%0 Report %D 2015 %T Australias saltmarshes: a synopsis to underpin the repair and conservation of Australias environmentally, socially and economically important bays and estuaries %A Colin Creighton %A Chris L Gillies %A Ian M. McLeod %X

Saltmarshes in this report refers to the mosaic of coastal wetland ecosystems that occupy areas of
low energy, intermittent tidal inundation, typically in bays, inlets and estuaries, on sheltered soft
substrate foreshores, often at the foreshore in southern Australia and occurring behind mangroves
in tropical Australia.

Functional role of saltmarshes
Saltmarshes serve multiple functions including sediment trapping, nutrient cycling, dissipation of
wave energy, fish and prawn nursery, net primary production, carbon sequestration and resting and
feeding areas for birds. Saltmarshes are a key component of our estuaries and coastal landscapes
and provide connectivity between freshwater to brackish to tidal and sub-tidal ecosystems.

This synopsis
This report summarises key attributes about our saltmarshes for Queensland (Qld), New South
Wales (NSW), Victoria (Vic), Tasmania (Tas) and South Australia (SA) including:

Resources for preparation of this report were limited. Thus, the study focus could not extend to
include temperate saltmarshes in Western Australia and tropical saltmarshes in Western Australia
and the Northern Territory.

Key findings
This report has found that the challenges Australia faces to repair saltmarshes for the benefit of
Australian coastal communities are substantial. Key aspects include:


Related information


Caption - The sun sets over saltpan habitat in north Queensland

%8 30 Oct 2015 %G eng