Contributions of mineral and organic components to tidal freshwater marsh accretion

Vertical accretion in tidal marshes is necessary to prevent submergence due to rising sea levels. Mineral materials may be more important in driving vertical accretion in tidal freshwater marshes, which are found near the heads of estuaries, than has been reported for salt marshes. Accretion rates for tidal freshwater marshes in North America and Europe (n = 76 data points) were compiled from the literature. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that both organic and mineral accumulations played a role in driving tidal freshwater marsh vertical accretion rates, although a unit mass of organic material contributed ∼4 times more to marsh volume than the same mass input of mineral material. Despite the higher mineral content of tidal freshwater marsh soils, this ability of organic matter to effectively hold water and air in interstitial spaces suggests that organic matter is responsible for 62% of marsh accretion, with the remaining 38% from mineral contributions. The organic material that helps to build marsh elevation is likely a combination of in situ production and organic materials that are deposited in association with mineral sediment particles. Regional differences between tidal freshwater marshes in the importance of organic vs. mineral contributions may reflect differences in sediment availability, climate, tidal range, rates of sea level rise, and local-scale factors such as site elevation and distance to tidal creeks. Differences in the importance of organic and mineral accumulations between tidal freshwater and salt marshes are likely due to a combination of factors, including sediment availability (e.g., proximity to upland sources and estuarine turbidity maxima) and the lability of freshwater vs. salt marsh plant production.     

Temporal changes and spatial variation of soil oxygen consumption, nitrification and denitrification rates in a tidal salt marsh of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy

The aim of the present study was to investigate seasonal and spatial patterns of soil oxygen consumption, nitrification, denitrification and fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in a tidal salt marsh of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. In the salt marsh, intact soil cores including overlying water were collected monthly at high tide from April to October in salt marsh creeks and in areas covered by the dominant vegetation, Limonium serotinum. In May, cores were also collected in areas with vegetation dominated by Juncus maritimus and Halimione portulacoides. In laboratory incubations at in situ temperature in the dark, flux rates of oxygen and DIN were monitored in the overlying water of the intact cores. ¹⁵N-nitrate was added to the overlying water and nitrification and denitrification were measured using isotope-dilution and -pairing techniques. The results show that highest soil oxygen consumption coincided with the highest water temperature in June and July. The highest denitrification rates were recorded in spring and autumn coinciding with the highest nitrate concentrations. Soil oxygen consumption and nitrification rates differed between sampling sites, but denitrification rates were similar among the different vegetation types. The highest rates were recorded in areas covered with L. serotinum. Burrowing soil macrofauna enhanced oxygen consumption, nitrification and denitrification in April and May. The data presented in this study indicate high temporal as well as spatial variations in the flux of oxygen and DIN, and nitrogen transformations in the tidal salt marshes of the Venice lagoon during the growth season. The results identify the salt marshes of the Venice lagoon as being metabolically very active ecosystems with a high capacity to process nitrogen.     

Tidal regime,salinity and salt marsh plant zonation

Salt marsh morphology is known to be strongly correlated to vegetation patterns through a complex interplay of biological and physical processes. This paper presents the results of field surveys at several study salt marshes within the Venice Lagoon (Italy), which indicate that salt-marsh macrophyte species may indeed be associated with narrow ranges of soil topographic elevation. Statistical analyses show that several properties of the frequency distributions of halophytes presence are sensitive not only to variations in soil elevation, but also to the specific marsh considered. Through direct in situ sampling and by use of a finite-element hydrodynamic model the role of plant submersion duration and frequency in determining the observed variability of vegetation species is then studied. Measurements of soil salinity have also been performed at selected salt marshes to address its influence on vegetation occurrence. With implications for tidal marshes in general, the distribution of halophytes in the salt marshes considered is found not to be responding to simple rules dictated by the tidal cycle or to salinity, and that such factors, when singularly considered, cannot explain the observed spatial distribution of halophytes. On the basis of observations and modelling results it is thus concluded that a combination of multiple factors, likely dominated by saturated/unsaturated flow in the soil, may be responsible for the observed macrophyte distribution.     

Characterization of humic substances in salt marsh soils under sea rush (Juncus maritimus)

Humic substances (HS) from salt marsh soils were characterized and the relationships among HS composition and some geochemical factors were analysed. For this, three salt marshes with the same vegetation cover (Juncus maritimus), but with different geochemical characteristics, were selected. The qualitative characterization of the soil humic acids and fulvic acids was carried out by elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and VACP/MAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.HS from salt marsh soils under sea rush (Juncus maritimus) displayed some shared characteristics such as low degree of humification, low aromatic content and high proportion of labile compounds, mainly polysaccharides and proteins. However, although the three salt marsh soils under study were covered by the same type of vegetation, the HS showed some important differences. HS composition was found to be determined not only by the nature of the original organic material, but also by environmental factors such as soil texture, redox conditions and tidal influence. In general, an increase in the humification process appeared to be related to aerobic conditions and predominance of sand in the mineral fraction of the soil, while the preservation of labile organic compounds may be associated with low redox potential values and fine soil texture.     

Experimental restoration of a salt marsh with some comments on ecological restoration of coastal vegetated ecosystems in Korea

Since the 1980s, the coastal wetlands in Korea have been rapidly degraded and destroyed mainly due to reclamation and landfills for coastal development. In order to recover damaged coastal environments and to develop wetland restoration technologies, a 4-year study on ecological the restoration of coastal vegetated ecosystems was started in 1998. As one of a series of studies, a small-scale experiment on salt marsh restoration was carried out from April 2000 to August 2001. The experiment was designed to find effective means of ecological restoration through a comparison of the changes in environmental components and species structure between two different experimental plots created using sediment fences, one with and one without small canals. Temporal variation in surface elevation, sedimentary facies, and benthic species were measured seasonally in each plot and in the adjacent natural reference sites. Monthly exposure occurred from 330 cm to mean sea level, which represents the critical tidal level (CTL) at which salt marsh plants colonize. Vegetation, especially Suaeda japonica, colonized the site the following spring and recovered to a similar extent in the natural marshes 16 months later. The sedimentary results indicated that the sediment fences had effects on particle size and sediment accumulation, especially in the plot with small canals. This experiment also showed that tidal height, especially that exceeding the CTL, is an important factor in the recovery of the benthic fauna of salt marshes. From these results, we suggested that designs for the restoration of salt marsh ecosystems must consider the inclusion of a tidal height exceeding CTL, as this may allow reconstruction of the previous natural ecosystem without artificial transplanting.     

Productivity and nutrient cycling in salt marshes: Contribution to ecosystem health

This study aimed to assess the contribution of different salt marsh halophytes (Spartina maritima, Scirpus maritimus, Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia fruticosa, and Sarcocornia perennis) to nutrient cycling and sequestration in warm-temperate salt marshes. Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in plant organs and rhizosediment, as well as plant biomass were monitored every two months during one year. Results show that the C retained in the rhizosediment does not seem to be species or site specific. However, some halophytes seem to have a higher contribution to retain C from external sources, namely S. perennis and S. maritima. Regarding N, halophytes colonizing the upper and middle marsh areas had the highest NBPP (net belowground primary production) as well as the retention of N in the rhizosediment. Yet, excluding S. maritimus, all halophytes seem to contribute to the retention of N from external sources. The P retained in the rhizosediment does not seem to be species or site specific. Still, only S. maritima colonizing the lower marsh areas, which also had comparatively lower NBPP, seem to have a higher contribution to retain P from external sources. Additionally, it seems that there is no relation between plants sequestration capacity for nutrients and plant photosynthetic pathway. This work shows that nutrient cycling and accumulation processes by salt marsh halophytes contribute to reduce eutrophication (N and P retention) and also to reduce atmospheric CO₂ (C retention), highlighting salt marsh ecosystems services and the crucial role of halophytes in maintaining ecosystem functions and health.     

Implication of salt marsh foraminiferal assemblages in Suncheon Bay,South Korea

Analyses of the compositions of benthic foraminifera and sediment, observations of tidal level and salinity, and a geographic survey of the tidal salt marsh in Suncheon Bay were conducted to examine the vertical distribution of foraminifera and evaluate their potential use for sea level studies. The salt marsh is composed mainly of fine-grained silty clay sediment and its salinity is below approximately 11 psu. The tidal current flows in the southwest-tonortheast direction with an average velocity of 26.57 cm/s. A total of 33 species of foraminifera (17 agglutinated and 16 calcareoushyaline) belonging to 24 genera was identified. The species diversity (1.1 on average) was relatively low. Dominant species were Ammonia beccarii, Miliammina fusca, Haplophragmoides wilberti, and Jadammina macrescens. Calcareous foraminifera (29.5%) were dominantly represented by the Ammonia beccarii assemblage, which characterized the region between mean tide level and mean low high water (MLHW). Agglutinated species (70.5%) were represented mostly by Miliammina fusca, Miliammina fusca-Haplophragmoides wilberti, and Haplophragmoides wilberti assemblages, which characterized the MLHW–mean high water (MHW), MHW–mean highest high water (MHHW), and MHHW–Approx. highest high water tide levels, respectively. In particular, the Haplophragmoides wilberti assemblage is believed to represent the highest elevation zone of foraminifera in the salt marshes of Suncheon Bay and is considered to be a reliable indicator of sea level as a result of its narrow vertical range.     

Patterns of unsuccessful shell-crushing predation along a tidal gradient in two geographically separated salt marshes

Gradients in salt marsh ecosystems that result from reduced tidal inundation time in the high marsh offer an opportunity to assess the importance of predation as a selective agent (indexed by the time-averaged record of unsuccessful predation, which integrates potentially confounding short-term – inter-seasonal and inter-annual – fluctuations in predation pressure). Spatial patterns in selection pressure are expected to decrease landward from the seaward edge of the marsh. Interaction between shell-breaking predators and their snail prey, Littoraria irrorata, however, generated a pattern in the frequency of sublethal injury (shell repair), standardized for snail size, that did not follow this simple, single-variable prediction of decreasing repair frequencies with distance from the seaward edge of the marsh, based on inundation time alone. Patterns of repair frequency increased landward from the seaward edge of the marsh, only declining as predicted after a zone of dense stands of salt marsh grass. The interaction of tidal inundation time and primary habitat structure ( e.g. physical vegetative barriers to dispersion of predators into the marsh) is hypothesized to shape selection gradients in salt marshes, as inferred from the record of unsuccessful predation.     

The influence of mosquito control recirculation ditches on plant biomass,production and composition in two San Francisco Bay salt marshes

Vegetation of two San Francisco Bay, California, U.S.A. tidal marshes was examined to determine the effects of recirculation ditches designed to eliminate mosquito-breeding. Salicornia virginica L. biomass and production in Petaluma Marsh and plant species composition in Suisun Marsh were measured with respect to distance from ditches and natural channels. In Petaluma Marsh, both annual above-ground production estimates and infrared aerial photographs indicated that S. virginica growth rates were higher near ditches than in the open marsh. In the floristically diverse, less saline Suisun Marsh, there was a displacement of the more salt tolerant S. virginica by the less tolerant Juncus balticus Willd. and a significantly greater number of species near the ditches. Results in both marshes are correlated with low groundwater salinities near ditches and suggest that tidal circulation within ditches locally ameliorates extremes in soil conditions.     

Invading cord grass vegetation changes analyzed from Landsat-TM imageries: a case study from the Wanggang area, Jiangsu coast, eastern China

Cord grass colonization on the Jiangsu coast, eastern China, modifies the native salt marshes in terms of ecosystem structure. The Landsat TM images from 1992 to 2003 were analyzed to identify salt-marsh vegetation distribution patterns and their changes over this coastal region, in order to evaluate the effects of the spreading of the artificially introduced halophyte Spartina. Supervised classification was performed using Bands 3, 4 and 5 in conjunction with in situ training samples, to derive the distribution pattern of the vegetation in the study area. Further, in order to identify the intertidal areas with different tidal elevations, a data treatment procedure was designed to combine regional water level data using harmonic analysis with the waterlines on the TM images extracted by density slice. The results show that: (1) the Spartina alterniflora area has been expanding towards the sea rapidly since it was introduced, especially at initial stages; (2) in the upper part of the inter-tidal zone, the local marsh plant Suaeda salsa and the exotic species Spartina anglica were present only near the sea dyke, occupying only a small part of the entire salt marsh, and the area of these two species has been reduced by land reclamation; (3) there has been a trend for Spartina alterniflora to become the dominant species in the salt marshes in the study area; and (4) the elevation of Spartina alterniflora’s seaward fringe was close to mean high water on neaps, and its landward boundary was slightly higher than mean high water. The salt marsh environment of the study area has been modified rapidly by the Spartina vegetation for the last 12 years.     

潮间带盐沼植物黏附悬浮颗粒物的差异性研究

为了研究潮间带盐沼植物黏附悬浮颗粒物的差异性,在长江口选择了三种盐沼植物群落对它们黏附的颗粒物质量进行测定,结果表明:(1)植物群落距潮沟或光滩越近,生长位置的滩面高程越低,则黏附颗粒物越多,而在盐沼前缘单位滩地面积上植物黏附颗粒物的质量以1%~3%/m(单位水平距离)的速率从水体悬浮颗粒物含量相对较高的盐沼外缘光滩或潮沟向盐沼内部减小;(2)植物黏附的颗粒物量在垂向上从上到下急剧增大,通常在靠近滩面5~10 cm的部分植物的黏附量占植物黏附总量的三分之一以上;(3)相邻群落单位滩地面积的互花米草[(220.6±172.7)g/m2]的总黏附量明显多于芦苇[(64.9±38.1)g/m2]和海三棱藨草[(45.2±31.7)g/m2],而按单位生物量来说单位滩地面积上三种盐沼植物黏附的颗粒物以海三棱藨草最多[(150.5±134.8)g/kg],芦苇最少[(28.8±22.8)g/kg],互花米草介于两者之间[(57.5±32.9)g/kg];(4)海三棱藨草的黏附量在季节上差异性明显,秋初(9月)是春末(5月)的6倍,在冬季该植物消失,其黏附颗粒物的功能也消失。造成盐沼植物黏附悬浮颗粒物差异的根本原因是生物量、悬浮颗粒物含量和淹没条件(淹没的深度、时间、频率)的不同。     

Observations on the ecological importance of salt marshes in the Cumberland Basin,a macrotidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy

The Cumberland Basin, a 118 km² estuary at the head of the Bay of Fundy which has an average tidal range of about 11m, contains large tracts of salt marsh (15% of the area below highest high water). Low marsh (below about 0·9 m above mean high water) is composed almost exclusively of Spartina alterniflora while the vegetation on high marsh is more diverse but dominated by Spartina patens. Because of its higher elevation, high marsh is flooded infrequently for short periods by only extreme high tides. Low marsh is inundated much more frequently by water as much as 4m deep for periods as long as 4 h per tide. Temporal variability in the occurrence of extreme tides influences the flooding frequency of high marsh for any given month and year. Using a modification of Smalley's method, the mean annual net aerial primary production (NAPP) of low and high marsh is estimated to be 272 and 172 g C m^?2, respectively. Vegetation turnover times average 1·0 and 2·0 y for low and high marsh, respectively. Because of abundant tidal energy, much of the low marsh production appears to be exported and distributed widely about the estuary. Since high levels of turbidity suppress phytoplankton production, salt marshes produce approximately half of the carbon fixed photosynthetically in the Cumberland Basin. It is concluded that salt marshes play a major ecological role in the Cumberland Basin.     

Comparison of bulk and compound-specific δC analyses and determination of carbon sources to salt marsh sediments using n-alkane distributions (Maine,USA)

Sources of sedimentary organic matter to a Morse River, Maine (USA) salt marsh over the last 3390 ± 60 RCYBP (Radiocarbon Years Before Present) are determined using distribution patterns of n-alkanes, bulk carbon isotopic analysis, and compound-specific carbon isotopic analysis. Marsh foraminiferal counts suggest a ubiquitous presence of high marsh and higher-high marsh deposits (dominated by Trochammina macrescens forma macrescens, Trochammina comprimata, and Trochammina inflata), implying deposition from ∼0.2 m to 0.5 m above mean high water. Distributions of n-alkanes show a primary contribution from higher plants, confirmed by an average chain length value of 27.5 for the core sediments, and carbon preference index values all >3. Many sample depths are dominated by the C₂₅ alkane. Salicornia depressa and Ruppia maritima have similar n-alkane distributions to many of the salt marsh sediments, and we suggest that one or both of these plants is either an important source to the biomass of the marsh through time, or that another unidentified higher plant source is contributing heavily to the sediment pool. Bacterial degradation or algal inputs to the marsh sediments appear to be minor. Compound-specific carbon isotopic analyses of the C₂₇ alkane are on average 7.2‰ depleted relative to bulk values, but the two records are strongly correlated (R² = 0.89), suggesting that marsh plants dominate the bulk carbon isotopic signal. Our study underscores the importance of using caution when applying mixing models of plant species to salt marsh sediments, especially when relatively few plants are included in the model.     

江苏海岸带盐沼潮滩在小尺度下的沉积变化过程

在小尺度范围内,潮滩沉积的研究一般都是基于几个站位或断面进行短时日的调查和监测来获取数据,或多或少地存在数据的连续性不足等问题。基于此,本文在潮滩地貌典型的江苏平原海岸选取了约160 000 m²的盐沼潮滩作为研究对象,在多年的野外连续观测下,分析了人类围垦活动对盐沼潮滩沉积过程及变化的影响。结果表明：人类围垦活动（如堤坝建设等）对潮滩沉积和盐沼植被覆盖的变化有重要影响。围垦堤坝修建之前,研究区向陆一侧为盐沼植物（现为养殖池）,向海一侧为光滩,岸线形态比较平直。在2006年围垦堤坝修建后,研究区变为“凹岸”型的人工岸线,沉积环境变得更有利于泥沙的淤积。根据2007-2012年对滩面高程的野外观测,在风暴潮的影响下,潮滩最大淤积率高达23 cm/a。盐沼植被在泥沙快速淤积的基础上不断发育生长,盐沼植物覆盖面积不断扩张。同时外部的沙嘴也在不断增长,潮汐风浪侵蚀携带沙嘴外部泥沙进入盐沼滩地,盐沼植物在泥沙的覆盖下,出现萎缩退化,覆盖面积减少,但是对潮滩上的泥沙而言还是不断堆积增厚。柱状样岩芯的粒度垂向剖面特征也记录了盐沼潮滩沉积环境的变化。小尺度下盐沼潮滩沉积表现出的阶段性变化规律,揭示出合理的围垦活动有利于堤坝前的潮滩淤积和盐沼植被的扩张。     

Temporal variation of accumulation rates on a natural salt marsh in the 20th century — The impact of sea level rise and increased inundation frequency

Salt marshes are potentially threatened by sea level rise if sediment supply is unable to balance the rising sea. A rapid sea level rise is one of the pronounced effects of global warming and global sea level is at present rising at an elevated rate of about 3.4 mm y^? 1 on average. This increasing rate of sea level rise should make it possible to study the effect of rapidly rising sea level on salt marsh accumulation. However, such an understanding is generally hampered by lack of available data with sufficient precision. Here we present a high-precision dataset based on detailed radiometric measurements of ¹³⁷Cs in 10 sediment cores retrieved at a natural and unmanaged micro tidal salt marsh. Two distinct ¹³⁷Cs-peaks were found in all cores, one peak corresponding to the 1963-maximum caused by testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere and the other to the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Salt marsh accretion has generally kept pace with sea level rise since 1963 but comparison of the accumulation rates of minerogenic material in the period 1963–1986 and 1986–2003 revealed a slight decrease in accumulation with time in spite of an observed increase in inundation frequency. The observed decrease in sediment deposition is significant and gives reason for concern as it may be the first sign of a sedimentation deficiency which could be threatening this and other salt marshes in the case of a rapidly rising sea level. Our work demonstrates that the assumption of a constant relationship between salt marsh inundation and sediment deposition is not necessarily valid, even for a salt marsh that receives most of its allocthonous sediment from the adjacent sea. The apparent decrease in sediment deposition indicates that the basic assumption of sufficient sediment supply used in contemporary models dealing with salt marsh accretion is most probably not valid in the present case study and it may well be that this is also the case for many other salt marshes, especially if sea level continues to rise rapidly as indicated by some climate change scenarios.     

Hydrodynamic forcing on salt-marsh development: Distinguishing the relative importance of waves and tidal flows

To unravel the relation between hydrodynamic forcing and the dynamics of the tidal flat–salt-marsh ecosystem, we compared hydrodynamic forcing in terms of proxies relevant to bed sediment motion for four tidal flat–salt-marsh ecosystems that were contrasting in terms of wind exposure (sheltered vs. exposed) and lateral development (shrinking vs. expanding). Wave and current field measurements on these four contrasting tidal flat and salt-marsh ecosystems indicated that the hydrodynamic forcing on the bottom sediment (bed shear stress) was strongly influenced by wind-generated waves, more so than by tidal- or wind-drive currents. The measurements further showed that the hydrodynamic forcing decreased considerably landward of the marsh cliff, highlighting a transition from vigorous (tidal flat and pioneer zone) to sluggish (mature marsh) fluid forcing. Spatial wave modeling using measured wind, revealed that the time-integrated wave forcing on the intertidal mudflat in front of the marsh (i.e., the potential bed sediment pickup) was a factor two higher for salt marshes that are laterally shrinking than for laterally expanding marshes, regardless of whether these marshes were exposed to or sheltered from the wind. The same result could not be obtained from a straightforward wind speed and fetch length approach for estimating wave forcing. This confirmed that wave force estimates required spatial modeling to be consistent with the sites trends of shrinking or expanding marshes and wind exposure is not enough to characterize the wave forcing at these sites.     

Effects of crab–halophytic plant interactions on creek growth in a S.W. Atlantic salt marsh: A Cellular Automata model

The Bahía Blanca Estuary (38° 50′ S, and 62° 30′ W) presents salt marshes where interactions between the local flora (Sarcocornia perennis) and fauna (Chasmagnathus granulatus) generate some kind of salt pans that alter the normal water circulation and condition its flow and course towards tidal creeks. The crab–vegetation dynamics in the salt marsh presents variations that cannot be quantified in a reasonable period of time. The interaction between S. perennis plant and C. granulatus crab is based on simple laws, but its result is a complex biological mechanism that causes an erosive process on the salt marsh and favors the formation of tidal creeks. To study it, a Cellular Automata model is proposed, based on the laws deduced from the observation of these phenomena in the field, and then verified with measurable data within macroscale time units. Therefore, the objective of this article is to model how the interaction between C. granulatus and S. perennis modifies the landscape of the salt marsh and influences the path of tidal creeks. The model copies the basic laws that rule the problem based on purely biological factors.The Cellular Automata model proved capable of reproducing the effects of the interaction between plants and crabs in the salt marsh. A study of the water drainage of the basins showed that this interaction does indeed modify the development of tidal creeks. Model dynamics would likewise follow different laws, which would provide a different formula for the probability of patch dilation. The patch shape can be obtained changing the pattern that dilates.     

福建罗源湾海滩互花米草盐沼中18种金属元素的分布

本文对福建罗源湾可湖海滩互花米草盐沼中的18种金属进行了测试,结果表明,罗源湾可湖海滩的环境质量基本是好的,并探讨了开发利用互花米草的新途径。     

Evolution des hydrocarbures et des populations bactériennes et microphytiques dans les sédiments des marais maritimes de l'ile grande pollués par l'Amoco cadiz: 2—Evolution des peuplements microphytiques

In this work we attempt to estimate the short- and long-term effects of the Amoco Cadiz oil spill on benthic microalgal populations (cyanophytes and diatoms) which, under natural conditions, live on upper layers of ‘schorres’ soils or of ‘slikke’ muds in the Ile Grande salt marsh system (Côtes du Nord, France). These populations were completely destroyed in 1978 in the oil-affected sites. Ubiquitous species settled fairly rapidly on intertidal polluted muds (tidal flat). The chlorophyll a content values reached 100 μg g⁻¹ dry sediment, i.e. 1000 mg m⁻² in 1980. Conversely, the salt marsh soils are still much less densely repopulated 3 years after the Amoco Cadiz grounding—especially when they are infrequently flooded (3 to 40 μg Chl.a g⁻¹, i.e. 40 to 270 mg m⁻²). Some of these soils remain ten times less populated than reference stations.     

Geomorphological control of subsurface hydrology in the creekbank zone of tidal marshes

A combination of field and numerical modeling methods was used to assess porewater movement in a narrow (20 m) Spartina marsh which was flooded regularly by tidal waters. Soil composition and soil hydraulic properties did not vary across the marsh or with depth. Hydraulic head was monitored on a transect perpendicular to the creekbank. During exposure of the marsh surface, hydraulic gradients were predominantly horizontal; vertical gradients were small or zero. Subsurface flow was directed from the marsh interior toward the creekbank. Approximately 141 of pore water were discharged laterally to the adjacent tidal creek per meter of creekbank over a complete tidal cycle.A numerical hydrological model was modified to simulate subsurface hydraulics in the creekbank vicinity of regularly flooded tidal marshes. The model was parameterized to represent soil conditions, tidal fluctuations and topography at the field site. Observed changes in hydraulic head over complete tidal cycles were accurately predicted by the model. Model simulations identified the vertical infiltration of creek water into the marsh surface at the onset of tidal flooding as the primary source (66%) for the replacement of water drained at the creekbank. Significant replacement (31%) also occurred as discharge from the interior marsh. Horizontal recharge at the creekbank was minimal (3%).A sensitivity analysis was conducted with the model to assess the relative importance of geomorphological factors and soil properties in controlling pore water export at the creekbank of tidal marsh soils. Each parameter was varied systematically over a realistic range for field conditions. Changes in marsh elevation exerted greater control over creekbank discharge than changes in soil hydraulic properties. More rapid turnover of pore water near creekbanks of higher elevation marshes is hypothesized.