Distribution and Structure of China–ASEAN’s Intertidal Ecosystems: Insights from High-Precision, Satellite-Based Mapping

The intertidal ecosystem serves as a critical transitional zone between terrestrial and marine environments, supporting diverse biodiversity and essential ecological functions. However, these systems are increasingly threatened by climate change, rising sea levels, and anthropogenic impacts. Accurately mapping intertidal ecosystems and differentiating mangroves, salt marshes, and tidal flats remains a challenge due to inconsistencies in classification frameworks. Here, we present a high-precision mapping approach for intertidal ecosystems using multi-source satellite data, including Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat 8/9, integrated with the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, to enable the detailed mapping of intertidal zones across China–ASEAN. Our findings indicate a total intertidal area of 73,461 km2 in China–ASEAN, with an average width of 1.16 km. Analyses of patch area, abundance, and perimeter relationships reveal a power-law distribution with a scaling exponent of 1.52, suggesting self-organizing characteristics shaped by both natural and human pressures. Our findings offer foundational data to guide conservation and management strategies in the region’s intertidal zones and present a novel perspective to propel research on global coastal ecosystems.