Juncus roemerianus Needle rush mainly rushes, sedges, and grasses. Florida’s dominant trees. Salt marshes are composed of a variety of plants, w estuaries, where fresh water from rivers mixes with sea but thrive along low-energy coasts. They also occur in marsh plants cannot grow where occur in the zone between low and high tides. Salt- rine life. They are also called tidal marshes because they Salt marshes are grassy coastal wetlands rich in ma- What are salt marshes?

M. Trexler ater, usually behind barrier islands or in bays. A distinctive feature of salt marshes is the lack of such as saw-grass ( purselane ( grass ( ( hay ( other grasses such as marsh- fringe-rush ( glassworts ( culents such as saltwort ( abundant species include suc- undated daily. Other locally f rush ( salt-marsh species are needle grass ( higher levels; and smooth cord- curring where tides reach grayish-green, pointed rush oc- ound in lower areas that are in- Monanthochlöe Spartina patens Juncus roemerianus P Spartina alterniflora aspalum vaginatum Salicornia Sesuvium Fimbristylis waves waves ), and salt joint- Cladium ), key grass are strong ), and sea- ); sedges ); and Batis ), the ) and ). ), ) Llyn French northward. Nevertheless, salt-marsh plants can still A are south Florida’s dominant coastal vegetation. On the contain an increasing proportion of mangroves, which Florida’s salt marshes Giant leather fern ( the estuary. r mals. Tidal waters move up into the marsh and then microorganisms. Detritus is food for many small ani- uct of decomposition by they become detritus, a prod- After salt-marsh plants die, dwell in the marsh system. on smaller organisms that on the plants themselves, and the mud of marsh bottom, ied diet, foraging for food in tected in salt marshes. early parts of their lives pro- fisheries species spend the of Florida’s popular marine- cally excludes larger fish. Many shallow, brackish area physi- marsh vegetation because the mals hide from predators in in various stages of life. Ani- den within the tangle of salt-marsh plants are animals Cladium jamaicense Saw-grass etreat, carrying and distributing detritus throughout tlantic coast, salt marshes occur from Daytona Beach Y Salt marshes are important for many reasons. Hid- oung fish often have a var-

Godfrey & Wooten Ac r ostichum Big Bend,” which extends from in the coastal area known as “The saltmarsh acreage in Florida lies tion. The most continuous the main type of coastal vegeta- Bay, however, salt marshes are Apalachicola Bay south to Tampa aries with few salt marshes. From Apalachicola Bay contains estu- panhandle region west of in bays, bayous, and sounds. The lines, at the mouths of rivers, and occur along low-energy shore- estuaries. Gulf-coast salt marshes gins of many north Florida Salt marshes form along the mar- South of Cedar Key, salt marshes Apalachicola Bay to Cedar Key. ) is also locally abundant. Spartina alterniflora Smooth cordgrass

M. Trexler Salt marsh losses in Florida Salt marsh also trap sediments, thereby improving water quality. the amount that enters estuary waters. Salt marshes absorb, or trap, some of these pollutants, reducing lutants from uplands development. Salt marshes through the marshes, transporting nutrients and pol- marshes also serve as filters. Tidal creeks meander stand storm surges and limit damage to uplands. Salt have extensive root systems that enable them to with- f have little value. In addition to providing nursery areas be found in fringes throughout south Florida. ther side of St. Johns Inlet and Analysis of 3.5 miles on ei- a result of human activity. County has lost even more as terway was dredged. Duval loss when the Intracoastal Wa- County suffered its greatest salt-marsh acreage. Nassau contain 11% of the state’s total northeast counties, which occurred in Florida’s five eries habitats. often reflect a net loss of fish- different years. The changes photographs of the coast from comparing digitized aerial Changes can be evaluated by Florida’s coastal habitats. Geographic Information Systems to study changes in Spartina patens Marsh-hay or fish, shellfish, and crustaceans, salt-marsh plants Salt marshes are often considered—incorrectly—to Most salt-marsh loss has M. Trexler to drained, filled, or dredged Salt marshes have been stitute are using and Wildlife Research In- v Fish and Wildlife Conser- dredge-and-fill activities. been lost to permitted cluding salt marshes, have of estuarine habitats, in- least 60,000 acres, or 8%, f opment or deep channels or boats. In Florida, at ation Commission’s Fish

provide land for devel- Scientists at the Florida P Salt jointgrass aspalum vaginatum

M. Trexler 10 miles up the St. Johns River showed a 36% loss of marsh habitat, principally because of dredge-and-fill activities since 1943. In Palm Beach County, Florida’s Lake Worth in the Indian River Lagoon lost 51% of its salt-marsh acreage be- tween 1944 and 1982 because a network of canals draining low-lying uplands diverted the flow of fresh water away from salt marshes. SALTMARSHES In southwest Florida, both salt marshes and mangroves occur along

the shores of estuaries. Since 1940, D. Crewz Tampa Bay has been one of the fastest- A high marsh of needle rush, Juncus roemerianus, with brown- growing metropolitan areas in Florida. fringed clusters of giant leather fern, Acrostichum aureum. Ship-channel dredging and port con- For further information on salt-marsh plants, see Aquatic struction have brought Tampa Bay the and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States: Mono- economic benefits of being one of the cotyledons, by R. K. Godfrey and J. W. Wooten, published by largest ports in the nation, but con- the University of Georgia Press, Athens, ©1979. Their illus-

Godfrey & Wooten Godfrey siderable environmental damage has trations of saw-grass and key grass are reproduced in this Key grass accompanied this growth. Tampa Bay publication by permission of the University of Georgia Press. Monanthochlöe has lost more than 40% of its original littoralis mangrove and salt-marsh acreage over ON THE COVER the past 100 years. Four types of dredg- Background—Belying its well-deserved name, a needle-rush ing have damaged Tampa Bay habitats: channel (Juncus) marsh looks velvet-soft when seen from afar. deepening, maintenance dredging, shell dredging, and Insets—Perennial glasswort, Salicornia virginica (top), crackles land-fill dredging. like glass breaking when stepped on. Close view of Juncus. Estuaries and their salt marshes provide habitats for Aerial and glasswort photos: Paul Carlson. Juncus inset: Llyn French. at least 75% of Florida’s recreational and commercial fishes, shellfish, and crustaceans. The elimination and FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE degradation of Florida salt marshes harm fishery re- CONSERVATION COMMISSION sources. Many of Florida’s marine fisheries will decline and may disappear without protection and restora- FISH AND WILDLIFE tion of coastal wetlands. RESEARCH INSTITUTE Salt marshes are a part of our state heritage. It is 100 Eighth Avenue SE up to us to ensure them a place in Florida’s future— St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020 your future. Telephone State regulations have been enacted to (727) 896-8626 protect Florida’s salt marshes and other Fax coastal communities. Specifically, the (727) 823-0166 Warren B. Henderson Wetlands Act of Web 1984 established clear guidelines for http://research.MyFWC.com defining wetlands under state jurisdic- tion. All dredging and filling activities in The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is an equal state waters require permits unless opportunity agency, offering all persons the benefits of participat- specifically exempted. Local laws vary, ing in each of its programs and competing in all areas of employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handi- so be sure to check with officials in your cap, or other non-merit factors. area before taking any action. 1/2006