Salt marshes, also known as “ecological guardians,” can be found on any coast of the United States. These integral, intertidal wetlands contribute significantly to the health and well being of humans and ecosystems, possessing the unique ability to both nurture and save lives. Due to the high concentration of dissolved carbon, low dissolved oxygen, and the high concentration of nutrient pollution, as a result of salt marshes acting as a filter to our freshwater, these conditions are favorable for facilitating the growth of harmful algal blooms. By studying the microbes in a salt marsh and how their populations might change with changing environmental conditions over time, this will help to better understand the exact conditions that facilitate the growth of HABs, when these conditions are most likely to be present, and what this means in terms of human health.