State of the environment: the coastal and marine environment
Updated 26 January 2023
Applies to England
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1. Chief Scientist’s Group report summary
This report provides an evidence-based overview of the pressures, state and trends in England’s coastal and marine environments, including estuaries.
1.1 Background
Coastal and marine ecosystems provide many essential services to people and wildlife. These include:
- flood and coastal defence benefits
- carbon sequestration
- nutrient absorption
- provision of nursery sites and supporting fisheries
- enhanced biodiversity
- improved water quality
- socio-economic benefits relating to recreation, tourism and improved health and wellbeing.
1.2 Approach
The report reviews these ecosystem services and the pressures they are experiencing. It looks at the state and trends predominantly related to England’s coastal environment. Over the long term, human activities from both land-based and marine sources have degraded these ecosystems. This, in turn, impacts human health, prosperity and wellbeing.
The report also discusses some of the challenges of protecting and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems and the opportunities on the horizon.
1.3 Conclusion
To secure a more resilient, healthy and prosperous future for people and wildlife, a step change is needed for the protection, recovery and restoration of the estuarine, coastal and marine environment, embracing a system wide approach.
Shared ownership of the risks and recognition of the need for increased capacity in the collaboration of private, public and non-governmental sectors can bring about the changes required to realise these benefits in the future.