Tamar Saltmarsh Monitoring Program: citizen science monitoring of the tidal treasures of the Tamar River estuary, Tasmania, Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Tamar Saltmarsh Monitoring Program is a citizen science program started in 2016 as part of a State-wide effort to better map, monitor and manage Tasmanian saltmarsh ecosystems. Now in its third year (2018), the Program has facilitated the involvement of community volunteers in surveying and documenting the natural values of the Tamar River estuary saltmarshes, along with the human impacts they face. In addition to collecting valuable ecological data, the surveys have raised the profile of these ecosystems among the local community and identified key areas for improved management. Many survey volunteers had previously never stepped foot in a saltmarsh and, through their involvement in the program, have built knowledge, awareness and deeper connections with their local environment. The Tamar Saltmarsh Monitoring Program provides a salient case study to illustrate both the process and potential for the wider adoption of citizen science saltmarsh monitoring in Australia.