ON TAMBOUR BAY, La. -- In the next act of the drama of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, two of the most important heroes don't look like heroes. They are just thin green stalks, sticking out of grass too wet to stand on.

They are cordgrass and wiregrass, common species that wave in the winds in south Louisiana's coastal marshes. But in some places, they aren't waving anymore; where oil has sloshed into the marshes, their stalks are matted and gooey and on their way to death.

What happens next -- whether these two grasses rebound or vanish -- will be a very important piece of the gulf's larger environmental story. The next question is whether marsh and marine ecosystems can shrug off the oil's damage, or whether it will leave them with lasting wounds.

"Many of us are much more worried about the marsh than we are about fish and shrimp and all that," said University of New Orleans wetlands expert Denise Reed. "If those plants die, they don't come back. And the marsh is gone."

Louisiana's coastal marshes are vital to ecosystems that extend far into deep, open water. They shelter "juvenile" shrimp, crabs and fish until these creatures are large enough to venture into open water.

For these places, marsh grasses are as vital as water. Their roots hold the land together, giving support to loose, wet sediment that would otherwise erode.

"They are the marsh, basically," said Andy Nyman, an associate professor of wetland and wildlife ecology at Louisiana State University's School of Renewable Natural Resources. "Once they die, ... it just floats away."

Humans, too, depend on the grasses, since the marshes are a natural barrier against storm surges headed toward New Orleans.

Already, there are about 200 square miles of oiled coastline in Louisiana alone, said Robert Barham, secretary of the state's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. He said most of that is marshland, which means around 5 percent of the state's 3,900 square miles of marsh is oily.

That number may not seem overwhelming, but Louisiana is already losing 24 square miles of wetlands to erosion every year. Scientists say the state cannot afford to lose another large chunk all at once. The question now is: How much will die?

Humans will play some role in determining the answer. On a recent boat ride through the marshes south of Cocodrie, La., some workers could be seen trying the delicate approach to marsh cleaning, using a long stick with a plastic mop on the end to dab oil out of grass.

Some could be seen trying another approach. One crew was throwing white absorbent "boom" down onto a heavily oiled patch, then stomping it down to sop up the oil.

There were also reports of damage from the boom itself, driven in by the most recent storm. Scientists say it is hard to get all the oil out of an oiled patch, and that trying too aggressively could just mash oil deeper into the plants' roots.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.