Galilee Salt Marsh

Physical Characteristics

Why is the salt marsh so important?

The salt marsh is a transitional area between land and water systems. Salt marshes are critical nursery areas for fish and invertebrates. Some fish who live in the open ocean return to the salt marsh to feed there. Many fish breed here and use the salt marsh as a nursery.

Peat, a collection of decomposed plant material and roots, acts like a filter. It helps to purify fresh water runoff from the upland region. In addition this dense material captures nutrients that are brought in with the ocean tides. The marsh also serves as a protective habitat for migratory birds. The components of the marsh, the peat, grasses and shrubs, protect and stabilize shorelines from erosion and help prevent flooding.

Salt marshes are the second most biologically productive area in the world after rain forests. They make efficient use of sunlight and have been known to produce four times as much food as an acre of rich cornland.