Thirty years of change : monitoring vegetation dynamics in two Maltese coastal saline marshlands

Abstract

Coastal saline marshlands are critically important ecosystems, providing invaluable services including flood mitigation, water purification, and biodiversity support. However, they are among the world's most threatened habitats, facing pressures from coastal development, pollution, and climate change. In microisland states like Malta, where anthropogenic pressure is intense and land resources are scarce, the longterm monitoring of these fragile systems is paramount for effective conservation and management. We present an analysis of vegetation change over a 30-year baseline at two of Malta's key saline marshlands: Għadira s-Safra and Marsaxlokk. The context of these sites is contrasting. Marsaxlokk was reclaimed and restored as a marshland in the early 1990s and still undergoes active management. It is situated within a heavily industrialised and urbanised port complex. Conversely, management practices in Għadira s-Safra have been far more conservative, with less anthropogenic disruption of the site. It was subject to significant pressures up to the 1990s but has since been protected as a nature reserve. We synthesised historical vegetation data from Marsaxlokk (1992) and Għadira s-Safra (1996) and compared them with contemporary surveys from 2022 for both sites. The dataset was further augmented by recent monitoring at Marsaxlokk (2025) and intermediate data from Għadira s-Safra (2002), providing a high-resolution timeline of change. The analysis focused on shifts in plant community composition, the decline or expansion of key indicator species (e.g., halophytes, ruderals), and changes in vegetation zonation. [excerpt]