Using Healthy Estuaries to Provide a Morphological Characterisation of the Dee Estuary and the Estuaries in and Adjacent to Morecambe Bay (NECR396)

The Dee Estuary and the estuaries within and immediately outside Morecambe Bay support a variety of habitats designated within Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These SSSIs are subject to a number of pressures including coastal squeeze and development, which could affect the whole-estuary condition. The challenge for this study was to characterise the landscape-scale functioning and degree of morphological equilibrium of the estuaries to support judgements about their condition (health), in accordance with Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) guidance of JNCC.
To define the condition of an estuary as favourable means that the special features of the designated areas are in a healthy state and are being conserved for the future by appropriate management. In order for this condition to be maintained over the long term, there must be confidence that the estuary can sustain adequate habitat of the appropriate quality, within an overall morphological equilibrium.