Wetlands host many species from common migratory birds and fish, to very rare and specialized species including mangrove plants and peatland insects. Amphibians, crabs, and many other call wetland home year-round, while others just use them as a stepping stone to distant breeding or feeding grounds.

Clean Water

The plants including mosses, grasses, and even trees can help clean our environment by filtering pollutants from the air and water. They help keep our groundwater clean, and prevent dangerous pollutants from reaching our oceans.

Tall grasses can capture plastics that have washed into waterways, and a growing number of species have been found to help remove PFAS.

Type of Wetland

The following are some types of wetland, divided into coastal and inland examples. They are listed alphabetically. Some are permanent, while other examples may disappear and reappear depending on season or tides.

Coastal

Estuaries

These wetlands are characterized by the mixing of fresh and salt water. Different parts of the estuary will have different levels of salinity, which in turn means different plants in different areas, according to how salt tolerant they are.

Migratory fish and birds rely heavily on these ecosystems, for example salmon fry which hatch up in mountain streams come down and spend time eating, growing, and gaining strength in estuaries before heading out to see. Where estuaries have been destroyed, and these young salmon are flushed directly out to sea, scientists have found they can stunted by the sudden shock of ocean water, making survival much harder than for those with the benefit of their historical transitional zones.

Estuaries

Mangroves

These coastal forests consist of trees that help protect coastlines from incoming storms including hurricanes and the flooding they produce. The trees are adapted to saline water, and are full of species who rely on brackish water including oysters and crabs.

Mangroves are under threat from shrimp farms, unsustainable oyster harvesting, as deforestation both for wood harvesting and livestock farming (mostly cattle).

Mangroves

Mudflats (Slob in Ireland)

These are found world wide, and support diverse ecosystems for crabs, sea birds, and fascinating species such the mud skipper, a fish that survives on land and breathes using water trapped inside their large gill chambers.

Salt Marsh

Also known as a coastal salt marsh. These coastal ecosystems are found in the upper interdental zone between land and open salt or brackish water. They are regularly flooded by tides.

Inland

Basin Wetlands

These are much like vernal pools, in that they can be seasonal, but can vary massively in size.

Freshwater Marsh

These can be found in a variety of landscapes including spaces along side estuaries, canals, rivers, lakes, or ponds.

Peatland

Also known as bogs and mires. These diverse ecosystems can support all sorts of species, including grassland and scrubland type plants, with rich layers of moss which help sequester greenhouse gases such as CO2.

Around the world peatlands have been drained for agriculture, as well as harvested for mosses used in gardening.

Pealtand

Pocosin

These are palustrine wetlands with deep, acidic, sandy, peatsoils. Groundwater saturates the soil except for short seasonal dry spells as well as prolonged droughts. Their soils are nutrient deficient, especially in phosphorus. - Wikipedia: Pocosin

Pocosins are characterized by dense, waxy shrub and woody vine vegetation. Sometimes they include sweet bay, loblolly bay, swamp bay, and pond pines. - Carolina Wetland Association: Types of Wetlands

Pocosin - Wikipedia

Seeps

Seeps are created when ground water reaches the surface, and are defined by their unique proximity to slow moving ground water. They usually occur over an impermeable layer that prevents the water from draining, keeping the area wet for most of the year.

Swamps

These consist of trees suited to damp and wet growing conditions. A swamp might be vast and consist of waterways and lake-sized water bodies, or may only exist at one end of a lake, depending on the terrain and geological characteristics of an area.

Swamps

Riparian Zone

These zones exist along the edges of waterways, helping to protect water quality, reduce erosion, and prevent damage from floods or even reducing flooding itself. These spaces provide rich habitat for wildlife and can act as wildlife corridors in otherwise urban or agricultural spaces.

Riparian Zone

Vernal Pools

These are seasonal pools or ponds, also called ephemeral pools. They are created by rainy weather, providing critical habitat for frogs and other species, then drying up and disapearing till the next adequate rain fall event.

Wet Meadow

These are often part of a larger complex that may include shrub swamps, forested swamps, and marshes.

Threats to Wetlands

This sections covers some of the threats to wetlands.

Agriculture

Drained Wetlands

Over the last 100 or so years, many wetlands have been drained for farming and urban expansion. We have turned around half of the planet's habitable land into farm land with 77% of that being used for livestock and their feed, while only around 1% of habitable land has been built up for urban or industrial purposes.

In addition to draining wetlands for grazing, coastal wetlands such as mangroves have also been destroyed to make way for aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming.

Chemical Pollution

Humanity produces a ton of chemical pollutants, but farming releases many tons of raw animal sewage which is full of microplastics and PFAS from contaminated animal feed, and the majority of antibiotics which are used on livestock instead of for humans. In addition there are pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, and various livestock medications including de-wormers. All of these impact aquatic ecosystems, particularly wetlands where these chemicals can accumulate, killing off fish, amphibians, often through their insect prey or simply via contaminated water itself.

Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agricultureHalf of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. More than three-quarters of this is used for livestock production, despite meat and dairy making up a much smaller share of the world’s protein and calorie supply.

Pesticides

Water Extraction

We all need water to live, and wetlands can help provide us with safe drinking water. However the amount used by agriculture and industries is increasingly unsustainable. By comparison people use very little water in and around their homes, but every little counts.

Click the Water button to learn which of our choices have the biggest impact on humanity's water use. Which small changes can save the most water, such as picking different foods or borrowing and reusing instead of buying new products. The page also touches on what at-home changes we can make, including the installation of rain barrels and grey water systems.

Water

Deforestation

For the mangroves and other types of wetland that are characterized by trees, deforestation for farming and lumber are a grave threat.

Deforestation

Sea Level Rise

As water levels rise, salt water intrudes deaper into mangroves, estuaries, and other coastal weltands, killing off the less salt-tollerant plants, often leaving dead trees to rot and give off greenhouse gases. When sealevel rise and flooding cause salt water to infiltrate fresh ground water, this can kill off entire coastal ecosystems including forests.

Flooding and Sea Level Rise

Light Pollution

Many species who dwell in and around wetlands rely on light to communicate, navigate, and find mates. These species include turtles, migratory birds, and fireflies. When nearby communities, tourists, and industries flood the area with artificial lights, they throw off these natural activities, causing baby turtles to get crushed on roads instead of swimming out to sea, preventing fireflies from finding mates, and causing migratory birds to get lost or even crash into buildings.

Light Pollution

Benefits of Wetlands

Water Cycle: Drought & Flood Protection

Water Birds

Biodiversity

Flood Prevention

Water Retention

Wetland Species

Animals

Amphibians

Birds

Fish

Insects

Plants & Algae

Aquatic Plants

Resources & Guides

Pest, Weed, & Invasive Species Management

Conservation Grazing

Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust: Conservation Grazing with Dartmoor Ponies - Brochure (PDF)

Mosquito Management

Xerces: Effective Mosquito Management "It’s understandable why, in the face of a mounting health crisis, communities and health organizations scramble to prevent outbreaks by any means necessary. Spraying may seem like a quick way to soothe the public’s nerves, but as a strategy for controlling mosquitoes, it’s a blunt and ineffective tool. Widespread application of adulticides creates a false sense of security while causing many unintended and far-reaching consequences. Through the application of common-sense protocols and proactive planning, effective mosquito management that limits impacts on the environment is possible."
Ecologically Sound Mosquito Management in Wetlands "An overview of mosquito control practices, the risks, benefits, and non-target impacts, and recommendations on effective practices that control mosquitoes, reduce pesticide use, and conserve wetlands."

Europe

UK

Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust: Conservation Grazing with Dartmoor Ponies - Brochure (PDF)

Scotland

SEPA's Engineering in the Water Environment Good Practice Guide, Riparian Vegetation Management "This document is one of a series of good practice guides produced by SEPA to help people involved in the selection of sustainable engineering solutions that minimize harm to the water environment. This Guide provides guidance on the establishment and sustainable management of vegetation in the riparian zone of rivers, lochs and wetlands for the benefit of the environment and people."
SMEEF Restoration Toolkit "Whether you are starting your first coastal or marine restoration or enhancement project, or have been working on an established programme, this toolkit aims to guide you through the maze of supporting information available.

Each section covers the key facts and there are links to the latest advice. The Toolkit also enables you to create a bespoke action list for your group.

Please note this toolkit is a live document and will be updated regularly. If you believe there may be something missing or incorrect, please email us..."

North America

USA

Coastal Restoration Toolkit: Take Action to Restore Our Coastlines "Find tools and information you need to launch a restoration project in your community."
The Financial Incentives Database (FIND) "tool was developed by ISAP to share financial payment opportunities that are available for adopting conservation practices such as cover crops, saturated buffers, and constructed wetlands. By listing program information side-by-side, the FIND tool allows farmers to compare programs and select the option that is best for their operation.

Information in this tool is current as of June 1, 2024. Information may have changed since that time. Users are encouraged to confirm the latest information through the organization’s website. The information in this tool will be updated on an annual basis.

Begin by entering basic information about your farm location, production type, and conservation goals."

California

State Wildlife Action Plan "A plan for conserving California's wildlife resources while responding to environmental challenges"

Oceana

Australia

Wetland Indicator Animals of Murray River Drainage Sub-Basin

NSW

Salinity Indicator Plants (PDF) "This booklet is based on information provided in Spotting Salinity Using Indicator Plants, which was produced by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, Hunter Region in 1998, with assistance from the Hunter Catchment Management Trust and NSW Agriculture. Information contained in the plant description section and pictures of some species have been taken with permission directly from the 1998 publication."

Queensland

The Flora Wetland Indicator Species List (WISL) "has been compiled to support the determination of whether a site is a wetland. The Wetland Indicator Species (WIS) in WISL have adapted to living in wetlands and are dependent on them.

The presence of a WIS at a site does not, in itself, confirm the site to be a wetland, but is one line of evidence towards determining the wetland status of a site."

Programs & Projects

North America

USA

Texas

Texas Prairie Wetlands Project (TPWP) "focus on harvested croplands, moist-soil areas, emergent wetlands and other created wetlands to increase biodiversity for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species. In return, landowners sign a minimum-10-year wetland development agreement and commit to managing and maintaining the wetlands. TPWP works closely with rice producers to improve fields and infrastructure for water conservation, production and habitat management.

Each year, TPWP projects provide critical staging and wintering habitat for thousands of waterfowl, including white-fronted geese, snow geese, northern pintails, green- and blue-winged teal, gadwalls, northern shovelers and redheads. Resident fulvous and black-bellied whistling ducks, as well as mottled ducks, rely heavily on permanent and semi-permanent wetlands for nesting and brood rearing during the spring and summer.

Many landowners utilize TPWP projects for hunting leases and ecotourism. Many sites are also on rice farms, a declining agricultural entity along the Gulf Coast. By working with private landowners to increase and restore wetland habitats, water quality and water quantity an issue of great concern in Texas can be improved."

Organizations

Beaver Organizations

Bird Organizations

Firefly Conservation Groups

International

The Rewilding Institute "We live for the day when Gray Wolves and Grizzly Bears have connected habitat from Mexico to Alaska, when Pumas have reclaimed their homelands East and West, when salmon and other migratory fish swim freely up and down our continents’ rivers, when the oceans are teeming with whales and sharks, and when all native species regain natural patterns of abundance and distribution."
Society of Wetland Scientists "is an international, professional non-profit organization whose mission is to promote best practices in wetland research, education, conservation, preservation, restoration, and management."
Wetlands International "is a global organisation that works to sustain and restore wetlands and their resources for people and biodiversity. It is an independent, not-for-profit, global organisation, supported by government and NGO membership from around the world."

Africa

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Cameroon

Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS) "is a lead national environment NGO in Cameroon founded in February 1997. The organisation’s head office is in Yaoundé. CWCS is administered by a board of directors with more than 100 registered members comprising environment experts, young conservation professionals and students."
Rainforest Trust "is working with local partner, Cameroon Wildlife Conservation Society (CWCS), to elevate the protected status of Douala-Edea Wildlife Reserve to a national park while increasing the reserve by 375,303 acres of mangrove forests, rivers, wetlands and marine habitats. Collectively, this expansion and conversion to a national park will actively safeguard a total of 741,000 acres."

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Chad

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Libya

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Mauritania

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Senegal

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Asia

Turkey

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

United Arab Emirates

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Europe

OSPAR "is the mechanism by which 15 Governments & the EU cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic.

OSPAR started in 1972 with the Oslo Convention against dumping and was broadened to cover land-based sources of marine pollution and the offshore industry by the Paris Convention of 1974. These two conventions were unified, up-dated and extended by the 1992 OSPAR Convention. The new annex on biodiversity and ecosystems was adopted in 1998 to cover non-polluting human activities that can adversely affect the sea.

The fifteen Governments are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

OSPAR is so named because of the original Oslo and Paris Conventions ("OS" for Oslo and "PAR" for Paris)."
Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Belgium

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Czech Republic

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Finland

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

French Southern & Antarctic Lands

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Hungary

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Ireland

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Luxembourg

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Netherlands

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Poland

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Romania

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Sweden

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

UK

Freshwater Habitats Trust "We're building a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, connected freshwaters"

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

North America

Cuba

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

Haiti

Tour du Valat "a research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, conducts numerous activities with partners to the north and south of the Mediterranean basin."

USA

NEMESIS "Welcome to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's National Estuarine and Marine Exotic Species Information System (NEMESIS). Here you will find information on marine and estuarine invertebrates and algae introduced to the United States."
USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center "WARC conducts relevant and objective research, develops new approaches and technologies, and disseminates scientific information needed to understand, manage, conserve, and restore wetlands and other aquatic and coastal ecosystems and their associated plant and animal communities throughout the nation and the world."
Wetlands and Wetland Restoration "Recommendations of the Wetland Expert Panel for the incorporation of non-tidal wetland best management practices (BMPs) and land uses in the Phase 6 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model"
The Wetlands Initiative "is a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The Wetlands Initiative works with nonprofit and government partners and local communities to advance wetland restoration and science in the Midwestern United States."

North Carolina

Carolina Wetland Association "A non-partisan, science- based organization advocating for wetlands in the Carolinas."

Pennsylvania

PHS: Trees for Watersheds Grant Program "(formerly TreeVitalize Watersheds), which helps municipalities, nonprofits, and private landowners plant trees along streams, neighboring upland areas, and natural stormwater basins. The result is thousands of trees planted every year in sensitive water protection zones."

South Carolina

Carolina Wetland Association "A non-partisan, science- based organization advocating for wetlands in the Carolinas."

Texas

Restore The Texas Coast

Virginia

Wetlands Watch "is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Norfolk, Virginia. Our mission is to enhance natural resilience, bolster community adaptation efforts, and protect and restore wetlands throughout Virginia. We advance climate adaptation by working collaboratively with a wide variety of stakeholders, and by implementing solution-focused strategies that unify and connect."

Oceana

Australia

Greening Australia: Reef Aid "To improve water quality on the Great Barrier Reef, we are working with landholders, communities and Traditional Owners to rebuild eroding gullies and restore vital coastal wetlands across the catchment."
OZ Fish "Through the power of many, we are delivering fish habitat rehabilitation projects across Australia. Our network of recreational fishers brings the right expertise to the table and activates local organisations. When you become an OzFish member you can connect with your local chapter and become part of protecting our native fish and habitat. Because healthier waterways will mean more fish and better fishing."

South America

Amazon Watch "is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems."

Maps

North America

USA

Florida

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission: Marine & Estuarine Habitats Map Interactive

Grants & Funding

Europe

UK

The National Trust: Freshwater Community Grant Fund "Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available for initiatives that create, look after or improve local freshwater habitats and provide opportunities for people to connect with nature."

Scotland

SMEEF Restoration Toolkit "Whether you are starting your first coastal or marine restoration or enhancement project, or have been working on an established programme, this toolkit aims to guide you through the maze of supporting information available.

Each section covers the key facts and there are links to the latest advice. The Toolkit also enables you to create a bespoke action list for your group.

Please note this toolkit is a live document and will be updated regularly. If you believe there may be something missing or incorrect, please email us..."

North America

USA

Caring for our Coast Gulf Region Grant Program "Restore America’s Estuaries is excited to partner with CITGO to facilitate the Caring for our Coast grants to organizations and groups hosting locally-based volunteer events in the Gulf of Mexico region. These grants are intended to provide coastal groups with funding to host beach clean-ups, estuary restoration, or other educational/outreach events."
The Financial Incentives Database (FIND) "tool was developed by ISAP to share financial payment opportunities that are available for adopting conservation practices such as cover crops, saturated buffers, and constructed wetlands. By listing program information side-by-side, the FIND tool allows farmers to compare programs and select the option that is best for their operation.

Information in this tool is current as of June 1, 2024. Information may have changed since that time. Users are encouraged to confirm the latest information through the organization’s website. The information in this tool will be updated on an annual basis.

Begin by entering basic information about your farm location, production type, and conservation goals."
National Estuary Program Watersheds Grant Program "is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent, emerging, and challenging issues threatening the well-being of estuaries within the 28 NEP boundary areas. This grant program funds projects aimed at addressing the following Congressionally-set priorities..."

Maryland

Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Grants Gateway (Grants Gateway) was created to streamline the grant application process for government and non-governmental organizations as well as academic institutions. Grants Gateway provides a one-stop location for partners seeking technical and financial support for projects that foster healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change.

Minnesota

Stewardship Fund Grants "support public efforts to manage stormwater, control pollution, and improve water quality and habitat."

Oceana

Australia

Western Australia

The Landowner Biodiversity Conservation Grants Program "provides financial support to Cockburn residents living in the rural, rural living and resource zones, who wish to conserve and enhance the natural bushland and wetland areas on their property."

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