Location

Landscape and climate
Marshy forests and swamps are mostly preserved in their natural form. Large lakes Lebsko and Gardno contrast with smaller ones hidden in the forest – Dolgie Wielkie and Male Madwiny. Dune pine woods grow on poor soils in close vicinity of peat bogs and swamps. There also are exotic and beautiful moving dunes. All these environments are located on the area of 32 744,03 ha.

The climate of Pobrzeze Slowinskie can be described as marine. The presence of lakes has small influence on the climate. Summers are relatively cold and winters are mild. Summer and winter last for as long as two moths, the rest of the year is spring and long autumn. The biggest rainfall occurs in July and August. Winds blow very often from the direction of the sea and are relatively strong.

Ecosystem
Very unique features of this area decided of its registration on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves network. The nature of this area can be divided on the following ecosystems:

Baltic dune Scots pine woods: A unique forest ecosystem with Scots Pine, black crowberry, cowberry, bog blueberry, crossleaf heath and heather. You can also find here couple of species of orchids like: creeping lady's tresses, royal helleborine, one-sided pyrola and yellow bird's-nest. This type of forest is growing in extremely tough conditions.

Bog woodland and Alder swamp woods: This types of forests are not typically found in marine areas, but ecosystems of this type in this region include some maritime species like: crossleaf heath and sweet gale. Although these types of forest occupy only small areas in this region, they are considered a very precious ecosystem. Species like: Ledum Palustre, Black Birch, Downy Birch, White Birch, Black Sedge, Bog Whortleberry, Crossleaf Heath, Molinia xoerulea and Cloudberry are typical for this kind of ecosystem. Alders, ashes, bird cherries, wayfaring-trees and elderberries can also be found here. Large areas were drained in previous years, which resulted in serious changes in composition of species on this area.

Swamps and Peat bogs: Peat bogs can be mainly found in the southern part of the area or in the region of Klucki Forest. These are, next to the dunes and lakes, one of the most important habitats of Pobrzeze Slowinskie. Most common species found in this ecosystem are crossleaf heath, Ledum palustre, sedges, cottongrass, cranberry, bog rosemary, elderberry, sundews, sweetgale and willows.

Lakes: Two big and shallow lakes - Lebsko and Gardno - are remnants of the old bay. Two rivers - Leba and Pustynka - flow across these lakes. Moreover plankton growth is excessive, which decreases the transparency of water, additionally disturbed by strong winds. Lakes Dolgie Wielkie and Dolgie Male are oligotrophic lakes with very clear water. This two types of habitats determine the kinds of species which live there.  These are: common reed, cattail, flowering rush, lesser pond sedge, slender tufted sedge, lakeshore bulrush, branched bur-reed, yellow pond lily and white water lily. Additionally, in Dolgie Wielkie lake you can find some species characteristic for oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals of sandy plains: alternate-flowered water-milfoil, shoreweed, water lobelia, lake quillwort, spike-rush, horsetails, and charophyta: sickle moss and stonewort.

Dunes and beaches: Species growing on the beach are pioneer plants. Lyme grass, European beachgrass, gray clubawn grass, sea chickweed, sea rocket, sea holly and woolly butterbur are the most common species found on the beaches of Slowinski Shoreland.

The environment of the dune area is very poor and hostile. The soil is very loose and gives no support for plants to grow on. Typical pioneer plants may be found here: lyme grass, European beachgrass, gray clubawn grass and sea chickweed, which have vast root networks that stabilize them in the sand. On the more stable soil you can find lichen, which form so called gray dunes. On this type of dunes grow species like: dwarf everlast, sheepsbit and crowberry. A belt of the more fertile soil is located further from the sea.

Also worth mentioning are so called deflationary fields. These are the places where winds blow the dry sand away and expose wet undersoil. Such spots are quickly colonized by pioneer species.

Fauna
All groups of animals have their large representations in this area. You can find here a large number of insects (30 species from among them are under strict protection), 70 species of molluscs, 60 species of fresh- and saltwater fish, 20 species of amphibians and reptiles – all under strict protection, as well as 10 species of bats (e.g. Barbastelle Bat, Noctule Bat, Parti-coloured Bat) and a couple of other mammals like: badgers, brown hares, raccoon dogs, boars and deer.

Moreover, 257 species of birds have been observed within the borders of Pobrzeze Slowinskie. In the spring or autumn, dozens or even hundreds of thousands bird species populate lakes, meadows and peat bogs of this area. Both common species like: grebe, mallard, crane, seagull, tern, razorbill and rare ones: eagle owl, white-tailed eagle or black stork can be found here.

Threats
Major threats to these area are induced by human activities. Lakes are being polluted by agricultural waste and increasing tourist traffic has a global impact on the environment.

Protection
On the area of 18 ha Pobrzeze Slowinskie is protected as Slowinski National Park. Moreover, this area is included in a protection program of UNESCO "Man and biosphere" and enlisted on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.