Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh

What are the challenges?

• Kent’s coastal and floodplain grazing marshes face mounting threats from climate change, habitat loss, and pollution:

• Coastal erosion and rising sea levels are shrinking mudflats, vital feeding and roosting habitats for waders and wildfowl.

• Historic drainage for agriculture has degraded biodiversity, reduced water quality, and led to sharp declines in species like Lapwings (down 63% since the 1960s) and Redshanks.

• Rising sea levels and hotter, drier summers threaten freshwater wetland species, including breeding waders.

• Coastal grazing marshes below 5m AOD are highly vulnerable, requiring realignment and habitat compensation.

• Agricultural runoff, wastewater, and nitrogen deposition contribute to eutrophication, harming marsh ecosystems and intertidal vegetation.

Why it matters:

• Kent’s coastal landscapes, including the Medway and Swale estuary, support internationally important populations of migratory, breeding, and wintering waders and wildfowl.

• Grazing marshes provide essential feeding and roosting grounds for birds.

• Well-managed grazing marshes absorb floodwaters, reducing coastal flood risks.

• Wetland soils act as carbon sinks, helping to mitigate climate change.

When well managed and healthy, this habitat achieves the following:

• Reversing Biodiversity Loss

• Habitat for rare or endangered species

• Water Quality

• Flood Mitigation & Climate Change Resilience

• Carbon Sequestration

• Soil Health

• Connecting People to Nature

• Supports pollinators & food production

Nature Based Solutions:

• Protect mudflats and restore grazing marsh through sustainable grazing, hydrological management, and saltmarsh rehabilitation.

• Manage predators to support breeding wader populations.

Statistics & Facts:

• Medway Estuary and Marshes SSSI: Significant areas are in "unfavourable declining condition" due to nutrient enrichment.

Key Species:

• Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) – A wader species suffering severe population declines.

• Redshank (Tringa totanus) – A key indicator of healthy coastal wetlands.

• Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) – A top predator dependent on wetland habitats.

• European Hare (Lepus europaeus) – Found in grassland mosaics within grazing marshes.

• Water Vole (Arvicola amphibius) – A wetland species vulnerable to habitat degradation.