The mangals and salt marshes belong to the marine plant community called emergent plant communities. The growth of these plants under this community takes place above the surface of the sea. They also inhabit muddy area. The mangals usually develop and grow under the warm climate. Furthermore, due to the fact that their leafy portions are above the water, little animals crop directly on mangrove plants. As a result, their leaves that fall into the water bounding their roots serve as essential source of energy for the detritus based food chains of these communities.
The mangals in cooler climates are substituted by different salt marsh plants that have heavy contribution also to the production of detritus in their protected surrounding. There are feature extensive stands comprising various species of emergent grasses, specifically some species of Spartina. Spartina in its higher elevation give way to the like of Salicornia, Suaeda, an array of rushes and reeds and the brush and smaller trees of the local area. These verdant pastures are exceptionally productive and shelter a matchless group of organisms and this include the commercially significant shellfish and finfish. Despite of this, most of the time, they are positioned in the near large urban center. They become well known sites for waste dumping, recreation, dredging and filling and other hazardous uses. The dreadful conditions of salt marshes is rather a grave and worldwide problem that becomes rigorous as the population of human expand and put more pressure on these delicate habitats.

The Submergent Plant Communities
The fully developed sea grass and kelp beds rarely expand above the tide line and they are called the communities of submergent plants. The sea grass and kelp beds flourish with herbivores that eat directly on these plants and in turn become prey for the higher trophic levels.
The kelp plants that stay in cooler water develop extensive layered forest combined species in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The blades of bigger genera like Macrocystis or laminaria produce an upper canopy and the necessary structure of their communities. Moreover, the shorter species of some brown algae and red algae supply secondary understory layers and make a complex, three dimensional habitat with vast variety of available niche. The light available for the developing sporophyte restricts the utmost depth of kelp beds. The bigger kelp plants produce abundant drag against currents and bloats and are susceptible to storm spoil by waves and surge. When these decaying plants cast on the shore, they become a major food source for beach scavengers.