Fringing the north-eastern shores of the Irish Sea, the coast of Lancashire and North Merseyside is mainly low-lying - apart from some small cliffs around Heysham and Silverdale - and its shore has a comparatively large tidal range for the British Isles.

The coast is divided by large estuaries: those of the River Mersey and the River Ribble, which flow into Liverpool Bay; and of the rivers Keer, Lune and Wyre, which flow into Morecambe Bay along with the Kent and Duddon in Cumbria. It is dominated along most of its length by sand dunes, salt marshes, mud flats and sand flats.

Large areas of tidal salt marsh, mud flat and sand flat were claimed from the seabed for farming over the 19th and 20th centuries, with the incoming tide held back by embankments and pumping stations now maintained at public expense. Others were lost to urban development around Liverpool and Morecambe.

Similarly, large areas of sand dune have been lost to urban development, particularly around Blackpool and Southport, where engineered coastal defences have been built and maintained for over a century to protect the structures.

As sea levels rise and storms become more frequent, these wildlife habitats are becoming squeezed between the rising tide and the walls of the artificial embankments.

Between the tides, sand flats that are not disturbed by waves and tidal currents may have an abundance of marine animals including lugworms, ragworms, edible cockles, crustaceans, Baltic tellins and peppery furrow shells. These provide rich feeding grounds for fish, waders and wildfowl. Smaller areas of mudflats are found at the head of the river estuaries. The reduced salinity there results in slightly different communities of animals dominated by the tiny Laver Spire Snail (Hydrobia ulvae).

For further information on different coastal habitats click on the catagories below:

	estuaries
	sand dunes
	salt marshes

Links

Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan www.lbap.org.uk
Action Mersey Estuary http://www.merseybasin.org.uk/page.asp?id=2913&RBID=5161&sPage=1&dID=1141 Merseyside Biodiversity Group http://www.merseysidebiodiversity.org.uk
The Morecambe Bay Partnership http://www.morecambebay.org.uk
North West Coastal Forum http://nwcoastalforum.co.uk
Action Ribble Estuary http://www.ribble-estuary.co.uk
The Sefton Coast Partnership http://www.seftoncoast.org.uk