The dataset comprises of percentage plant cover by species observed by eye in a 1metre (m) x 1m quadrat. Measurements were recorded at six salt marsh sites at four spatial scales: 1 metre (m) (the minimal sampling unit) nested within a hierarchy of increasing scales of 1-10 m, 10-100 m and 100-1000 m. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England. Plant cover was measured during the winter and summer of 2013 for all six sites. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/90bdf4ff-03d9-4aa4-bcad-5139863ab188

The dataset comprises of dry weight root biomass data collected from 0 cm to 10 cm, 10 cm to 20 cm and 20 cm to 30 cm soil depths from six salt marsh sites. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England. The Morecambe Bay samples were taken during the winter and summer of 2013. The Essex samples were taken during the winter, early spring and summer of 2013. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/a84622db-842d-40d2-aad8-e3f85bd306c9

The dataset details derived wave parameters from bottom-mounted pressure monitoring installations across five UK salt marshes. Two of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England, each of these sites consisted of a saltmarsh area and adjacent mudflat area. The sensors were deployed in transects oriented approximately shore-normal and straddling the vegetated-unvegetated margin. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/f4db9cda-c25e-4ce8-b236-31e8bf44fcde

The dataset details particle size of sediments across 6 intertidal sites in the winter and summer of 2013. The data provide a quantitative measure of the sediment particle size fractions present within surface sediments (up to a depth of 2 cm). Three sites were located in Essex, South East England and the other 3 in Morecambe Bay, North West England. Each site consisted of a saltmarsh habitat and adjacent mudflat habitat. 22 sampling quadrats were placed in each habitat covering 4 spatial scales. 3 replicate samples of surface sediment were collected at each quadrat. They were then processed using laser particle size analysis (detailed below) Values are expressed as different metrics of particle size and as specified size fractions as percentages of the total. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/4e6a2e58-6916-4212-8b2e-e30942b0a05a

The dataset comprises the spider and beetle abundance sampled by suction sampling in each 1metre (m) x 1m quadrat. Sampling was conducted at six salt marsh sites at four spatial scales: 1 m (the minimal sampling unit) nested within a hierarchy of increasing scales of 1-10 m, 10-100 m and 100-1000 m. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England. All samples were taken during the winter and summer of 2013. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/aff42a31-c314-444e-bdff-2275a8ee93da

The dataset details organic carbon content of sediments across 6 intertidal sites in the winter and summer of 2013. The data provide a quantitative measure of the organic carbon present within surface sediments (up to a depth of 2 cm). Three sites were located in Essex, South East England and the other 3 in Morecambe Bay, North West England. Each site consisted of a saltmarsh habitat and adjacent mudflat habitat. 22 sampling quadrats were placed in each habitat covering 4 spatial scales. 3 replicate samples of surface sediment were collected at each quadrat. They were then processed for organic carbon content using the Loss on Ignition method (detailed below) Values are expressed as a percentage of the total sample collected. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/d4e9f0f7-637a-4aa4-b9df-2a4ca5bfaded

The dataset details surface sediment colloidal carbohydrate concentrations across six intertidal sites in the winter and summer of 2013. Colloidal carbohydrate concentrations in surface sediments (top 2mm) provide a quantitative measure of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by organisms that form the microphytobenthos (MPB) community. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England, each of these sites consisted of a saltmarsh area and adjacent mudflat area, twenty two sampling quadrats were placed on each area. Five replicate sediment samples were taken at each quadrat and were analysed using the Dubois Phenol-Sulphuric Assay which involves spectrophotometer analysis of absorptions to determine colloidal carbohydrate concentrations. Values for colloidal carbohydrate concentrations are expressed as glucose equivalents in micrograms per gram of sediment. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/6c027bf9-b344-4178-b8b3-d78cf39f017f

The dataset comprises net primary productivity (NPP) measured as kilogrammes of dry above-ground vegetation per square metre per year. Sampling was conducted at six salt marsh sites at four spatial scales: 1 metre (m) (the minimal sampling unit) nested within a hierarchy of increasing scales of 1-10 m, 10-100 m and 100-1000 m. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England. NPP measurements were based on vegetation re-growth after cutting in winter 2013 and harvesting in summer 2013. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS). The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/2cbe3a8c-1a54-490d-a32d-078564c117b7

The dataset details global positioning system (GPS) locations recorded for survey quadrats at six UK saltmarsh sites. Three of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England, each of these sites consisted of a salt marsh area and adjacent mudflat area. Each site comprised 22 quadrats on the unvegetated mudflat and 22 quadrats on the salt marsh. The locations indicated by this dataset correspond to the south-east corner of the quadrats which were 1m square and oriented with their sides aligned North-South and East-West. This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/e07386ba-f7a8-490d-99f7-1ce1ae14e95d

The dataset details global positioning system (GPS) locations recorded for instruments and locations of interest associated with equipment installed for the monitoring of wave energy, surface elevation changes and sedimentation at five UK saltmarsh sites. Two of the sites were in Morecambe Bay, North West England and three of the sites were in Essex, South East England, each of these sites consisted of a salt marsh area and adjacent mudflat area. Rod Sedimentation-Erosion Tables (rSETs) were installed at different distances from the vegetated margin. Three rSETs were deployed for each Essex site and four for the Morecambe sites. rSET benchmarks were installed with associated marker horizons to evaluate surface elevation changes and surface accretion respectively. Shore-normal transects of pressure transducers (PTs) were installed to monitor wave energy transformation across the marsh and mudflat surfaces. The locations and elevations of the equipment is necessary to make use of the associated datasets "Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS) wave monitoring over saltmarsh and mudflat habitats" and "Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS) sedimentation and erosion monitoring over saltmarsh and mudflat habitats". This data was collected as part of Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (CBESS): NE/J015644/1. The project was funded with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/adf702a1-d154-45b5-9c31-4f6acf5836f1