Hilton Head – Beaufort County, South Carolina

This photo shows the morning sun rising over a field of summer marsh on Hilton Head Island.

It was taken in August 2007 by Valérie Loiret of Neuilly, France. Valérie writes: “It was seven a.m. in the morning and after driving my daughter to Adventure Camp. I walked in the woods near the beach because the light was wonderful, and the pathway cleared into this stunning view of marshes, fluorescent emerald green coloured against the wooden architectural lines of the boardwalk. This photo won a nature contest in France.”

Marsh grass (Spartina alterniflora) is green in the summer and turns golden in the fall. It is extremely important to coastal South Carolina ecosystems as the detritus it produces is a source of food for many sea creatures (like shrimp and fiddler crabs). Wild animals and birds also depend on it for habitat. Further, marsh helps filter our water to keep it clean and protects us from floods.