They collected long-term historical records from 12 coastal areas in Europe and North America, including information on the Roman elimination of the Dalmatian pelican from the Wadden Sea and the removal of the Atlantic sturgeon from the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Bay.
Formed by storm tides as early as the 10th Century, the Wadden Sea is responsible for the distinctive formations of its many islands, characterised by high sand dunes and lush, wide beaches on the open sea side and a shallow coast towards the mainland.