses. They provide important habitat for many species of fish, birds, and invertebrates. Salt marshes act as natural buffers against flooding and filter pollutants from water. However, they face threats from development, ditching, overharvesting, and other human impacts. Mud flats adjacent to salt marshes provide habitat for diverse invertebrate communities and feeding grounds for other species. Seagrass beds in shallow coastal waters create structured habitat and nurseries while improving water quality and moderating currents. However, they are threatened by boat damage, declining water quality from runoff, and rising sea levels. Rocky intertidal

1. Salt Marsh Communities • Found in protected estuarine habitats • Created by grasses, which stabilize soft sediment substrate

2. Salt Marshes – Physical Characteristics • Intertidal habitats • Lower elevations of salt marsh are usually submerged daily for several hours, while upper border of salt marsh is only submerged once or twice a month.

3. Salt Marsh-Zonation Few species can be good at everything. Salt marsh grasses are usually either good competitors or able to tolerate the physiologically stressful conditions of the low salt marsh. Grasses and flowering plants that are good stress tolerators like Spartina alterniflora dominate the low marsh .

4. Salt Marsh - Distribution Worldwide -low seacoasts -inside barrier bars and beaches -in estuaries -on deltas

6. Salt Marshes Plants & Animals Important nursery grounds for many commercially important fishes Important feeding and breeding habitat for waterfowl

7. Plant roots hold the sediment in and are a place for animals to hide.

8. Uses Natural filter system Natural barrier against coastal flooding Nursery ground for economically important species Beautiful!

9. Human Abuses Construction/Development (habitat loss) Ditching for mosquito “control” Overharvesting of resources

10. Dominant Animals Birds Fish Invertebrates Crustaceans Mollusks

12. Geukensia demissa

13. Agelaius phoeniceus

14. Limulus polyphemus

15. Salt Marsh Plants Halophytes - plants that tolerate salty water -Some push salt through pores -Some push salt to the end of the plant and drop the end off - Salicornia

16. Spartina patens

17. Spartina alterniflora

18. Phragmites australis – that all too common, common reed

19. Salt Marsh at Low Tide

20. Salt Marsh at High Tide

21. To Learn More About Salt Marshes Local salt marshes: www.chipr.sunysb.edu/eserc/longis/flaxpond.html Regional salt marshes: http:// www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/plants/reed.htm http:// serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/roleplaying/examples/tide.html http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/g35/oceans35.html http:// www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/dynamic.html

22. Mud (Tidal) Flats

23. Mud (Tidal) Flats – Physical Characteristics Some areas of estuary wetlands are relatively devoid of plant matter. These Soft sediment habitats are the Tidal (Mud) Flats. They occur along outer edges of the salt marshes where low current flow allows fine sediment to drop out of suspension

24. Who lives in Mud (Tidal) Flats? Home to a diverse community of invertebrates: Snails, Clams & Segmented worms-all move through the bottom, mixing deeper, oxygen-starved sediments with surface sediments ( bioturbation ).

25. Mud flats provide habitat/feeding ground for many invertebrates – and their predators

26. Digging Clams

27. Human Uses Similar to salt marsh - important nursery ground for young fish - barrier from storm damage to land/coastal flooding - beautiful

28. Threats to Mud (Tidal) Flats Change in current velocity Development of surrounding marshes Dredging Global warming

30. Seagrass Distribution - Shallow sub-tidal habitats created by marine grasses -Found in estuaries and lagoons in both temperate and tropical systems throughout the world

31. Values of Seagrasses - Mo dify environment by reducing current velocity, which can in turn affect sedimentation rates & soil grain size -Help slow down storms moving inland -Increase habitat complexity, reducing predation intensity -FOOD, SHELTER, NURSERY !!

32. Values of Seagrasses continued Increased number of individuals and species in seagrass bed, compared to bare or sandy areas outside the bed. Our local seagrass is Eelgrass

33. Who Lives There? Values of Seagrasses continued - Fish, crabs, shrimp, and scallops are much more common inside sea grass beds than outside them. Some species, such as clams and scallops, also grow faster within a sea grass bed.

34. Threats To Seagrasses Boat propeller damage Global warming, sea level rise Water quality & clarity decreases from runoff (making photosynthesis difficult) Brown Tide

35. To learn more about Seagrasses: http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLspec/Seagrass_Habitat.htm http://www.ncl.ac.uk/tcmweb/tcm/sglinks.htm

36. Rocky Intertidal Communities Physical Characteristics: Dependent on tides-periodically covered by water or exposed to elements Rocky – cobble to boulder sized sediment

37. Value of Rocky Intertidal Structure, habitat for economically & environmentally important species

40. Threats to the Rocky Intertidal Global Climate Change & Sea Level Rise Waste disposal/sewage disposal Overcollecting, trampling by humans

41. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25F7xMVNt-w Barnacles Feeding

42. Rocky Intertidal Flora & Fauna

43. Helpful Links to Communities Salt Marsh & Rocky Shores: http://www.uri.edu/cels/bio/rishores/home.htm Barnacles! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2ow4sB-RQs&feature=related