Commissioned by the Natural England and South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Unit, Royal Haskoning studied the climate change effects on the Slapton Ley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with a focus on the possibility of breakdown or breach of the shingle bar barrier.

The project has the aim of mapping the ecological change that would result from a breach and a variety of sea level scenarios. Also, the possibilities of re-creating a new freshwater habitat in or adjacent to the site in case of a collapse of the barrier are studied in order to be able to preserve the specific environmental and ecological aspects of the region.