Coastal Pressures

Against a background of natural change, human actions have increasingly sought to develop, use and to exploit the coast and its resources. Terrestrial coastal habitats have been destroyed by such things as buildings, roads, aggregate extraction, agricultural intensification, damaged by recreational activity and modified through management. The enclosure of tidal land for ports and harbours or agriculture and aggregate extraction has further reduced the area of marginal (intertidal) habitat, which forms a 'buffer' between the land and the sea. As has happened along much of the Mediterranean coast (see picture opposite).

In many areas land subsidence and reduced sediment supply (to the nearshore coastal zone) combine with the effects of global warming to elevate sea levels and increase storms , which seek to move the coastal margin landward. Taken together these cause 'coastal squeeze'. Not only is habitat lost, but also this can lead to the zone being adversely affected both in relation to its natural flood and coastal defence capabilities and to the detriment of wildlife.

Caption: Costa Blanca, Spain - an 'urbanised' sandy spit. Sediment movement is interrupted in the area by the marina development.

Comment: Links to activities, which effect many stretches of coast are provided for each habitat.