Thames Estuary and Marshes. 05/05/00; England; 5,589 ha; 51°29'N 000°36'E. Special Protection Area/ EC Birds Directive; SSSI. The site comprises a complex of brackish, floodplain grazing marsh ditches, saline lagoons and intertidal saltmarsh and mudflat along the River Thames between Gravesend and Sheerness in Essex and Kent. The habitats support internationally important numbers of wintering waterfowl, and the saltmarsh and grazing marsh are of international importance for their diverse assemblages of wetland plants and invertebrates. The site performs important hydrological functions, including shoreline stablization, sediment trapping, flood water storage and desynchronization of flood peaks, and maintenance of water quality by removal of nutrients. Human uses include yachting, angling, wildfowling (seasonal), jet skiing, waterskiing, and birdwatching; disturbance from some of these is a current issue but is being addressed through negotation and awareness-raising. Ramsar site no. 1025. Most recent RIS information: 2007.