The salt marsh is a vital habitat that is often neglected and disregarded. And yes, everything gets called a vital habitat nowadays, but salt marshes are truly vital and in some ways more important than other habitats that also need protecting. Marshes serve as buffers in areas where hurricanes threaten. With the help of the tides they act as natural filters for keeping bays and harbors cleans. They provide important habitat for nesting and migrating birds. But the most important role salt marshes play may be in the breeding cycle of marine life. So many species up and down the food chain depend on salt marshes as part of their life cycle. On the west coast even salmon depend on marshes as a place for the young to grow and strengthen before they finally head out into the Pacific.
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