Wadden Sea - Germany

The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. In Germany this UNESCO site covers three Wadden Sea National Parks:

 - Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, comprising the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein and the North Frisian Islands; 

 - Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park, extending from the mouth of the Elbe to the tiny islands of Neuwerk and Scharhörn, part of Hamburg;  

- Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park, comprising the northern coast of Lower Saxony and including the East Frisian Islands.

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In 2009, the Wadden Sea was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in recognition of the ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ of the area and the progress made in protecting and managing it for more than a generation. - in: https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org

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© Schöning GmbH & Co. KG

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It is a large, temperate, relatively flat coastal wetland environment, formed by the intricate interactions between physical and biological factors that have given rise to a multitude of transitional habitats with tidal channels, sandy shoals, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, sandbars, mudflats, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches and dunes. 

The area is home to numerous plant and animal species, including marine mammals such as the harbour seal, grey seal and harbour porpoise.

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Wadden Sea is one of the last remaining large-scale, intertidal ecosystems where natural processes continue to function largely undisturbed. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1314