JOHN KRIVEC PHOTOGRAPHY
In turn , they attract small animals such as ghost crabs , tiger beetles , grasshoppers , rabbits and birds , including nesting least terns whose eggs incubate in sun-warmed sand .
MARITIME FORESTS Maritime forests are thick pockets of hardwoods , pines , shrubs and vines growing on inches-higher ground wedged between marshes and dunes .
Towering live oak , water oak , southern magnolia , yellow poplar , loblolly pine , red maple , tupelo and pignut hickory trees create a canopy of shade for an understory of red bay , yaupon , American holly , sparkleberry , wax myrtle , saw palmetto and Spanish moss . These thick forests bordering marshes and dunes provide ideal habitat for mammals , reptiles and birds , from white-tailed deer to grey squirrels , wild turkeys , tree frogs , lizards and songbirds .
SALT MARSHES An estimated half-million acres of shallow salt marshes spread between barrier islands and the mainland on Georgia ’ s 100-mile coast . These unique wetlands have high concentrations of salt , tides that rise and fall more than 8 feet , and currents that relocate sediments .
Known for its network of small creeks , marshes sprout vast swaths of spartina , commonly known as cordgrass , growing three feet tall . Similar to sea oats on dunes , cordgrass spreads matted roots that hold the marsh in place and provide food for fiddler crabs , oysters , mussels , bristle worms , snails and many fish and bird species .
Although not home to an abundance of permanent residents , marshes attract plenty of land and aquatic species that visit to feed and shelter . “ Marshes are at least temporarily home to young shrimp , blue crabs and various fish before they move to open sea ,” Watkins comments . “ Even dolphins feed where water is deep enough .”
On guided nature outings , beaches and dunes are where guests feel most familiar , maritime forests seem different yet recognizable as woodlands , but marshes , Watkins says , “ that ’ s where eyes light up because marshland is so unfamiliar to many and so beautiful . Every ecological zone is unique , but salt marshes really make barrier islands special .”
20 SEA ISLAND LIFE | FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23