Gyldensteen Coastal Lagoon

Gyldensteen Coastal Lagoon, located on the northern coast of Funen (Denmark), is one of the largest managed realignment projects in the Baltic region. In 2014, former agricultural land was reconnected to the sea by breaching coastal dikes, creating a 214-hectare coastal lagoon now integrated into Natura 2000 and Ramsar conservation networks. The site hosts a mosaic of habitats including intertidal flats, shallow soft sediments, and islands.
Within REWRITE, Gyldensteen provides a unique opportunity to study ecosystem recovery after large-scale coastal realignment and to assess the potential of multi-habitat restoration approaches to enhance biodiversity, nutrient cycling and climate regulation.

Characteristics

Habitats Types in Gyldensteen Coastal Lagoon

Salt Marshes

29%

Intertidal flats

70%

Subtidal

Historical Trajectory

Delayed biodiversity development of benthic invertebrates due to soil structural change originated from previous agriculture activities.

Main objectives

1

Monitor ecological recovery following large-scale coastal realignment
2

Evaluate restoration and rewilding approaches for key habitats (seagrass, mussels, reefs)
3

Develop guidance for scaling up coastal realignment and rewilding

Past, current and future restoration actions

Past and current

Gyldensteen Coastal Lagoon Realignment (2014) – Reconnection of former agricultural land to tidal processes to restore coastal habitats and reduce soil carbon emissions – ~214 ha restored.
Future

No further restoration actions are planned to Gyldensteen Coastal Lagoon. Though, it is important to keep the monitoring of marine biodiversity and sediment characteristics to understand the recovery trajectory of the area.

Contact Person

Main contact

Cintia Organo Quintana