IslandVibesIOP.com 8 OPINION FROM KING STREET TO THE COAST Amy Rogers Owner / Broker-In-Charge +1 843 824 4892 amy@crowncoast.com Crown Coast Properties 1100 Palm Blvd #2C Isle of Palms, SC 29451 hello@crowncoast.com crowncoast.com Led by Amy Rogers, Crown Coast Properties combines sharp market expertise with personalized service for Charleston’s most discerning buyers and sellers. From historic homes to oceanfront escapes, we bring clarity, confidence, and sophistication to every step of your real estate journey. Charleston’s Boutique Brokerage for Exceptional Results Thankful for salt marshes By Susan Hill Smith When it comes to the natural world, our island community often focuses on the beach, and understandably so. But the expanse of salt marsh, tidal wetlands and waterways of the “inner coast” that we can experience from the island’s back side also deserves our attention, devotion and appreciation. South Carolina has up to 500,000 acres of salt marsh – the most of any state – and the City of Isle of Palms includes 850. Underpinned by pluff mud and defined by cordgrass, the salt marsh mosaic has been described as a “blue carbon” ecosystem that sequesters carbon at a rate up to 10 times faster than mature tropical rainforests. Yet marshes face threats from continued sea level rise, which is predicted to increase another foot here by 2050. The salt marsh helps protect property from flooding and storm damage and continuously filters the water that surrounds us. Given that one adult eastern oyster can filter up to 4 gallons of water an hour, consider the impact of a multigenerational reef with thousands of these beneficial bivalves. Millions of animals depend on the salt marsh and tidal wetlands. This includes species of birds, fish and sea turtles that only spend parts of their lives inshore along with the species they support in other ecosystems. An estimated 75% of commercial and recreational fish species in the region rely on salt marshes and related estuaries to provide food and shelter or nurseries for their young. Island residents and visitors can enjoy marsh and Intracoastal Waterway from the new IOP Public Dock. To immerse yourself more in the ecosystem, you can use the dock’s kayak launch and paddle up Morgan Creek, past the marinas, to a tucked-away bend of marsh and hammock islands. Listen and look for wading birds stalking the shallows and legions of fiddler crabs nibbling nutrients along the banks. With the right timing, you might see a dolphin glide by or a red drum’s spotted tail flip up from the water. For a full sensory experience, dig your fingers into the fragrant, gooey pluff mud and feel the salt crystals along the blades of cordgrass. Otherwise, be thankful, like I am, not just for what the inner coast does for us, but that this wondrous place simply exists. Susan Hill Smith is working with the city’s Environmental Advisory Committee to create educational displays about the inner coast that will soon be installed at the IOP Public Dock and adjacent walkway.
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