Waddensea of Hamburg Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 1992, in Germany. This site forms part of the Wadden Sea on the North Sea coast, about 40 km north of the city of Bremerhaven in the Land of Hamburg. The Wadden Sea (Wattenmeer) extends from Ho Bay in Denmark to the Dutch island of Texel. With its sands and mudflats, salt marshes and dunes, it is the largest unbroken system of tidal sand and mudflats in the world. Its high biological productivity, which underpins the site’s worldwide significance for biodiversity, and its strong natural dynamics make it of extraordinary natural value. The inscription of the Dutch and German protected areas of the Wadden Sea on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2009 underlined its global importance.