Coastal Saltmarsh Monitoring dataset https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=007_NRW_DS115064 Coastal saltmarshes in the UK comprise the upper, vegetated portions of intertidal mudflats, lying approximately between mean high water neap tides and mean high water spring tides. The characteristic vegetation consists of a limited number of halophytic (salt tolerant) species adapted to regular immersion by the tides. This project was commissioned by former Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) primarily to cover the condition monitoring of the Annex I saltmarsh habitats across four Welsh Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). The two habitats concerned are: - Atlantic salt meadows (referred to as ASM) - Annexe I code 1330. Atlantic salt meadows develop when halophytic vegetation colonises soft intertidal sediments of mud and sand in areas protected from strong wave action. This vegetation forms the middle and upper reaches of saltmarshes, where tidal inundation still occurs but with decreasing frequency and duration. A wide range of community types is represented and the saltmarshes can cover large areas, especially where there has been little or no enclosure on the landward side. The vegetation varies with climate and the frequency and duration of tidal inundation. - Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud (referred to as 'Salicornia') - Annexe I code 1310. This pioneer saltmarsh vegetation colonises intertidal mud and sandflats in areas protected from strong wave action and is an important precursor to the development of more stable saltmarsh vegetation. It develops at the lower reaches of saltmarshes where the vegetation is frequently flooded by the tide, and can also colonise open creek sides, depressions or pans within saltmarshes, as well as disturbed areas of upper saltmarshes. 20160817