Wetland Ecology and Assessment Program

Coastal salt marsh wetlands are unique, valuable, and highly
productive ecosystems that provide vital habitat and refuge for fish,
shellfish, and wildlife and perform important physical and chemical functions
such as shoreline stabilization, sediment trapping, organic productions and
export, flood attenuation, and water quality maintenance. The legacy of urban
development and human activities in coastal areas has resulted in the direct
loss and alteration of a significant portion of this Nation's salt marsh
wetlands. While the direct destruction of salt marshes has been dramatically
curtailed with regulatory protection, adverse effects from indirect sources
such as nonpoint source pollution (including on-site waste disposal and
stormwater runoff), oil and other toxic spills, and subsurface water withdrawal
continue to degrade these unique systems.