OzSET

A TERN-supported community

OzSET

The OzSET researcher community, supported by TERN, operates a national network of over 300 Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) which monitor changes in tidal wetland elevation. By doing this, researchers can track the health of tidal ecosystems and coastlines in the face of climate change and rising sea levels.

View sites Glossary & references
The challenge

Can tidal wetlands keep up with sea-level rise around Australia?

Mangroves, saltmarsh and supratidal forests are important tidal wetland ecosystems contributing to a range of ecosystem services. However, these coastal wetlands are highly sensitive to changes in sea level, given their low coastal elevation and frequent tidal inundation.

Maintaining relative elevation despite sea-level rise is crucial for tidal wetlands to persist.

Mangroves and saltmarsh vertically adjust to sea-level rise via sediment accretion and below-ground soil volume additions (e.g., root growth).

Tidal wetlands maintaining elevation relative to sea-level rise may also offer some natural coastal protection from some of the impacts of rising sea levels. For example, having healthy vegetated coastal habitats mitigates against impacts such as saltwater incursion and erosion of adjacent habitats, private and public assets and cultural heritage sites.

A tiny mangrove seedling amongst pneumatophores in a mature mangrove forest
A tiny mangrove seedling amongst the pneumatophores of its forebears in a mature mangrove forest. This seaward mangrove community currently spends more than half the time underwater in Darwin Harbour, NT (Image: Madeline Goddard).
The network on the map

OzSET monitoring sites

Sites are distributed around the Australian coast and grouped by geomorphic setting. Select a pin to view location, vegetation, geomorphic setting, and tidal range.

River deltaic Embayment Barrier estuary Drowned river valley Coral island Not specified
Select a site pin to view details
Conceptual diagram of a SET system in a tidal wetland
Conceptual diagram of a SET system in a tidal wetland. Image: OzSET, after Lynch, Hensel and Cahoon (2015). Click to enlarge.
The method

Surface Elevation Tables (SETs)

To better understand tidal wetland response and vulnerabilities to sea-level rise, Australian and international researchers have been monitoring vertical elevation change for many years using Surface Elevation Tables (including the modern Rod Surface Elevation Table design), a method developed by the USGS.

SETs precisely measure tidal wetland surface height over time and can track the changes in wetland elevation that occur through plant root growth below ground and sediment deposition above ground.

Monitoring elevation of these important wetlands through time allows for comparisons to the rate of change with sea-level rise and other environmental impacts in different tidal wetland regions.

The community

The OzSET network

Australia has a network of over 300 Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) located around its coasts which are operated by the OzSET researcher community.

TERN, as Australia's Ecosystem Observatory, is supporting the OzSET researcher network — particularly with ensuring standardised protocols and a central data repository available through TERN's Data Discovery Portal.

Researcher measuring a rod surface elevation table in Darwin Harbour
Measuring a rod surface elevation table (RSET) in Darwin Harbour (Image: Madeline Goddard).

Click any image to view at full size

Roadmap

Project timeline

Key milestones from project launch in 2024 through to national data availability in 2027.

Initiation
Scope & launch project
Project overview publicly available on the TERN website and project launch / introduction at AMSN — informing and consulting the user community.
November 2024
November 2024
Community
Create community of practice
Establish a community of practice through workshops, webinars and site visits.
December 2024 – July 2027
  1. 1
    In-person workshop on Minjerribah
    February 2025
    Workshop on Minjerribah with OzSET community, February 2025
    Workshop on Minjerribah with the OzSET community, February 2025.
  2. 2
    Webinar & site visit
    December 2025

    Read more: Snorkelling with science: a personal journey through mangrove biodiversity.

  3. 3
    Future community events

    Future community events will be updated here.

December 2024
Ongoing
National monitoring using SET methodology
Synthesis of the national RSET network and representation of data at a national scale.
Current – ongoing  ·  Synthesis report July 2026
Current — ongoing
Governance
Strong project governance, evaluation & planning
Annual (due March) and mid-year (due September) activity reports throughout the project period.
Ongoing
Ongoing
Expansion
Expand OzSET to achieve continent-wide monitoring
Tasmania installation extends OzSET coverage south, completing presence across all coastal Australian states and territories. Read more: Tracking coastal wetland elevation in Tasmania: OzSET expands south.
April 2026
April 2026
Protocols
OzSET data recognised as NRI — up-to-date SET protocols
SOP document published on the TERN website.
December 2026
December 2026
Data
OzSET data recognised as NRI — data through Discovery Portal
Near real-time OzSET data and metadata available through the TERN Data Discovery Portal.
July 2027
July 2027
In the field

OzSET research in practice

In the webinar excerpt below, Madeline Goddard discusses her research as part of the OzSET community (15 mins).

Learn more

Further reading and viewing on tidal wetland monitoring:

Webinar · YouTube Australia's Coastal Ecosystems: How are we monitoring them? Article · TERN newsletter Tidal wetland monitoring across Australia

Publications using Australian RSET data

25 papers · 2005 — 2025

Year Authors Title Journal DOI
2025V. Bennion, A. J. Twomey, J. W. Hill, A. L. Pearse, V. Kwan, M. de Oliveira, C. E. LovelockTrajectories in soil surface elevation during tidal restoration of heterogeneous coastal wetlandsEstuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science109455
2025C. E. Lovelock, M. C. Ball, N. Brothers, A. Pearse, R. ReefDynamics of surface accretion and surface elevation differ between river and tide dominated settings in tropical mangrovesLimnology and Oceanography70(5): 1424–1437
2024V. Bennion, J. M. Dwyer, A. J. Twomey, C. E. LovelockDecadal trends in surface elevation and tree growth in coastal wetlands of Moreton Bay, Queensland, AustraliaEstuaries and Coasts47(7): 1955–1971
2024V. Bennion, J. W. Hill, C. E. LovelockMangrove surface elevation loss after tree fall during extreme weatherWetlands44(8): 113
2024K. K. Lal, C. D. Woodroffe, A. Zawadzki, K. RogersCoastal wetland elevation dynamics, sedimentation, and accommodation space across timescalesEstuaries and Coasts47(7): 1828–1843
2024N. Saintilan, Y. Sun, C. E. Lovelock, K. Rogers, M. Goddard, L. B. Hutley, J. Kelleway, L. Mosley, S. Dittmann, N. CormierVertical accretion trends in Australian tidal wetlandsEstuaries and Coasts47(7): 2057–2070
2023N. Saintilan, B. Horton, T. E. Törnqvist, E. L. Ashe, N. S. Khan, M. Schuerch, C. Perry, R. E. Kopp, G. G. Garner, N. MurrayWidespread retreat of coastal habitat is likely at warming levels above 1.5°CNature621(7977): 112–119
2022N. Saintilan, K. E. Kovalenko, G. Guntenspergen, K. Rogers, J. C. Lynch, D. R. Cahoon, C. E. Lovelock, D. A. Friess, E. Ashe, K. W. KraussConstraints on the adjustment of tidal marshes to accelerating sea-level riseScience377(6605): 523–527
2021T. Mazor, R. K. Runting, M. I. Saunders, D. Huang, D. A. Friess, N. T. Nguyen, R. J. Lowe, J. P. Gilmour, P. A. Todd, C. E. LovelockFuture-proofing conservation priorities for sea-level rise in coastal urban ecosystemsBiological Conservation260: 109190
2021K. RogersAccommodation space as a framework for assessing the response of mangroves to relative sea-level riseSingapore Journal of Tropical Geography42(2): 163–183
2021K. Rogers, N. SaintilanProcesses influencing autocompaction modulate coastal wetland surface elevation adjustment with sea-level riseFrontiers in Marine Science8: 694039
2019N. Saintilan, K. Rogers, K. L. McKeeThe shifting saltmarsh–mangrove ecotone in Australasia and the Americas [Book chapter]Coastal Wetlands915–945
2019Y. Xiong, A. Ola, S. M. Phan, J. Wu, C. E. LovelockSoil structure and its relationship to shallow soil subsidence in coastal wetlandsEstuaries and Coasts42(8): 2114–2123
2018L. A. Mogensen, K. RogersValidation and comparison of a model of the effect of sea-level rise on coastal wetlandsScientific Reports8(1): 1369
2017R. K. Runting, C. E. Lovelock, H. L. Beyer, J. R. RhodesCosts and opportunities for preserving coastal wetlands under sea-level riseConservation Letters10(1): 49–57
2016M. Mills, J. X. Leon, M. I. Saunders, J. Bell, Y. Liu, J. O'Mara, C. E. Lovelock, P. J. Mumby, S. Phinn, H. P. PossinghamReconciling development and conservation under coastal squeeze from rising sea levelConservation Letters9(5): 361–368
2016S. D. Sasmito, D. Murdiyarso, D. A. Friess, S. KurniantoCan mangroves keep pace with contemporary sea-level rise? A global data reviewWetlands Ecology and Management24(2): 263–278
2016C. D. Woodroffe, K. Rogers, K. L. McKee, C. E. Lovelock, I. Mendelssohn, N. SaintilanMangrove sedimentation and response to relative sea-level riseAnnual Review of Marine Science8(1): 243–266
2015C. E. Lovelock, M. F. Adame, V. Bennion, M. Hayes, R. Reef, N. Santini, D. R. CahoonSea level and turbidity controls on mangrove soil surface elevation changeEstuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science153: 1–9
2015C. E. Lovelock, D. R. Cahoon, D. A. Friess, G. R. Guntenspergen, K. W. Krauss, R. Reef, K. Rogers, M. L. Saunders, F. Sidik, A. SwalesThe vulnerability of Indo-Pacific mangrove forests to sea-level riseNature526(7574): 559–563
2014C. E. Lovelock, M. F. Adame, V. Bennion, M. Hayes, J. O'Mara, R. Reef, N. S. SantiniContemporary rates of carbon sequestration through vertical accretion of sediments in mangrove forests and saltmarshes of South East Queensland, AustraliaEstuaries and Coasts37: 763–771
2011L. W. Traill, K. Perhans, C. E. Lovelock, A. Prohaska, S. McFallan, J. R. Rhodes, K. A. WilsonManaging for change: wetland transitions under sea-level rise and outcomes for threatened speciesDiversity and Distributions17(6): 1225–1233
2008K. Rogers, N. SaintilanRelationships between surface elevation and groundwater in mangrove forests of southeast AustraliaJournal of Coastal Research24: 63–69
2006K. Rogers, K. Wilton, N. SaintilanVegetation change and surface elevation dynamics in estuarine wetlands of southeast AustraliaEstuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science66(3–4): 559–569
2005K. Rogers, N. Saintilan, D. CahoonSurface elevation dynamics in a regenerating mangrove forest at Homebush Bay, AustraliaWetlands Ecology and Management13: 587–598
Get in touch

Contact

Project team

Madeline Goddard
Senior Project Coordinator, CoastRI – OzSET
Email
Dr Vicki Bennion
Senior Project Coordinator, CoastRI – OzSET
Email

General enquiries

TERN, Long Pocket Precinct
Foxtail Building #1019, Level 5
The University of Queensland
80 Meiers Road
Indooroopilly QLD 4068, Australia
Reference

Glossary

MH: Marker Horizon, a layer of contrast, usually feldspar, added to delineate new sediment accretion from the existing surface.
Monitoring (R)SETs: The process of measuring vertical surface elevation using either RSET or SET instruments.
RSET: Rod Surface Elevation Table, the modern version of a SET, consisting of stainless steel rods forming a benchmark (Cahoon et al. 2002).
SET: Surface Elevation Table, the original design to measure surface elevation (Cahoon et al. 1995).
SLR: Sea-level rise.
Tidal wetland: Coastal vegetated ecosystems that are tidally influenced such as mangroves and saltmarsh.
Cited works

References

  • Cahoon, D. R., Lynch, J. C., Perez, B. C., Segura, B., Holland, R. D., Stelly, C., … & Hensel, P. (2002). High-precision measurements of wetland sediment elevation: II. The rod surface elevation table. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 72(5), 734–739. doi:10.1306/020702720734
  • Cahoon, D. R., Reed, D. J., & Day Jr, J. W. (1995). Estimating shallow subsidence in microtidal salt marshes of the southeastern United States: Kaye and Barghoorn revisited. Marine Geology, 128(1–2), 1–9. doi:10.1016/0025-3227(95)00087-F
  • Lynch, J. C., Hensel, P., & Cahoon, D. R. (2015). The surface elevation table and marker horizon technique: A protocol for monitoring wetland elevation dynamics. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCBN/NRR—2015/1078. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS IRMA
  • Saintilan, N., Sun, Y., Lovelock, C. E., Rogers, K., Goddard, M., Hutley, L. B., … & Jones, A. (2023). Vertical accretion trends in Australian tidal wetlands. Estuaries and Coasts, 1–14. doi:10.1007/s12237-023-01267-x
Loading results...