Animal life on these barrier islands, too, is limited by the plant life, which provides food and protection. This is a special little world extraordinarily affected by the whims of nature. Behind barrier islands the waters of the sound and bayou are less salty. And nutrients washed down from the mainland support a rich marine life. Here shrimp and fishes valuable to commercial fishermen move through many of their life cycles.
Protection is the key word.
The barrier islands give shelter to rich plant and animal communities on the islands, in the sound and bayou, and on the mainland itself.