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In New Zealand, one species of mangrove, Avicennia marina var. australasica, forms a characteristic and often an extensive feature of the tidal mudflats of harbours and estuaries. Within their natural range, mangroves have generally increased in abundance in New Zealand over the last 100 yr in response to increased sedimentation associated with concurrent changes in catchment land use. However, little information is available about the ecological consequences of changes in the extent of mangrove habitats under varying sedimentation regimes. We therefore conducted a study to determine the effects of high sedimentation rates on mangrove plant communities and associated benthic community composition. We selected an estuary that is experiencing high rates of sedimentation (as high as 23 mm yr-1) and associated increases in mangrove area. We recorded clear differences in both plant and benthic …