SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Throughout the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, you can find beautiful marshes for miles, but they serve more than just one purpose.  Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Marshes serve us recreationally and economically, through things like ecotourism, boating, hunting, trapping, birdwatching, hiking and fishing. They also help by having commercial purposes by hosting species like blue crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, snook, red drum and seatrout who rely on tidal marshes during all, or part, of their lifecycle.  Yet, salt marshes also serve an entirely different purpose during hurricane season. They act as natural barriers against flooding and erosion caused by heavy rain.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that tidal marshes are crucial to coastal resiliency by offering protection against infrastructure damage and loss of life from storm surge and flooding. They do this by trapping sediments, absorbing rainwater, protecting water quality by filtering runoff and buffering storm surges.  Not only do marshes absorb rainwater, but coastal marshes can reduce wave energy by over 50 percent, the Nature Conservancy said. They provide shoreline erosion control to hold and trap sediments in roots and vegetation stands and slow currents forcing them to drop their suspended sediment load which offers storm protection services valued at over $23 billion annually, according to the NOAA.