Coastal margins - SoNaRR 2025 ecosystem assessment

This is part of the SoNaRR 2025, download the report in full [insert link]

Coastal margins are habitats around the coastline of Wales including the three most extensive (sand dunes, saltmarsh and sea cliffs) and two others (saline or coastal lagoons and shingle).

Key messages

Coastal habitats provide unique biodiversity and valuable services, including flood defence, blue carbon, recreation and health. These services could be developed as naturebased solutions for the people and economy of Wales through habitat restoration and enhancement.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, poor condition and loss of biodiversity are affecting coastal habitats. The main causes include non-sustainable agricultural management, invasive non-native species and air and water pollution.
Climate change will lead to increasing pressures including sea level rise and higher rates of erosion. Some habitats are naturally able to roll-back inland, responding to change, but in many cases the coastal habitats are hemmed in by other land use.
Recent work on sand dunes demonstrated successful landscape scale restoration of dune systems across Wales. We now need restoration programmes for saltmarsh and sea cliff habitats which will benefit biodiversity and increase resilience, carbon sequestration and natural flood alleviation.
Many pressures, including climate change and water quality, require a strategic and multi-faceted approach to improve ecosystem resilience. Key opportunities include land use planning, tackling multiple sources of pollution and maximising outcomes from the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Summary

Coastal margins are at the front line in terms of climate change, they are threatened by sea level rise and accelerated erosion. The changing shoreline will impact coastal communities that in many cases, are not aware of or prepared for these changes.

Wales has 2,700 km of coastline. The coastal margins ecosystem is made up of saltmarsh, sand dunes, sea cliffs, shingle and saline lagoons. It represents just 3% of the semi-natural habitats in Wales. Confined to an often-narrow zone these habitats form the transition between the land and the sea. The coastal zone is highly biodiverse and is characterised by specialised species adapted to maritime conditions.

Coastal defences such as sea walls and groynes prevent the natural function of the dynamic coastal habitats essential for maintaining extent and condition. Significant losses of habitat have occurred in the past due to land claim, agricultural intensification and development.

Air and water pollution impact the condition of the coastal margins ecosystem. Contaminants originate from sources such as industry, transport, agriculture, and litter derived plastics.

The Welsh coastline is celebrated for its iconic scenery. It is popular for both recreation and tourism. This brings benefits for both the economy and personal well-being. Coastal margin habitats play an important role in contributing to flood protection over much of the Welsh coastline by either acting as a barrier to flooding or a buffer by absorbing wave energy. Traditionally a high proportion of coastal habitats have been managed for agriculture (mostly grazing), which is often important for the maintenance of good quality habitat.

Delivery of sustainable agriculture is key to achieving overall good condition of habitats, both within protected sites and the wider countryside. Continuing to work with farmers and land managers by providing incentives and support will ensure sustainable agricultural management. Multiple benefits would include biodiversity gains, improvements in air and water quality, carbon storage, and flood protection alongside support for agriculture.

Assessment of SMNR

Achieving the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources means having healthy, well-functioning and resilient social, economic and ecosystems, using feedback information to stay in balance with each other as they adapt to change. SoNaRR2025 assesses Wales’s progress towards SMNR individually against the four aims, but it is important to note that they are inseparable and should not be seen in isolation.

Wales cannot work towards healthy places for people without resilient ecosystems and cannot make our ecosystems resilient without safeguarding stocks of natural resources. The regenerative economy safeguards and restores those stocks and is the route to the transformational change needed to achieve SMNR.

The chapter highlights the various pressures impacting on the status, extent, condition and diversity of the coastal margin ecosystem. The opportunities to improve the resilience of coastal margin and secure well-being are outlined.

Read the full assessment of Coastal Margins in our State of Natural Resources Report 2025 [insert link]

Underlying evidence

In order to make our assessments and identify opportunities for action, we have gathered evidence that helps us to understand these key aspects:

the drivers of change and pressures on coastal margins in Wales.
the ecosystem resilience of coastal margins in Wales.
the benefits, or services, we get from coastal margins and how changes in the state of coastal margins impact on well-being.

This detailed evidence is presented within an interactive Power BI report which you can access from this page.

Evidence needs

[This will describe how evidence needs will be published. There may be need for a brief paragraph on each ecosystem/natural resource page with a link to the single pdf and/or SoNaRR evidence needs webpage.

Evidence needs for SoNaRR 2025