ESTUARY EDGES
SUMMARY
The Estuary Edges project focuses on transforming hard, artificial tidal walls — made of brick, concrete, or metal — into thriving natural habitats.
The Estuary Edges website is a practical “how-to” guide on ecological design, helping planners, developers, and communities soften urban estuary edges to bring wildlife back into our cities.
In the Thames Estuary, only around 1% of the shoreline remains natural. Increasing habitat along the edges will have a significant positive impact on plants, invertebrates, fish, and birds.
Well-planned developments beside estuaries can create better places to live and work. When reconstructing or refurbishing estuary banks, projects should:
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Include features that support wildlife
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Improve public access and enjoyment of the waterfront
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Educate people about environmental protection
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Measure improvement across ecological, social, and environmental outcomes
PROJECT GOALS
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Engage developers and councils with best practice for intertidal development and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
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Engage developers, the public, and local communities on the benefits of these sites for wildlife, human health, and wellbeing.
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Gather ecological evidence on how these sites support biodiversity and the range of species that inhabit them.
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Monitor long-term change to understand how sites evolve and inform future, climate-resilient designs.
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Train students and local communities to monitor Estuary Edges and develop valuable fieldwork skills.
INTERACTIVE MAP
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Publication
Bodnar, W., Colclough, S. and Pryor, A. (2024) ‘Fish utilisation of bioengineered intertidal habitats in the Thames Estuary’, The London Naturalist, 103, pp. 94–112.
Available at: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211776/
KEY PROJECT PARTNERS
