Competing land-use demands along the Canadian Lake Ontario Coastal Margin necessitate a strategic approach to coastal wetland conservation, protection, and restoration. This study presents a prioritization assessment of 81 wetlands that can be used to identify coastal wetlands sites in most need of conservation action. Ecological significance and environmental pressure were evaluated by integrating spatial data from the Canadian Baseline Coastal Habitat Survey, Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program, and other available data for the Canadian shoreline of Lake Ontario. Climate change resilience was also assessed using a Coastal Wetland Response Model developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada. This assessment provides a science-based framework for identifying high-priority conservation targets and optimizing the allocation of limited conservation resources.
