Georgia’s coastal plains region includes about 60% of the state. long ago this area was part of the atlantic ocean and completely covered by water. a unique wetland feature of the southeastern coastal plain is the carolina bay. carolina bays are oval shaped wetlands found from maryland south to georgia. some support permanent lakes while others experience more irregular water levels. carolina bays range from 6 to 30 feet deep and from several acres to 6,000 acres in size. due to varying water levels, the vegetation differs dramatically from one bay to another. some are characterized by cypress forests, others marsh and some shrub bogs. georgia is home to more than 1,000 carolina bays, covering 250,000 acres. carolina bays along with cypress and gum ponds are important inland wetlands that provide habitat for a wide range of plants and animals. carolina bays tend to have some peat development, which is a layer of partially decomposed plant matter. several georgia bays have peat deposits over 14 feet deep, the end product of about 9,000 years of plant decomposition and periodically, these peat deposits catch fire and burn usually about every 25 years. this fire plays an important role in the maintenance of carolina bays. how? a) the fires keep the carolina bay habitat from becoming overgrown with vegetation. b) the fires in the carolina bays to dissipate dangerous chemicals dissolved in the groundwater. c) the fires in the carolina bay areas drive out invasive animal species that out-compete native species. d) the fires throughout the carolina bays to keep the plant species consistent throughout the states.