ConserveOnline - LOSS, STATUS AND TRENDS FOR COASTAL MARINE HABITATS OF EUROPE

LOSS, STATUS AND TRENDS FOR COASTAL MARINE HABITATS OF EUROPE

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Over the centuries, land reclamation, coastal development, overfishing and pollution have nearly eliminated European wetlands, seagrass meadows, shellfish beds, biogenic reefs and other productive and diverse coastal habitats. It is estimated that every day between 1960 and 1995, a kilometre of European coastline was developed. Most countries have estimated losses of coastal wetlands and seagrasses exceeding 50% of the original area with peaks above 80% for many regions. Conspicuous declines, sometimes to virtual local disappearance of kelps and other complex macroalgae, have been observed in several countries. A few dominant threats have led to these losses over time. The greatest impacts to wetlands have consistently been land claim and coastal development. The greatest impacts to seagrasses and macroalgae are presently associated with degraded water quality while in the past there have been more effects from destructive fishing and diseases. Coastal development remains an

CREATION DATE	April 14, 2009
LAST MODIFIED	April 14, 2009
CREATED BY	Caitlyn Toropova
KEYWORDS	Documents
PUBLICATION YEAR	No Publication Year
LICENSE	Attribution Non-Commercial

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