Saltmarsh at Cedar Point

Tide going out at Cedar Point.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

30.43702, -81.47219

Anywhere you go in the Timucuan Preserve, a salt marsh is bound to be near. These salt marshes are crucial to the health and wealth of northeast Florida, and our park protects nearly 35,000 acres of one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands. One of the most important factors of salt marsh ecosystems are ocean tides, acting as the marshes lungs, bringing in fresh water, nutrients, and animals, and expelling waste during low tide. You'll know low tide is approaching when you start to get whiffs of rotten eggs, don't worry it wasn't a bad lunch. What you're actually smelling is the hydrogen sulfide emitting from layers of decaying plant matter called peat. These peat layers act as carbon sinks, soaking in carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, helping to prevent climate change. Because of this, salt marshes contain low oxygen levels. Couple this with the brackish waters, and you get a surprisingly harsh environment. Only plants and animals well adapted to these conditions can survive.