Salt marshes are among Britain's most productive coastal ecosystems. They support specialised wildlife and provide coastal defence - but face ongoing pressures from development and sea level rise.
Salt marsh wildlife welfare is shaped by the specific conditions of this challenging intertidal environment. Wading birds feeding on salt marshes require abundant invertebrates (ragworms, small crustaceans, molluscs) and undisturbed roosting sites. Human disturbance - dog walking, tourism, and recreational activity during nesting season - causes significant welfare harm through chick mortality and nest abandonment. Sea level rise threatens the long-term future of salt marsh habitat, progressively reducing the area available to specialist wildlife. Managed realignment projects that create new salt marsh while protecting inland areas represent both a climate adaptation strategy and an important wildlife welfare intervention.