California coastal salt marsh

California's coastal salt marsh is a wetland plant community that occurs sporadically along the Pacific Coast from Humboldt Bay to San Diego.

Plant species in this community are halophytes adapted to the saline conditions and low oxygen content typically found in the water-saturated soils.

Taking samples of marshes of varying sizes, the study observed and analyzed metals, pesticides, and pollutants in the sediment over a two-year period.

Results concluded that both the natural environment and pollutants of the marsh impacted sediment microbial communities, though each factor's effect can be difficult to distinguish without careful testing.

Their analyses also discovered relationships between the concentration of pollutants, like metals, and specific fatty acids, suggesting that the microbial community can be analyzed to gauge marsh ecosystem health.