Extraction and spatiotemporal evolution analysis of tidal flats in the Bohai Rim during 1984–2019 based on remote sensing

Tidal flats, a precious resource that provides ecological services and land space for coastal zones, are facing threats from human activities and climate change. In this study, a robust decision tree for tidal flat extraction was developed to analyse spatiotemporal variations in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019 based on 9539 Landsat TM/OLI surface reflection images and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform. The area of tidal flats significantly fluctuated downwards from 3551.22 to 1712.36 km2 in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019, and 51.31% of tidal flats were distributed near the Yellow River Delta and Liaohe River Delta during 2017–2019. There occurred a drastic spatial transition of tidal flats with coastline migration towards the ocean. Low-stability tidal flats were mainly distributed in reclamation regions, deltas, and bays near the estuary during 1984–2019. The main factors of tidal flat evolution in the Bohai Rim region included the direct impact of land cover changes in reclamation regions, the continuous impact of a weakening sediment supply, and the potential impact of a deteriorating sediment storage capability. The extraction process and maps herein could provide a reference for the sustainable development and conservation of coastal resources.