As they followed the shoreline northward, Smith and his men passed miles and miles of salt water marsh. Although these marshes were dominated by cordgrass and bulrushes and therefore not as rich a source of edible plants as the upriver fresh water marshes were, they were incredible food for deer, waterfowl, shorebirds, snails, turtles, otters, muskrats, and fish, which were in turn eaten by the natives.

Although John Smith dismissed the salt marshes as uninteresting, salt marshes today are recognized for their incredible productivity and critical role in maintaining the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As the transitional link between the land and the water, wetlands remove and retain excessive nutrients from the water; they minimize sediment loads and absorb chemical and organic pollutants before they enter the Bay. Wetlands also help control flooding and erosion; and they provide vital habitat for fish, shellfish, waterfowl, wading birds and mammals.