Salt Marsh - Secrets of the Marsh
Dive into the marsh with Project Oceanology scientists! In this virtual field trip, we’ll learn about the marsh ecosystem and how it is connected to terrestrial and marine systems. We’ll study the special adaptations that allow marsh organisms to live in this unique and sometimes challenging environment, and we’ll also learn about the ecosystem services provided by the marsh. Finally, we’ll conduct a scientific study of the marsh.
What is a Marsh?
A salt marsh is a coastal wetland that is flooded with salt water approximately twice per day, with the rise and fall of tides. Marsh vegetation is dominated by specialized grasses able to withstand the daily influx of salt water, and marshes are host to a remarkably broad array of migratory organisms as well as permanent residents, from both the land and the sea. Learn more about the marsh here.
Use the video below to imagine you are standing in a salt marsh on the shores of Long Island Sound. What do you see and hear? Is anything happening in the video?
Learn More About the Marsh System
Peat
Spartina
Ribbed Mussels
Pickleweed
Now that you have learned about the marsh, answer the discussion questions below and then move on to the Scientific Study and make a quantitative marsh profile. To learn even more about marshes and human activity, follow up with our extension activity, Marshes Under Threat.
Answer the following discussion questions
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Describe three adaptations that help marsh grass (Spartina) survive in the marsh
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How is the marsh ecosystem connected to nearby terrestrial ecosystems? How is it connected to nearby marine ecosystems?
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Describe two ways that the disappearance of marsh affects human communities:
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Marsh grass (Spartina) is native to the east coast, but is invasive on the west coast. Based on what you have learned about Spartina, how do you think it might affect west coast ecosystems if it starts to grow there? Would it be a problem as an invasive species? Why or why not?
Join Project O scientists as they survey the marsh! In this scientific survey, you will be collecting data to construct a marsh profile.
Extension Activity: Marshes Under Threat
In this extension activity, you will use the NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer to explore how sea level rise is likely to affect the terrain at Bluff Point State Park in Groton, as well as Great Island Wildlife Management Area at the mouth of the Connecticut River.