Environments change and move, but how? Emily Kottler and Keryn Gedan have been looking at a migrating salt marsh by the Chesapeake Bay to see what the processes are that move a marsh.

It might be helpful to start by asked what, exactly, we mean by marsh. Emily Kottler explained: “A habitat is a marsh when it is periodically submerged in water (i.e. it is a wetland) and it is dominated by non-woody plants, often grasses.” So a proper marsh isn’t just damp, it also has marsh plants there.

Currently, sea-levels are rising in many places around the world, so we should expect salt marsh to be on the move. Kottler and Gedan looked to see how that happens. It could be that the moving saltwater clears land to be colonised. However, plant seeds get everywhere, so are marsh plant seeds lying in wait inland with plant ready to succeed if saltwater arrives?