In Brief: 400-year-old British sea wall demolished

Wallasea Island's 400-year-old sea wall has been demolished to create the United Kingdom's largest man-made marine wetland.

A fleet of bulldozers, excavators and dump trucks made three breaches in the sea wall, with the sea covering 285 acres (115 hectares) within 24 hours. The area will become a shelter for migratory wildfowl and wading birds, as well as create recreational opportunities, The Independent reported Wednesday.

Britain's $13.7 million Wallasea Wetlands Creation Project is designed to cope with the sea level increase being produced by global warming, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International