To effectively manage saltmarshes requires an understanding of what they are, how they are formed and how they function.

Details are provided here on the morphology and processes associated with estuaries and bays, and more specifically with intertidal sub-systems (mudflats and saltmarshes) as well as saltmarsh ecology. Understanding the form and function of the estuarine or coastal system in question is critical as a baseline against which the options for saltmarsh management can be assessed.

Details are also provided on the information the coastal manager needs to understand in order to implement an appropriate saltmarsh management strategy.