Exceptional Estuaries

Estuaries are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, providing food and habitat for thousands of species!  The mixing of fresh and salt water creates a transition zone between the land and the sea and fascinating wildlife appears as a result!

Estuaries are also very important for us, with habitats like seagrass, saltmarsh and mudflats acting as a natural filtration system, giving us cleaner, clearer water, protecting us from flooding and taking lots of carbon out of the atmosphere!  All of these benefits we receive (for free) are known as 'ecosystem services.'

Scroll down to meet some of our exceptional estuarine wildlife and to learn how you can help protect them!

Estuaries are not only vital habitats for a huge range of wildlife, as well as providing us with important ecosystem services, but they are also crucial to our local economy, way of life and our mental health and well-being!

But there is only so much pressure our estuaries can take! High levels of sewage and nutrients entering our estuaries can lead to reduced water quality and major problems such as eutrophication and dead zones, which are unfortunately now common around the world.

The Wildlife Trusts have been fighting for our estuaries and seas for decades and thankfully now some of our estuaries in Devon have been designated as Marine Conservation Zones.  But these designated areas will only go partway in protecting our exceptional estuaries and the wildlife which lives within them and so we must all take action if we are to protect them for the future!  Why not make a start by watching and sharing  'The Drip' below?