Victorian mangroves and coastal saltmarsh have suffered from long-term neglect by researchers, natural-resource managers and the wider community. On a statewide distribution and extent have not been mapped other than at a quite course scale, and little is known of their ecological condition. In broad terms the processes that threaten mangroves and coastal saltmarsh are well understood, but specific knowledge is lacking for most sites. In contrast to the case in Victoria, coprehensive statewide mapping and inventory studies have been completed recently, or are nearing completion, for coastal and estuarine systems in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. The project, therefore, seeks to fill a number of important gaps in the currnt understanding of mangroves and coastal saltmarsh in Victoria.