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Site Description

The French Island flux station is located on the South West tip of French Island, Victoria in a coastal saltmarsh community (GPS coordinates: -38.3879, 145.2783)

The coastal wetland is dominated by saltmarsh with the fringe of the environment, bordering on Westernport Bay, home to mangrove communities. The dominant vegetation is Sarcocornia quinqueflora which covers approximately 90% of the ground in the marsh. Other species present in the marsh include Sporobolus virginicus, Juncus kraussii and Tecticornia pergranulata, which generally do not exceed a total height of 1.2m. Marine waters are located to the East of the station, infilling the marsh on occasional spring high tides during primarily the cooler months (~ May - August). Buffering the marsh from wave action are mangrove ecosystems, consisting of entirely Avicennia marina, the Grey Mangrove. Elevation of the site is low at 1.21m above Mean Sea Level (MSL) and annual precipitation is 540mm. The predominant wind direction is from the South to South West from October through March and from the North, North West during the cooler months (April - September). The area itself is crown land, with the southernmost marshland internationally protected by the RAMSAR convention. The flux station is located just to the north of this section of marsh in the area controlled by Parks Victoria.

The instrument mast is 2.5m tall. Fluxes of heat, water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane are measured using the open-path eddy flux technique. Supplementary measurements recorded from the flux station include temperature, humidity, incoming and reflected shortwave radiation, and net radiation. Inundation will also be measured using 5 Solinst Leveloggers located under the tower and in locations throughout the marsh. This data will be corrected using a Solinst Barologger which will be attached to the tower. Drone surveying will also be conducted on the site.