This habitat type includes the large sandy and muddy shores exposed during the low tide on the ocean coast. In the Baltic Sea, where there are almost no tides, wind set-up and wind set-down are caused by strong winds. Wind set-down, like the low tide, leaves large flat coastal areas dry, allowing many water birds to feed there. The vegetation of mud, clay, and sand shallows, which remain dry when the water level fluctuates, is usually quite rich; the species composition and abundance of benthic fauna depend on the oxygen conditions and the presence of plants.
Such mudflats and sandflats are common in the West Estonian archipelago, especially in the Väinameri Sea.
Habitat group
Coastal habitats
Habitat status
Natura 2000 habitat