Saltwater Wetlands, cont. 



Submerged Grass Beds 



Tideflats 



Shellfish Beds 



Coral Reefs 



Kelp Beds 



slows the surge of flood waters, breaks 

 waves, and reduces flooding. Vegetation 

 stabilizes shorelines, prevents erosion. 

 Wetlands and tidal creeks provide nursery 

 areas, other exceptional habitat, and open 

 space/scenic benefits. 



Includes concentrated beds of submerged grass 

 in shallow coastal waters. Where marshes are 

 scarce, grass beds may play a dominant role by 

 providing nursery areas, general habitat, 

 primary productivity, and nutrient storage. 

 They supply food to grazing animals and provide 

 detrital nutrients. They add oxygen and 

 stabilize bottom sediments. 



Includes unvegetated areas that are alternately 

 exposed and inundated by the tide. They may 

 be mudflats, or sandflats, depending on the 

 coarseness of the material of which they are 

 made. They provide feeding areas for fishes 

 (high tide) or shore and wading birds (low 

 tide) and may produce a high yield of shell- 

 fish or baitworms. Tideflats are important 

 energy storage elements for chemical nutrients. 



Includes all concentrations of molluscan 

 shellfish on flats, banks, bars, or other 

 bottoms. They provide an important economic 

 resource and also provide a food source for 

 certain fishes, birds, and mammals. Oyster 

 beds particularly provide an exceptional and 

 unique habitat for a diverse association of 

 marine species. 



Includes all coral reef structures. They 

 provide habitat, structure and productivity 

 wherever they are found. Fish, shellfish, 

 and smaller marine organisms depend on the 

 coral reef habitat for shelter and food, making 

 it the center of many tropical biological 

 communities. 



Includes all concentrated beds of kelp in near- 

 shore coastal waters. They break the force of 

 the sea and provide a strip of quieter water 

 between them and the shore. They provide food 

 and favorable habitat for many fishes, as well 

 as sheltered nursery areas for their young. 



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