3/2/2024 0 Comments Coastal flats energyAccelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems. Long-term region-wide declines in Caribbean corals. Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Current State and Trends (Island, Washington DC, 2005).ĭeegan, L. Our high-spatial-resolution dataset delivers global maps of tidal flats, which substantially advances our understanding of the distribution, trajectory and status of these poorly known coastal ecosystems. Extensive degradation from coastal development 1, reduced sediment delivery from major rivers 8, 9, sinking of riverine deltas 8, 10, increased coastal erosion and sea-level rise 11 signal a continuing negative trajectory for tidal flat ecosystems around the world. For regions with sufficient data to develop a consistent multi-decadal time series-which included East Asia, the Middle East and North America-we estimate that 16.02% (15.62–16.47%, 95% confidence interval) of tidal flats were lost between 19. About 70% of the global extent of tidal flats is found in three continents (Asia (44% of total), North America (15.5% of total) and South America (11% of total)), with 49.2% being concentrated in just eight countries (Indonesia, China, Australia, the United States, Canada, India, Brazil and Myanmar). We find that tidal flats, defined as sand, rock or mud flats that undergo regular tidal inundation 7, occupy at least 127,921 km 2 (124,286–131,821 km 2, 95% confidence interval). Here we present an analysis of over 700,000 satellite images that maps the global extent of and change in tidal flats over the course of 33 years (1984–2016). However, owing to the difficulty of mapping intertidal areas globally, the distribution and status of tidal flats-one of the most extensive coastal ecosystems-remain unknown 7. As a result, alarming losses of mangrove, coral reef, seagrass, kelp forest and coastal marsh ecosystems have occurred 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Increasing human populations around the global coastline have caused extensive loss, degradation and fragmentation of coastal ecosystems, threatening the delivery of important ecosystem services 1.
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