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The Dutch Wadden Sea is a shallow, semi-enclosed part of the North Sea, mainly consisting of tidal mud flats, sand flats, sea gullies and salt marshes; the area is bordered by a series of dune barrier islands, the "wadden islands". The Wadden Sea stretches along the North Sea coast from Den Helder (NL) up to Esbjerg (DK) and is the largest estuarine area in Europe. Most of the sea and the uninhabited islands are State Nature Reserve, which is regulated by the Nature Conservation Law and a spatial planning act (PKB). The area is of international importance being a nursery of marine life, a resting, moulting and feeding area for several millions of migratory birds, and a habitat for thousands of birds, seals and many other species. The area has been selected for European protection as part of the Natura 2000 Network. The region, especially the wadden islands, is also a key recreational area for the Netherlands and Germany..

Location: the Dutch Provinces of Noord-Holland, Friesland and Groningen.

Size: the entire area is ca. 250 000 ha; the nature reserve is ca. 150 000 ha.

Owner and management: the area is owned by the State and managed by the Ministries of Nature management, Agriculture and Food Quality (LNV) and Transport and Water management (V&W).

Nature & Landscape

Sea & Coastline
The natural values of the area are primarily connected to the shallow sea with its mud and sand flats that fall dry at low tide. The marine fauna is diverse and for example rich in worms, shellfish, crustaceans, and fish. Moreover, it is a nursery for shrimp and fish stocks for the North Sea and a food resource for birds and seals. Among the birds, the waders forage at low tide and rest on higher beaches, dunes and islands at high tide; the seals rest on sand flats and beaches at low tide and mainly feed at high tide.

Sand Dunes
Important dune systems have developed on the dune barrier islands:
Rottum: two islands, Rottumeroog (350 ha, gradually eroding) and Rottumerplaat (400 ha, gradually increasing), both uninhabited and closed to the public
Schiermonnikoog: a National Park (1890 ha) with dunes and salt marshes
Ameland: 791 ha of dunes
Terschelling: ca. 5000 ha of dunes, with salt marshes towards the east;
Vlieland: 1840 ha of dunes and wetlands
Texel: 3760 ha of dunes including a beautiful tidal inlet (Slufter). Initial development of small dunes is also taking place on:
Noorderhaaks: large sand flat, west of the Marsdiep channel
Griend: small island that has been repeatedly enlarged (artificially), now ca. 100 ha

More information on management aspects can be found in EUCC's Dune Management Guide.

Forests
Due to the harsh climatic circumstances natural woodland in the wadden area is generally low and dominated by oak (Quercus robur); this type of woodland has only developed on the five largest dune islands. In the 20th century many conifers have been planted to stabilise shifting sand dunes, partly as an employment project in the 1930-ies.

Salt marshes
Along the fringes of the shallow sea the higher beaches have been colonised by salt resistant vegetation and are therefore called salt marshes. Remarkable salt marsh areas include:
Bosplaat: almost 4000 ha at the east part of Terschelling; a Council of Europe diploma area
Schorren: 80 ha at the NE side of Texel
Noord-Friesland Buitendijks: 130 ha of salt marshes and summer polders.

Estuaries
At the southern side of the area there are two specific areas that have been formed as estuaries:
Lauwersmeer: once the Lauwerszee but embanked in 1969; partly a military area (Marnewaard), partly a National Park in formation (4617 ha), mainly with wetlands and water
Dollard: the estuary of the Eems, a 4400 ha brackish tidal area bordered by salt marshes.

Flora & Fauna
The shallow sea is rich in algae, especially diatoms and frog-algae, and hosts several species of green seaweed (Marsh samphire, Gutweed, Hen pen, Velvet horn), brown seaweed (Spiral wrack, Channelled wrack, Bladder wrack, Egg wrack, Tangle), red sea weed (Carragheen moss and Purple laver) and also 'blue seaweed' (more like bacteria) like cyano bacteria and blue-green algae.
Examples of the rich invertebrate fauna include Rag-worm, King rag, Estuary rag-worm, Lugworm and Lobworm, many species of shellfish, shrimps, lobsters and crab. Most abundant fish species are herring, sandeel, mackerel, sprat and plaice. Important breeding birds include Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Bar-tailed godwit, Little stint, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Ringed plover, Kentish plover, Grey plover, Brent goose, Barnacle goose, Wigeon, Shelduck, Eider, Herring gull, Black-headed gull, and Common tern. And last but not least, the area hosts a healthy population of Common (or Harbour) seals (circ. 3000 in 2001) and Grey seals (circ. 600 in 2001).

Visitor centres
Schiermonnikoog: Visitor centre of the National Park Schiermonnikoog, Torenstreek 20, 9166 LK Schiermonnikoog, tel. 0519 531641.
Vlieland: "De Noordwester", Dorpsstraat 150, 8899 AN Vlieland, tel. 0562 451700.
Texel: "EcoMare", Centrum voor Wadden en Noordzee; tentoonstellingen en opvang van zeehonden en zeevogels. Ruijslaan 92, 1796 AZ De Koog, tel. 0222 317741, www.ecomare.nl.

Nature management
Nature management in the area is determined by the PKB Waddenzee, a national attempt to combine economic development with environmental protection of the area. Through the various PKB's the government promotes sustainable development by controlling the extent of fisheries, gas exploitation, recreation and tourism and military activities. The PKB is binding upon all state, regional and local authorities. The draft 3rd PKB determining the future of the area for the next 10 years, is still under discussion. The Wadden Sea society (Waddenvereniging) and other NGO's have repeatedly asked for further restrictions to military activities and to mechanical shell fishing that is particularly damaging to bird populations; see www.waddenvereniging.nl.

Since 1997 the governments of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark are working jointly on the protection and conservation of the entire Wadden Sea Area, supported by the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (www.waddensea-secretariat.org). In 1982 the countries agreed upon the Joint Declaration of the Protection of the Wadden Sea; the countries intended to coordinate their activities and measures in order to protect the Wadden Sea. A trilateral Wadden Sea Plan, adopted in 1997, focuses on: a healthy environment, diversity of habitats and species, sustainable use, integrated management, coastal protection and informing and involving the local population.