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Saltmarshes have lots of mud, called pluff mud. When plants and animals die in the saltmarsh they fall to the mud and are eaten by scavengers and decomposed by bacteria. Decomposition makes the soil rich in nutrients and a good place for plants to grow. Decomposition also produces as a byproduct sulfur gas, and it is this gas that makes saltmarshes smell like rotten eggs. Decomposition may produce strange smells, but it is important to sustaining life in the saltmarsh and all other habitats.