Marine and Estuarine Shallow Water Science and Management

An introduction to the third Marine and Estuarine Shallow Water Science and Management Conference is given. With nearly 90 per cent of the population of the U.K. living within 50 miles of a coast, the ecology of shallow waters is threatened. Conflicts arising from the use of water and land around shallow waters are discussed. Early inconsistencies in the definition of shallow waters was addressed at the first conference by stating that they include the intertidal zone down to 4 m below mean low water. The gaps observed in the information about these habitats through a survey of managers, regulators and scientists in 1993 prompted the annual conferences on shallow waters. Some further aspects of these conferences are also considered.