Rapid salt-marsh erosion in Grand Bay, Mississippi

This time-lapse video shows lateral erosion of a salt marsh in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, part of an embayment near the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi, on the US Gulf coast. Wave action over the course of 6.5 months led to about 1.5 meters of erosion. Researchers from the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center are studying the influence of wave attack and sediment supply on wetland vulnerability and ecosystem services. Learn more about estuaries research at the USGS by visiting the Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems project page.