March 10 - Maine

Salt Water Marshes

Good afternoon, intrepid followers! This has been a very busy week for me (fodder for another blog), and while I was out doing errands I finally remembered my camera! There is some gorgeous scenery locally, and a lot of it has to do with the salt water marsh which is located nearby. Not only is it beautiful, but it is crucial to the ecosystem here.

It does have a distinctive sulfurous odor at low tide (especially in the summer), and there is a reason for that. From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website: "Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. They are marshy because the soil may be composed of deep mud and peat. Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is often several feet thick. Peat is waterlogged, root-filled, and very spongy. Because salt marshes are frequently submerged by the tides and contain a lot of decomposing plant material, oxygen levels in the peat can be extremely low—a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia is caused by the growth of bacteria which produce the sulfurous rotten-egg smell that is often associated with marshes and mud flats.

Salt marshes also protect shorelines from erosion by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff, and by metabolizing excess nutrients."

The marsh that is located nearby where I am staying is the largest salt water marsh in Maine, 3100 acres. It is owned and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It is comprised of tidal marsh, salt creeks, freshwater marsh and uplands.

Aerial view

From the Audobon website: "The marsh is particularly important for wildlife as a resting, breeding and feeding ground. It provides critical habitat for a broad array of wildlife, particularly birds. Waterfowl, egrets, herons, glossy ibis and many species of shorebirds depend on this rich ecosystem for food, a place to rest during migration and, in some cases, nesting habitat. The marsh is also an excellent spot to find a number of grassland songbirds not commonly found in other parts of Maine, as well as various birds of prey that hunt in the marsh throughout the year. Muskrat, mink, otter, and deer also frequent the wetland.

The Sokokis Indians hunted, trapped, clammed and fished on the wetland. When European settlers arrived in the 1600s, they harvested the salt hay as fodder for cattle and sheep and used the marsh as summer pasture. The 19th century saw increased ditching, filling of pannes and the introduction of tidal gates, which prevent the tide from flooding portions of the marsh. Channels were dug to allow boats built inland to float through the marsh out to sea."

Channels (in good weather)

The first two pictures above are stock photos from the websites to give you an idea of how extensive the marsh is. In summer one can rent a kayak or canoe at high tide and explore the channels (I have never done that). The photos below are pictures I took while out and about.

That was your science lesson for the week :)

Enjoy!