Salt marshes: nature, coastal defences and recovery research

Salt marshes form the transition from sea to land and are home to a high biodiversity of salt-tolerant plants, birds and benthic animals. They store carbon, mitigate the impact of waves and thus provide ecosystem services that contribute to coastal safety. WUR has been monitoring the development of salt marshes for decades.

In the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, WUR monitors the area and quality of over 9,000 hectares of salt marshes. In doing so, we perform a statutory investigative task. On Ameland, we are studying the effects of gas extraction. We map the vegetation, measure siltation and years of monitoring enable us to check the ecological quality and resilience of the salt marshes.

In Zeeland too, we survey salt marshes and mud flats in the Eastern and Western Scheldt. These areas fulfil a similar role to the salt marshes in the Wadden Sea and are important for nature, fisheries and coastal management. Here, WUR supports recovery projects and long-term monitoring, for example of de-polderisation and nature development in the delta.