Table 2.

Classes for the potential of salt marsh developing along the Dutch Wadden Sea coast and the defining abiotic parameters (i.e., elevation in relation to tidal range, concentrations of fine-grained sediment and velocity of currents along the coast) (Van Loon-Steensma et al. 2012a, b)

Class	Bathymetry	Concentration fine-grained sediment (%)	Maximum flow velocity (m/s)
Salt marshes already present	>MHWL	>5	<1.2
Natural developing salt marshes	Around MHWL	>5	<1.2
Small efforts required for salt-marsh formation	Around MLWL	>5	<1.2
Larger efforts required for salt marsh formation	Between −5 m NAP and MLWL	>5	>1.2
Unfavourable abiotic conditions for salt-marsh formation	<−5 m NAP	<5	>1.2

MHWL mean high water level, MLWL mean low water level