Maritime forests spread out beneath Cape Lookout Lighthouse on South Core Banks/Kurt Repanshek

You can find them at Cape Cod National Seashore, Fire Island National Seashore, Assateague Island National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Cumberland Island National Seashore. But what exactly is a maritime forest and how do they survive in these salty environments?

The following video provides some insights.

These forests play vital roles, especially for wildlife. At Cape Lookout, for instance, when the weather turns stormy the wild horses on Shackleford Banks head into the maritime forest there to get a bit of shelter from the gusting winds and driving rains.