Remnant Salt Marsh EarthCache
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Waypoint 7 of 10 on Going Coastal’s NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Earthcache Discovery Trail in Liberty State Park, caches developed by Going Coastal, Inc. (www.goingcoastal.org) as a special project in affiliation with Groundspeak and support from the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.
The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Earthcache Discovery Trail is meant to help visitors develop a better understanding of the Estuary, make connections between earth and environmental science, and foster stewardship.
The cache is where life begins in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary. You should be facing west at this waypoint. It is one of the few remaining tidal salt marsh habitats along the Hudson. You should be standing near the wayside sign depicting ducks facing west. The salt marsh is a remnant of the vast marshlands that once lined the estuary. (visit link)
Mud is the base soil that supports life in the salt marsh. Both salt and fresh water sediment buildup in the mud, which produces healthy rich vegetation. The mud is made of silt and sand carried by the Hudson River or conveyed by ocean tides. Tidal currents cause new water to circulate inside the cove twice each day. The rising tide replenished the mud and plant life with valuable nutrients.
The salt marsh provides critical habitat for a variety of resident and migratory birds. Many birds, such as cormorants and ducks reside here year round while others are migratory, which means they stop here to rest and feed during their seasonal journeys to breed. The bird migration route, which stretches along the Atlantic coast from Florida to Nova Scotia is called the Atlantic Flyway. (visit link) Many of the birds here today are on their way to northern Canada (in the spring) or to the Gulf of Mexico (in the fall).
The water in the marsh is not all saltwater or all freshwater, but a brackish mix. Many aquatic animals live in the cove because the salt marsh is well sheltered from storms and heavy wave action. Salt tolerant smooth cordgrass is one of the few plants capable of survival in the marshlands. It can handle daily drowning and drought, high salinity water and oxygen poor soil.
Cordgrass is the center of a complex food web. The cordgrass dies at the end of each season releasing nutrients into the tidal waters. Most of the animals here are very small, living in the mud or underwater. They feed on a mix of decomposing particles of algae or dead leaves and cordgrass, called detritus.
Once cordgrass takes root its underground stems (called rhizomes) spread at the edge of the marsh. The stalks catch sediments and over time build up the level of the salt marsh. Young crabs and fish live in and around its stalks where mud snails burrow and periwinkles and sea horses cling. The marsh is a productive nursery for striped bass, flounder, American shad and many other types of local fish. The salt marsh also helps protect the Harbor Estuary by maintaining water quality. The marsh grasses slow stormwater runoff and capture sediments.
The plants remove excess nutrients as well as carbons through photosynthesis. The salt marsh can also serve as a buffer against floods and helping reduce shore erosion in developed areas.
The salt marsh is a fully sustainable ecosystem. The slightest disturbance in the cycle can impede the entire way of life, causing a chain reaction that affects all life in the salt marsh. Think of it like this: the birds feed on the fish, the fish feed on the plankton and plants, the plants feed on the water and the soil, if any part in the chain becomes altered, the entire system can be affected. (visit link) When the water becomes polluted, it can affect plant growth, fish reproduction and ultimately the whole food chain.
Activities:
1. Salt marshes develop only in protected waters. What feature in this landscape is keeping the water calm?
2. (Optional) What migratory birds do you see on the marsh? Are the birds headed, north or south? Note the date and time of your visit, post a photo if you like.
3. (Optional) Create a bird's eye view map of this salt marsh and natural areas, include features and creatures, landmarks and watermarks. Be sure to include a north arrow. (POST TO YOUR LOG)
To log a find on this earthcache, email the cache owner (DO NOT POST IN YOUR LOG), unless instructed otherwise. Use your GPS device to locate the next cache -
Remember, to upload a photo and let us know in your log ways we can improve the trail.
To reserve a field trip for your class, please contact the educators at the Nature Interpretive Center at (201) 915-3409. Geomate Jr. GPS units will be provided for your group for your high-tech exploration of the geology and ecology of Liberty State Park. Additional resources are available online at www.goingcoastal.org (visit link)
Data Sources
• Atlantic Flyway - (visit link)
• NY-NJ Harbor Estuary - (visit link)
• Salt Marsh - (visit link)
Name and Type of Land
Liberty State Park
200 Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Phone: (201) 915-3440
(visit link)
OWNER: NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Additional Hints
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