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**Objective:** To familiarize students with the parts of the salt marsh.

**Method:** Students will act out the various parts of the marsh.

**Background:** Georgia has over one third of the salt marshes found
along the East coast. Cumberland Island National Seashore has 9,341
acres of salt marsh. The salt marshes are found behind the barrier
islands, protected from the force of the waves. A marsh is a wetland
where the main vegetation is non-woody plants. There are both fresh and
salt water marshes. In a salt marsh, water floods the area at high tide.
Elevation of the land and height of water in the marsh varies, allowing
for a diversity of plants and animals. The salt water inundation limits
what plants can live there.

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The marsh is generally found on the protected side of a barrier island.
It is bordered by the **maritime forest**. A small transition zone
separates the forest from the marsh. This is referred to as the **marsh
border**. During large storms and very high tides the marsh border gets
flooded by salt water, so the plants are salt tolerant. Cedars, palms,
palmettos and groundsel tree are commonly seen in this area.

The actual marsh has two major zones - the high and the low marsh. These
two areas are delineated by the vegetation type, which is an indication
of the daily water coverage. The **high** **marsh** may be flooded only
1-2 hours per day. It has sandy soil and a high diversity of plants.
These include sea oxeye, glasswort or sea pickle, needle rush and
saltwort.

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height="1.4993055555555554in"}

The **low marsh** is flooded with salt water for 6-8 hours per day.
There is only one kind of plant that has adapted to survive this -
*Spartina alternaflora* (smooth cordgrass). Extra salt taken in by the
cordgrass is collected by a gland in the leaves and then excreted
through special pores. The soil is dark and squishy in the low marsh.

Bordering the tidal creeks is a raised area called a **levee**. It is
formed from tidal deposits as the waters flow over the bank. Friction
causes the water to slow and drop the sediment load which is how the
levee is built.

The **tidal creek** is the life blood of the marsh. It meanders through
the marsh bringing nutrients, oxygen and water and then carrying wastes
away, just like the blood vessels of the human body.

**Procedure:**

\- Discuss wetlands and salt marshes with the students. Define a
**marsh**. Show students the salt marsh profile. Briefly explain the
parts of the marsh.

-Have students act out the parts of the marsh. Numbers are based on a
group of 12 (adjust to group size). As the parts are assigned have
students line up in the proper order and act it out .

2 students represent the marsh border

-move hands in a stopping motion and say \"we\'re the edge, no water

here\"

2 students represent the high marsh

-raise hands up high and in a high voice say \"not too much water\"

4 students represent the low marsh

-squat down and in a low voice say \"bring it on , we don\'t mind\"

(cont\'d)

1 student represents the levee

-hold hands out in stopping motion and say \"slow it down\"

3 students represent the tidal creek

-join hands making a train, zig-zag through the \"marsh\" students and
say \"we bring fresh water and take out the waste\"

\- On signal, have all the parts of the marsh do their motion and
sounds. This is the marsh at work.

**Evaluation:** Ask students to define a marsh. Have students name the
parts of the marsh. Ask how they can tell the difference between the
high and low marsh.

**Extension:** Take trip to actual salt marsh and examine the various
parts.

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**Plants of the Salt Marsh**

**[Levee]{.underline}**

Spartina alternaflora (smooth cordgrass)

glasswort

needle rush

sea oxeye

**[Low Marsh]{.underline}**

Spartina alternaflora (smooth cordgrass)

**[High Marsh]{.underline}**

glasswort

saltwort

**[Marsh Border]{.underline}**

needle rush

sea oxeye

marsh lavender

mash aster

**[Transition Community]{.underline}**

marsh elder

groundsel tree

salt meadow cordgrass

cabbage palm

red cedar

wax myrtle

yaupon holly

red bay