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Geological Formations

Salt Marsh

Sedimentary and Stratigraphic Formations

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A salt marsh, also called a saltmarsh, salting, or coastal marsh, is a tidal wetland landform lying in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and sea, regularly flooded by seawater or brackish water. Dense stands of salt-tolerant plants such as herbs, grasses, and low shrubs trap and bind the sediments that build up the marsh surface, and the resulting landform plays a large role in the aquatic food web, the delivery of nutrients to coastal waters, and coastal protection.

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