Interactive story maps illustrate valuable contributions Maritime salt marshes make to our planet.
Though they make up less than 6% of Earth’s surface, wetlands burst with biodiversity and play a key role in cleaning waterways, preventing floods, and sequestering carbon. For World Wetlands Day on February 2, researchers from McGill University are launching interactive story maps to illustrate the valuable contributions these ecosystems make to our planet.
Wetlands are uniquely defined by water-saturated soil subject to seasonal or permanent flooding. They support a disproportionately high number of endangered species, such as the Maritime Ringlet Butterfly. “The world’s entire population of the Ringlet is restricted to Chaleur Bay in northern New Brunswick and the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula in Québec. As a result, the future of this species is intimately linked to the future of the salt marshes there,” says Gail Chmura, an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography.
In addition to providing valuable habitat for wildlife, many wetlands naturally help combat climate change.
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Image via McGill University
