With the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-induced disturbances, coastal wetlands can adapt, migrate, or be lost from landscapes. Mangroves are strongly influenced by extreme disturbances, and as a result, dieback events have been observed globally. Research is abundant on the biophysical conditions mangroves require for growth, yet despite the many dieback events that have occurred, there is limited knowledge on the conditions within dead mangrove areas, often called ‘ghost forests’. This study aimed to characterise the conditions within ghost forests and determine if conditions are suitable for seagrass growth within Moreton Bay. Dead mangroves, live mangroves and seagrasses were investigated across six locations within the Moreton Bay Region where all three habitats were present within close proximity to each other. Seagrass was found to have migrated into the dead mangroves at two of the ghost forest locations. Mangrove canopy cover strongly influenced seagrass cover, indicating that low light may be a key limiting factor for seagrass migration into mangrove ghost forests. These results suggest that dead mangroves become seagrass ecosystems in response to sea-level rise. This study can be used to help identify potential sites for seagrass growth that may not have been previously considered throughout Australia.