Marine Discovery Center Salt Marsh
Sound
On/Off
[ Date ]
05 04 2026
The salt marsh at the Marine Discovery Center is a restored coastal wetland within the Indian River Lagoon. Rebuilt with native grasses, mangroves, oyster shell, and living shoreline techniques, it now supports fish, birds, and native plants while serving as a demonstration site for habitat restoration and climate resilience.
[ Geographic Features ]
Estuary, Lagoon, Tidal Creek, Shoreline, Wetland, Watershed, Coastal Plain
[ Patterns of Land Use ]
Boardwalk, Waterfront Access, Conservation Land
[ Data Set ]
7:36 PM EST
29.035333, -80.919639
75°F 24°C 78% RH, Dusk
East wind, 11 mph with gusts up to 14 mph
Water moves through mangroves and marsh grasses at the Marine Discovery Center. Black needlerush and smooth cordgrass grow in uneven lines along the shore. Mangrove roots bind the soil where the bank softens into the channel. Oyster shells and coquina rock mark the transition to the water.
Terraced slopes step down toward the channel, with native grasses filling the spaces between. There are no seawalls here. The shoreline rises and falls with the tide. Purple martin houses stand above the grasses. Egrets move through the shallows, and oyster beds surface in scattered clusters at low tide. The marsh holds traces of both planting and tide.
[ Plants ]
Sensitive Plant
Common Names: Sunshine Mimosa, Powderpuff Plant
Botanical Name: Mimosa pudica
Low-growing perennial herb with pink spherical flowers and sensitive leaflets that fold when touched. Found in open grassy edges near the marsh.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Mimosa
Species: M. pudica
--
Groundseltree
Common Names: Eastern Baccharis, Saltbush, Groundsel Bush
Botanical Name: Baccharis halimifolia
Salt-tolerant coastal shrub common in marsh edges and brackish wetlands, helping stabilize disturbed shorelines.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Baccharis
Species: B. halimifolia
--
Black Mangrove
Common Names: Black Mangrove
Botanical Name: Avicennia germinans
Coastal mangrove shrub/tree with salt-tolerant leaves and pneumatophores that help oxygenate roots in tidal soils.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Avicennia
Species: A. germinans
--
Wax Myrtle
Common Names: Southern Wax Myrtle, Bayberry
Botanical Name: Morella cerifera
Dense evergreen shrub common in coastal Florida, often forming windbreaks along marsh transition zones.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fagales
Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Morella
Species: M. cerifera
--
Jesuit's Bark
Common Names: Marsh Elder, High-Tide Bush
Botanical Name: Iva frutescens
Woody salt marsh shrub found along higher marsh elevations and tidal creek edges.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Iva
Species: I. frutescens
--
Deergrass
Common Names: Deer Grass, Muhly Grass
Botanical Name: Muhlenbergia capillaris
Native bunchgrass forming dense clumps, often used in restoration for erosion control and habitat structure.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Muhlenbergia
Species: M. capillaris