As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands around the world are expected to shrink – and researchers at the University of British Columbia have found this could put the world’s shorebirds and their critical habitat at risk.

The first global systematic review 10.1007/s10531-026-03431-8 of its kind, published in Biodiversity and Conservation, examined the impacts of rising sea levels on 29 species of shorebirds, including plovers, sandpipers and oystercatchers. The review found rising seas are expected to have predominantly negative impacts on shorebird habitat and populations, while human infrastructure could make the problem worse by preventing coastal wetlands from moving inland.