Salt marshes (emergent grasses) are located where land and sea join together on wave protected coastlines. Low lying, salt tolerant vegetation are the dominant plant life in salt marshes (emergent grasses). The tidal channels and pools are scattered through the vegetation. Salt marshes (emergent grasses) are a habitat of emergent herbs, grasses, or low shrubs, which are rooted in soils that alternate between being flooded and drained from the action of the tide. Salt marshes (emergent grasses) host a large variety of animal, as well as plant, life. Most animals are not permanent residents of the marsh, but many feed and breed there. Worms, crabs, snails, geese, sandpipers, hawks, owls, mice, raccoons, foxes, river otters and bears all call the salt marshes (emergent grasses) their sometime home. That is just a sampling of the invertebrates, birds and mammals who sometimes reside there. Fish such as sole,
flounder, anchovies, herring and
salmon all shelter, rear and breed in the marshes' tidal channels and the estuaries deeper waters. Salt marshes (emergent grasses) protect a great variety of animal life living there and allows them a place to breed. Their plant life is a fantastic help to the land, ocean and marine life.
Carnivores
Indian smooth-coated otter
African clawless otter
Sea otter
North american otter
Common otter
Dugongs, manatees, and sea cows
American manatee
African manatee
Read more at the list of
biomes of the world...