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This research investigated the use of multi-source remote sensing data to map natural coastal salt marsh vegetation habitats. Coastal zones are very dynamic and provide a number of critical ecosystem services, particularly in relation to flood mitigation but they have been found to be difficult to monitor using remotely sensed data. This research analysed combinations of S-band and X-band quad-polarimetric airborne SAR, elevation data and optical remotely sensed imagery. In total 30 variables were analysed. The SAR inputs included backscatter intensity channels and Cloude-Pottier, Freeman-Durden and Van Zyl decomposition SAR descriptors. Classification was carried out using Random Forest classifiers at two thematic resolutions which generated a general mapping of salt marsh vegetation and a high-resolution mapping of thematically detailed salt marsh vegetation habitats. The results indicate that …