- Salt marshes occur in areas where bodies of water meet land and have varying levels of salinity. A wide array of plant and animal life lives within a salt marsh setting. Insects, microscopic organisms and small marine animals make up a large amount of the wildlife in salt marshes. By comparison, there are relatively few reptiles living in salt marshes.
- An osprey sits on top of a tree.osprey landing image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
Known scientifically as Pandion haliaetus, the osprey lives in a wide range of areas throughout the world. According to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, ospreys can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. Ospreys are birds of prey, feeding on fish nearly exclusively. Their wingspans stretch from 1 to 2 feet, and they use their wings to help them hover and dive to catch fish. A wild osprey lives for about 26 years and reaches a weight of 2.6 to 4.4 lbs. - The marsh rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris, lives within coastal plains areas of the southeastern United States. This rabbit species has a different look compared with other rabbits, as it has smaller ears, tail and head, as well as shorter legs and less fur. According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, marsh rabbits mainly eat aquatic plants found in marshes. They swim well and often take to the water to escape predators.
- Palaemonetes vulgaris, the marsh grass shrimp, is one of three types of grass shrimp. These shrimp live in estuaries and marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Among the types of grass shrimp, the marsh grass shrimp has a higher tolerance of saline water. Most grass shrimp are less than 2 inches long. These shrimp have rather short lives, anywhere from 6 to 13 months.
- Salicornia europeae var. rubra, commonly known as pickleweed, grows within salty waters throughout the interior United States. Pickleweed has adapted to living within salt water by holding salt within the vacuoles in a process called salt succulence. Pickleweed blooms in the summer and turns a bright red color in fall. During winter, the plant dies off and spreads its seeds. The seeds then grow once the ground thaws.
- Spartina patens is also known as saltmeadow hay, marsh grass and saltmeadow cordgrass, according to the University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center. Salt hay is a salt-tolerant grass that resembles hay. It grows in mats and has rather weak stems, causing the grass to bend easily. The flowers of salt hay appear between June and October, growing on one side of the stalk. At maturity, salt hay is between 1 and 2 feet high.
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