Undisturbed coastal wetlands that have natural vegetation along their edges produce dense meadows of grasses and other plants that support abundant wildlife. When marsh adges are cleared for buildings or otherwise disturbed, use of the marsh by wildlife declines. The coastal upland along this stretch of Maine's shore is evergreen. White pines and hemlocks dominate, with oaks and maples intermingled and a ground cover of ferns. Though out of sight of the marsh, this woodland is directly linked to it.
Ground water carries nutrients from the forest's decaying leaves and needles out to the marsh.
Many species of mammals and birds rely on both the marsh and upland for food cover and breeding habitat. The tides bring sea water into the marsh, mix in fresh water from the the upland and carry organic nutrients from decaying marsh grasses back into the bay. This continual exchange of water and nutrients among the upland, marsh and ocean keeps the marsh thriving and helps support a complex marine food web. Tidal creeks twist and turn as they wander through a salt marsh. At any wide turn, or meander, tidal currents erode the outside bank as they build up the inside bank.