Estuary plan shape • Estuary tidal prism and cross-sectional area • Bay form

Saltmarshes and mudflats can be considered simply as the banks of an estuary or bay. The overall shape of an estuary or bay determines where these banks will be and, therefore, the location and extent of the saltmarsh depends on the morphodynamics of the system in which it is formed. Any broad scale change in the systems hydrodynamics will be reflected in the position of the banks, so that the mudflats and saltmarshes can be expected to erode or accrete accordingly. The corollary is that any changes imposed on the extent of a saltmarsh are also likely to have an effect on the estuary/bay as a whole. For example, enclosure of a section of saltmarsh due to land-claim will reduce the tidal prism and may have effects on processes throughout an entire estuary system. It is in this context that an understanding of estuary/bay morphology and processes is necessary for the development of a saltmarsh management strategy.

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