Shallow sea areas are almost without exception areas with an extremely high natural value. These are the areas where land and sea meet, creating a very diverse environment, where sunlight can reach the sea-bottom, supporting plant  life and enabling coral reefs to develop.

These are the safe spawning areas for many fish and in turn these are the areas  which millions of waterbirds depend upon for their food.

About coastal wetlands

Examples of coastal wetlands are coral reefs, mangrove coasts, sand dunes, mud plains and sandy beaches.

Coastal areas are also highly valuable areas to people, due for instance to economic value from fisheris, transport and tourism. They are the most densily populated areas on our planet.

Our Work

Wetlands International works all over the world to conserve these areas of coastal wetlands. To protect the habitats themselves, the species that live within them and the people that live alongside and depend upon them.

Projects

Our work includes research into the threats to the coral reefs of Australia, restoring mangrove forests of South-east Asia, protecting the shores of the Black Sea and West Africa and protecting the birds that depend on the mudplains of the Yellow Sea.