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We’re collecting data and information about NSW wetlands to improve the way they’re managed.

Estuaries are often referred to as the nurseries of the sea. They contain a diversity of plants and provide shelter, nutrient-rich food and nesting sites for juvenile and adult animals.

Appropriate management of estuaries is essential to protect and maintain their unique biodiversity and fragile function.

Wetlands take many forms, depending on whether they are on the coast, in estuaries, on floodplains and around rivers and lakes.

Vulnerable estuaries are susceptible to land-based pollutants such as urban stormwater or agricultural runoff and need a higher level of management to protect and maintain them.

Balancing the health and dynamics of intermittently closed estuaries is a critical part of our role in supporting beach and estuary management.

Estuaries are important biologically diverse ecosystems that have significant ecological, social, cultural and economic value.

The health of our estuaries is threatened by coastal development, declining water quality and loss of habitat for native species.

The dominant plant groups in our estuaries are seagrass, mangroves, saltmarsh, macroalgae and microalgae.

Huge numbers of birds live in our estuaries and use them to provide habitat, food and a place to rest.