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Broad habitats
Intertidal sediments dominated by aquatic angiosperms – Eelgrass beds and pioneer saltmarshes
Sheltered, muddy shores where seagrasses and other salt-tolerant flowering plants grow
Seagrass © JNCC/Keith Hiscock
The area between high and low water on some sheltered muddy shores can be home to marine flowering plants including eelgrass and the most salt-tolerant of saltmarsh plants.
Eelgrass cannot dry out completely and so is found in pools or where the shore is very muddy and remains damp. Saltmarsh plants live higher up on the shore. They can tolerate being covered by seawater to some degree, but do need at least a few dry days to establish their roots. The beds may die back in winter, when temperatures are lower and wave action is stronger.
Eelgrass and saltmarsh plants provide food for overwintering Brent geese, widgeon ducks, and mute and whooper swans. They also provide shelter and food for a wide range of creatures including crabs, spire shell snail, periwinkles and lugworms, and, when the tide comes in, for fish.
They also provide a natural coastal defence. By collecting and stabilising the shore sediments, the plants reduce erosion and act as a buffer against the power of the waves.
Brief description of European distribution
Pioneer saltmarshes occur around the coasts of England and Wales. Eelgrass beds are sparsely distributed around the UK coast, and particularly large beds can be found on the shores of Essex and north Kent. Its full geographical range extends from the Mediterranean to south Norway.
Conservation status / need
May form an important part of UKBAP Priority Habitats or those listed under Annex I of the Habitats Directive
Dwarf eelgrass is a nationally scarce species.
Further information sources
Zostera noltii beds in upper to mid shore muddy sand
(MarLIN)
Zostera noltii beds in littoral muddy sand (JNCC)
Pioneer saltmarsh (MarLIN)
Interesting fact
Pioneer saltmarsh plants are grazed by various animals, and one plant – samphire – is also a tasty human food.
