Pacific Glasswort (Salicornia pacifica) thrives where few plants can—using saltwater as its main source of water. It tucks excess salt into tiny vacuoles at the tips of its stems. When those fill up, the segments turn red and fall off, taking the salt with them.

#Pickleweed #SaltMarsh #CaliforniaNativePlants #EstuaryLife #CoastalEcosystems #Nature #Wildlife

Return of #seaotters & their voracious appetites has helped rescue section of #California #marshland - new study. Sea otters eat constantly & 1 of their fav snacks is the striped #shorecrab. These crabs dig burrows & also nibble away roots of #marshgrass #pickleweed that holds dirt in place. Left unchecked, the crabs turn the marsh banks “into Swiss cheese,” which can collapse when big waves or storms hit, said Brent Hughes, a Sonoma State University #marine #ecologist https://apnews.com/article/sea-otters-crabs-erosion-california-3e48a74972319bbdbc1333e3f5437637