Pressures on saline lagoons - summary

Lagoons are subject to natural change and sea level rise which can decrease or change their value. They have also been subject to a wide variety of anthropogenic impacts. A summary of the most significant threats currently facing saline lagoon sites (derived from the Saline Lagoon Guide) are:

• Loss through infilling, land claim or development;
• Coastal defence works causing disruption to the structure and function of sites and loss of lagoon features;
• Sea-level rise and concomitant coastal erosion and breaching of natural or man-made defences;
• Changes to water exchange with the sea affecting water levels and salinity regime;
• Abstraction or changes to freshwater inputs affecting water levels and salinity regime;
• Pollution, including nutrient enrichment and run-off from adjacent developments;
• Natural succession including reduced salinity, sedimentation and vegetation changes.

Section 3.5 of the Guide gives more detail of the specific threat under the following headings:

• Sensitivity to changes in water quality (Section 3.5.1);
• Implications of coastal management, including coastal defence (Section 3.5.2);
• Industrial development (Section 3.5.3);
• Water quality/pollution Section 3.5.4).