Protecting, creating and restoring intertidal habitats

A solution for wildlife recovery, climate adaptation and human well-being

Globally significant habitat for biodiversity and climate adaptation

The UK’s network of intertidal habitats is  vital to the survival  of many resident and migratory bird species,  provides important habitats  for fish nurseries and can  reduce the impact of erosion  and storm surges on coastal communities. Some intertidal habitats, such as saltmarsh, are  rich stores of carbon  and their protection, creation and restoration can be a  nature-based solution  for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

As we begin both the United Nations  Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development  and  Decade of Ecosystem Restoration , and prepare for both the UN Biodiversity and Climate Change conferences, it’s important that policy makers, leaders and the public understand the multiple benefits coastal habitat restoration provides for nature and people.

The UK’s coastal habitats are under threat. Coastal erosion, intensive agriculture, and development have eliminated  more than 15%  of UK saltmarsh habitat between 1945 and 2010. We expect to lose even more due to climate change in the coming years. Current rates of saltmarsh restoration are a mere 45 hectares a year – not enough to keep up with the 105 hectares we lose every year to sea level rise and other pressures.

Globally important flyways

This map  illustrates data  from BirdLife International, showing nine major migratory routes for waterbirds many of which  rely on intertidal habitats . Millions of waterbirds use these flyways each year to travel between breeding and wintering grounds.

Intertidal wetland habitats in the UK

The UK’s intertidal wetland habitats support internationally important numbers of waterfowl and waders. Most intertidal habitat is found in estuaries and sheltered coastal areas and is made up of saltmarshes and mudflats. Intertidal wetlands are often silty, muddy areas, flooded and drained by the tides, and rich with plants which thrive in salty conditions.

 quarter of birds  identified on the Birds of Conservation Concern red list and  over half of the amber listed species , use coastal habitats for part of their life cycle, including redshank, little tern, oystercatcher and curlew. Most birds that use these coastal habitats are migratory (many that we see along the UK coastline in winter breed in the Arctic), and they rely on there being a network of suitable sites at which to stop off and feed.

Natural flood risk management

Coastal habitats are also important to people. In the UK,  coastal communities are increasingly at risk  from flooding due to coastal erosion, storm surges and rising sea levels. Intertidal wetland habitats help to reduce the risk of coastal flooding by acting as a buffer. Several successful schemes, including projects in West Sussex ( Medmerry ), Lancashire ( Hesketh Out Marsh ), Essex ( Wallasea Island ) and Falkirk ( Skinflats ), have  created these habitats for flood protection  through a process called managed realignment.

This involves bringing sea walls further inland and providing space for the development of mudflats and saltmarsh to the seaward side of the sea wall. This makes the sea wall more resilient, protecting homes and land as the saltmarsh helps to dissipate wave energy before it reaches the sea wall.

Analyses suggest that using saltmarshes as natural coastal defences  can reduce the height  of waves by nearly 20%, reducing the force of wave action on seawalls, the funds needed for artificial flood defences and the risk of extreme flooding.

Wider benefits of protecting and creating intertidal habitats

    ·        Health and well-being. There is an increasing amount of  evidence to suggest  that proximity and access to blue spaces such as rivers, coasts and lakes, can have human health and well-being benefits. Through the incorporation of paths and seating, managed realignment schemes can provide interesting, wildlife-rich open spaces for people to visit.

    ·        Fish nurseries. In addition, creeks within saltmarsh provide important nursery areas, including for commercially important fish species, such as sea bass and herring.

    ·        Blue carbon storage. Saltmarshes are  globally important carbon stores  and without protection, the future of this carbon store is at risk.  Recent estimates  suggest carbon sequestration rates in the UK saltmarshes to be equivalent to 2.35–8.04 t CO2e ha-1 y-1. Carbon is stored in the marsh soil and layers of deposited sediment for long periods of time, and saltmarsh is an important marine resource

    ·        Improved water quality. These sites can  improve coastal water quality  by absorbing and removing pollutants from wastewater before they reach the sea, protecting fragile seagrass meadows and other marine habitats and species.

Where should we create more intertidal habitat?

Intertidal habitats are expected to be at increasing risk of loss through climate change-driven  ‘coastal  squeeze’ and sea level rise. For example, over the next 20 years, a further  4.5% of saltmarsh is predicted  to be lost.

In 2018, the RSPB identified 318 potential sites for managed realignment in the UK, which totalled over 34,000 hectares, through a project called  Sustainable Shores  . Realigning 50% of these potential sites, converting them to saltmarsh and mudflat by 2050, could sequester 2.69 million tonnes of CO2 by 2100. But this would involve restoring 500 hectares per year, far higher than the current 45 hectares.

Conclusion – nature positive coastlines

The benefits of saltmarsh are well-documented, and potential sites have been identified, and therefore it makes sense to protect, restore and create saltmarsh in the UK. A  recent report by Cambridge Econometrics estimated that the work required to this this would be cost effective  ,  and that for every £1 spent on restoring or creating saltmarsh, up to £1.31 is estimated to be returned in quantified economic benefits.

On top of this, we can expect wider benefits, including improvements to biodiversity, water quality, fish production, and flood alleviation, which is reflected by the Natural Capital Committee, an independent committee set up to advise government, also  concluded that creating intertidal habitat  would be expected to provide overall benefits to society. 

Protecting and creating intertidal wetland habitats is crucial for adapting to a changing climate and becoming  nature positive  by 2030, a goal for our planet to have more wildlife by 2030 compared to now. Tried-and-tested natural flood management benefits can help make communities more resilient to flooding, contribute to the UK’s net zero ambition and support a wealth of wildlife. We need an ambitious, long-term vision to ensure our coastlines are protected, restored, and enhanced for people and wildlife. 

Photo & Video credits

Saltmarsh and mudflats at Copperas Bay, Stour Estuary RSPB reserve, January 2003

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Barnacle goose Anser brachyrhynchus, flock taking off, flying, landing and grazing in field, RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve, Islay, Scotland, 2016.

RSPB (rspb-images.com)

Redshank, Tringa totanus, Brownsea Island Dorset Wildlife Trust reserve. Dorset, England. March

Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

Aerial image of RSPB Wallasea Island Nature Reserve at high tide, Essex, July 2019

David Wootton (rspb-images.com)

Big Wild Sleepout, staff pointing out birds, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, August 2013

Rahul Thanki (rspb-images.com)

Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa, adult flying into nesting site, UK

RSPB (rspb-images.com)