User:TaylorRclantonPrice/Brackish marsh

Algae also make up a large part of the biodiversity in brackish marshes. The most common algae, diatoms, make up a large portion of the algal community in brackish marshes. Diatoms are eukaryotic microorganisms that have a cell wall that is composed of silica and can exists in freshwater or marine environments making them good candidates for brackish marshes. These diatoms can be either planktic, which float freely in the water column, or benthic, which attach to a substrate. Some examples of diatoms that can be found in brackish marshes are from the genera (Navicula), (Nitzschia), (Diploneis), (Cyclotella), (Cymbella), (Fragilaria), (Gyrosigma), (Tabularia), (Amphora), (Cocconeis), and many more. Many different organisms in these brackish marshes depend on diatoms as a food source so they are ecologically important. Some examples of organisms that feed on diatoms are bivalves, mollusks, fish, copepods, decapod larvae, and ducks, as well as many others. Many organisms in these brackish marshes consume diatoms so they are very valuable to maintaining balance in these types of ecosystems.

Another group of algae that is present in brackish marshes are fucoid algae. This is a type of brown macroalgae in the class Phaeophyceae. Brown algae are eukaryotic stramenopiles which means that they are at one point flagellated and most people know them as seaweeds in coastal areas. Examples of brown algae that have been found in brackish marshes are Fucus vesiculosus, Ascophyllum nodosum, the genus Sphacelaria, and many others. Yellow-green algae can also be found in brackish marshes. Yellow-green algae are eukaryotic algae in the class Xanthophyceae. An example of this is Vaucheria.

Green algae can also be found in brackish marshes. Some examples of the different genera of green algae that can be found in brackish marshes are Enteromorpha, Ulothrix, Rhizoclonium, Blidingia, Percursaria, and many others. Typically, sedges and grasses dominate the vegetation in brackish marshes. Plants in brackish marshes are salinity tolerant and they tolerate frequent flooding. They also have frequent tidal waves disturbing the area as well as seasonal hurricanes and tropical storms. (Julia bass) According to (Makenzie) plants in coastal marshes resist salinity by refraining from the uptake of salt via their root system. Some examples of plants that grow in brackish marshes are Panicum hemitomon, Spartina patens, Zostera japonica, Haloxylon recurvum, Juncus roemerianus, Borrichia frutescens, Schoenoplectus americanus, Distichlis spicata and many others.

Conservation

Brackish marshes are also great in reducing nutrient pollution such as nitrogen. There are many sources of nitrogen entering the water systems especially in Texas. In Texas there are many dairy farms as well as ranch land and farm land. All these are sources of nitrogen in the Texas water systems. Having large amounts of nitrogen in a water system can cause eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and fish kills. In wetlands, nitrogen is used by the vascular and non-vascular vegetation to grow, therefore removing the nitrogen naturally and preventing a large amount of nitrogen from entering the coastal region creating anoxic habitats in the ocean. Conservation of the brackish marsh wetlands can be a last resort to help prevent these potential problems.