Scientists have published a new guide to help protect some of Europe's most important — and most threatened — natural areas: wetlands called peatlands and coastal lagoons.
The report, titled "Ecological Characterisation of Peatlands and Coastal Lagoons in Europe," was created by the European Commission's Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity to help countries monitor, assess, and restore these habitats under EU environmental laws.
Peatlands and coastal lagoons may not be as famous as forests or coral reefs, but they do enormous work for the planet. Peatlands are waterlogged soils made of partially decayed plants that have accumulated over thousands of years. They store huge amounts of carbon — nearly one-third of all the carbon held in the world's soil, despite covering only a small area. Coastal lagoons, shallow pools where freshwater meets salt water along coastlines, make up about 13 percent of the world's coastlines and support exceptionally rich plant and animal life.
Yet these habitats are in trouble. Roughly 80 percent of the wetlands that existed in Europe a century ago have disappeared, and more than half of the peatlands that remain have been drained for farming or development. When peatlands are drained, the stored carbon begins to break down and release into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases — turning a natural carbon warehouse into a source of pollution.
The new report aims to change that trajectory by giving scientists and policymakers a clear, science-based roadmap for protecting what remains. It identifies water levels as the single most important factor for both habitat types. In healthy peatlands, a consistently high water table keeps oxygen away from the soil, preventing decomposition and allowing peat to build up. In coastal lagoons, the mixing of fresh and salt water creates the specific conditions that support the species that live there.
The researchers found that damage to these wetlands almost never comes from a single cause. Drainage, pollution, development, and climate change typically work together, making problems harder to detect and reverse. No single measurement, they conclude, can capture the full health of either habitat — instead, a combination of measurements is needed, including water conditions, chemical balance, and the plants and animals present.
The report also calls for better coordination across EU countries, many of which currently monitor their wetlands in different ways that make comparison difficult. The authors propose a unified monitoring system using satellite data, on-the-ground measurements, and computer models, which could eventually form the basis of an EU Wetland Watch service. Such a system would reduce the workload for individual countries while making it easier to spot problems before they become irreversible.
In essence, the guide gives Europe a clearer picture of what it has left — and a better chance of keeping it.