John MacPherson/2020VISION
Transforming the Thames
Spanning from the north Kent coast to the south Suffolk coast – with Essex at its heart - Transforming the Thames is bringing together a coalition of over 20 partners to restore and protect over 320 hectares of six of the most valuable marine and coastal habitats in the Greater Thames Estuary.
The mission
The Greater Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the North Sea, spanning 250,000 hectares across three counties. Over hundreds of years of change, developments, overfishing and pollution, the habitats in the Greater Thames Estuary have become degraded and fragmented.
Transforming the Thames is a coalition of diverse organisations from industry, government, environmental groups, local nature partnerships and landowners. Together, we are working to reconnect the currently fragmented and damaged seascape of the Greater Thames Estuary. Our first tranche of work includes restoring 32 hectares of coastal habitats by 2030, while continuing planning to scale up over the long term
This is a seascape-scale conservation programme, dedicated to recovery, resilience and connection for people and nature across the Thames.
A focus on six key habitats
The Greater Thames Estuary seascape is made up of a patchwork of coastal habitats, all influenced by the complexities of the sea surrounding them. Read more about our focal habitats below.
© Paul Naylor
Intertidal seagrass meadows are underwater flowering plants that thrive in shallow coastal zones, exposed at low tide. They stabilise sediments, store carbon, and provide nursery habitat for fish, crabs, and seahorses. Highly sensitive to pollution and disturbance, they are declining globally despite their vital role for nature and people.
Saltmarsh from the air, Abbotts Hall Farm, Essex - Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Saltmarsh may look muddy, but it’s bursting with life adapted to the tides. It’s a nursery for fish and a feeding ground for birds, bright with flowers from spring to autumn, from white scurvy grass in April, to lilac sea lavender and yellow and purple sea aster in summer.
Oysters being cleaned - Celine Gamble, ZSL
The European native oyster is a native shellfish in UK and Europe with a rich cultural heritage. Left undisturbed, oysters will form complex reef structures, which provides habitat and refuge for a diversity of organisms, such as juvenile fish, crabs, sea snails and sponges.
Photo: Richard Chew
Sand and shingle habitats provide space for birds such as the ringed plover and little tern to lay their eggs. This is a dynamic habitat that evolves and moves in response to tidal action and can offer benefits such as protecting saltmarsh and coastal communities from erosion.
Coastal grazing marsh is low-lying grassland that floods at certain times of year. Its ditches and pools support rich plant and insect life, creating ideal conditions for breeding waders such as lapwing and redshank in spring. In winter, the damp grasslands attract ducks and geese, while in summer, it supports rare insects such as the shrill carder bee.
Credit: Mark Taylor - leighonseaphotography.co.uk
Saline lagoons are rare coastal pools separated from the sea by sandbanks, sea walls or sluices. Their brackish water supports unique wildlife, including 20 invertebrate species in the UK and the avocet, which depend on lagoons to survive.
Want to learn more?
The Transforming the Thames partnership was founded in 2022 by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and includes environmental charities, county councils, landowners, academic institutions, government bodies, and is still growing. Take a look at the dedicated Transforming the Thames website to find out more about this impressive project.
