COASTAL WETLANDS

MY BUTTON

TOO PRECIOUS TO LOSE

Our activities are quietly, yet surely, harming our very livelihood - coastal wetlands

EPA. (2019).

Great Lakes coastal wetland [Photograph].

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2020).

[The coastal wetland at Pokegama Bay in the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve in Superior, Wisconsin] [Photograph].

The Hamilton Spectator. (2019).

Cootes Paradise [Photograph].

EPA. (2019).

Great Lakes coastal wetland [Photograph].

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What even are coastal wetlands?

The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. (2019, October 30). Episode 4 - Coastal Wetlands [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIWvCygFIKk

Why are they important?

Wetlands perform a variety of functions such as protecting biodiversity, reducing disaster impacts, and promoting human health and well-being. An article by Sutton-Grier & Sandifer (2018) explained how the conservation of wetlands is not just important for protecting biodiversity but also for improving human health. The article claims that human psychological and physical health benefits when they are exposed to nature and greenery, provided by healthy ecosystems (Sutton-Grier & Sandifer, 2018).

Coastal wetlands are integral to human settlements and as such are centers of urban development. Along with their ecological functions of water purification, nutrient cycling, coastal shoreline stabilization, flood, and erosion protection, they are also habitats for endangered wildlife and play a role in human commercial fisheries and recreation (Sutton-Grier & Sandifer, 2018.)

References

Sutton-Grier, A. E., & Sandifer, P. A. (2018). Conservation of wetlands and other coastal ecosystems: A commentary on their value to protect biodiversity, reduce disaster impacts, and promote human health and well-being. Wetlands, 39(6), 1295-1302. doi:10.1007/s13157-018-1039-0