Biodiverse Coasts

What’s so important about coastal habitats?

The interplay between land and sea means that coasts create multiple niche habitats. Varying temperatures, mixtures of fresh and saltwater, and tidal ranges contribute to unique ecosystems. As a result, 90% of marine life is found in coastal waters - even though coastal areas make up just 10% of the ocean. Coasts are bursting with biodiversity...and protecting them is especially crucial.

Coastal Ecology

Marine waters are home to an incredible number of species. Aquatic ecosystems exist in an interdependent web that is dependent not only on the ocean, but also on land-water interactions around the coast. Explore the importance of those interactions - and some of the threats to them - in this animated video.

Estuaries are one of the key features of coastal ecosystems. An estuary is the ‘in-between’: an area on the border between land and sea where freshwater and saltwater mix. Thanks to tidal action, estuaries are constantly in flux - and that means they support biodiversity in particularly critical ways. Learn more in this video.

In this video, learn about the value of coastal areas for mitigating climate change and protecting land from extreme events, in addition to their important role as a habitat for diverse species.

This video isn’t required, but it is recommended: a beautiful documentary episode with stunning footage about life near our coasts.

The Camel Estuary

The north coast of Cornwall is home to the Camel Estuary, designated an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. AONBs in England (including Cornwall, since full environmental management isn’t part of the region’s partial devolution) are recognised by Natural England, a English public body. The River Camel and its estuary are particularly significant due to the Doom Bar - a sandbank that has caused numerous shipwrecks near the fishing port of Padstow. Explore the area virtually via the resources below. You can learn more about the river catchment here.

River Camel - Westcountry Rivers Trust

Padstow’s Marine Wildlife

Padstow Sealife Safaris is one of many operators providing tourists with closer access to Cornwall’s amazing marine species and coastal views. Learn more about dolphins, seals, and seabirds that visit Cornish coastal waters from the Sealife Safari wildlife guides in the videos below.

Google Sites

Report abuse