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ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ
2013
Regulated tidal exchange
China
Jaingsu coast
120.9302
32.805312
Lagoon
Mudflat
Saltmarsh
7000 Hectares
Biodiversity Enhancement
Demonstration or Pilot Project
Habitat Enhancement
Provide Fish Habitat
The Tiaozini Reclamation Project was/is designed to be the first part of a large-scale project that involves 'reclaiming' (i.e modifying) large areas of intertidal habitat.
In total, were the whole project to be completed, some 1,800 m² (180,000 ha) of coastal habitat along the Jaingsu coast (East China) would be reclaimed. Of this 667 sq km (66,700 ha) is in the Tiaozini area and this first/pilot phase alone covered some 70 sq km (7,000 ha).
The coastal region is characterised by an accreting foreshore with complex nearshore sand ridges and this 'coastal modification' work involves creating large-scale bunds into the intertidal areas to manage the habitats and try to control the rampant spread of the historically introduced Spartina alterniflora. On this coastline it has been estimated that the shoreline moves towards the sea at a rate of 100m/year and the tidal flat raises at a rate of 5∼10 cm/year respectively because of the external tidal flat being continually prograding and drying (Meixiu and Xianghong, 2017).
Given this accretion rate, and the history of substantial land-claim along this part of the Chinese coastline, this wetland management by 'reclamation' was seen as the most viable approach. However, it is also accompanied by new challenges including ongoing commitments for dredging and water level management that are associated with this 'controlled advance' approach to coastal wetland management.
Also, as of January 2018 the Chinese Government has put a halt on all reclamation work which may have halted/slowed the next phases of this project. This site has been found to to support a large proportion of the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The world population of this species is estimated to be only around 700 individuals and 220 and 224 were recorded at Tiaozini in 2017 and 2018 respectively (Green et al., 2019)
ABPmer
Quayside Suite
Medina Chambers
Town Quay
Southampton
SO14 2AQ