Coastal wetlands around the Pearl River Estuary have changed significantly in the past two decades. Using GIS and remote sensing, researchers found that shallow waters make up the largest portion of wetlands, with aquaculture areas increasing and paddy fields decreasing. Human activities have led to a decline in total wetland area, with significant spatial and temporal variations in landscape patterns. The centroid of wetlands shifted northward from 1986 to 1995 and southeastward from 1995 to 2005, indicating accelerated degradation of the wetlands.