This water is what creates the characteristic grey, anaerobic soils of wetlands. This number has decreased largely to the recognition of the ecological value of wetlands, both as habitat and for their environmental function. Wetlands are habitat for a great number of diverse species, supporting the food chain from the water up. The forage fish and insects then provide food for recreational fish, among other wetland inhabitants. This includes the wood stork, the Florida panther, and the whooping crane.
Wetlands play a great ecological role as well, acting as an important part of the water cycle.
Wetland soils and vegetation, by their very nature, store great amounts of water and then slowly release it. In controlling runoff, wetlands improve water quality through retaining the nutrients and wastes and reducing sediment. As the importance of wetlands became recognized, so did the push to protect and even recreate and restore wetlands. In May of 1977, President Carter issued Executive Order 11990, a great step in the protection of wetlands. In August of 1993, the Clinton Administration proposed improvements on the Federal Wetlands Program , recognizing the importance of wetlands, the extensive loss of wetlands, and the controversy surrounding wetland legislation.