|
I am currently involved in the following projects:
Synoptic Intertidal Benthic Survey
SIBES
across the Dutch Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea, recognised as a wetland and heritage site of international importance (Ramsar status, UNESCO World Heritage Site), covers an area of almost ten thousand square kilometres and stretches from The Netherlands to Denmark, with a large part of this ecosystem falling within The Netherlands. Ecosystem services provided by the Wadden Sea to neighbouring coastal areas are numerous. Economic services include fisheries, and ecological services include essential habitat to migratory shorebirds that fuel-up in the Wadden Sea prior to flying to the Arctic or Africa.
Map of sampling points across the Dutch Wadden Sea.
The Wadden Sea as seen from space, stretching from Den Helder to Esbjerg. (source:ESA)
Benthic macrofauna are an integral component of the Wadden Sea ecosystem. Defined as organisms greater than 1 mm in size, they provide food sources to humans and many animal species, especially migratory shorebirds. In addition, they are pivotal in keeping the ecosystem functioning, as they recycle nutrients, decompose organic matter and regulate nutrient cycles. Thus substantial changes to the macrofauna community could induce changes that cascade through the ecosystem.
A few examples of one of many benthic species sampled are Allita succinea, Hydrobia ulvae, Corrophium volutator and Cerastoderma edule.
To assess whether there are changes in the ecosystem due to land subsidence, a “Synoptic Intertidal Benthic Survey” (SIBES) has been completed annually across the entire intertidal Dutch Wadden Sea since 2008. The SIBES survey is comprehensive in the Dutch context and covers an area of 2483 km2 or ~4500 sampling stations.
Each summer, from June to October, a team of 8 scientists and many volunteers go out with NIOZ’s RV Navicula to take benthic samples
The ~4500 samples are then taken back to NIOZ where a team of experts identify and measure both the various worms and bivalve species encountered during the sampling.
Working on the data in the lab.
Distribution of Scoloplos armiger and Macoma balthica in 2008 and 2009. The distribution of these species, show different habitat associations, such that Macoma balthica is mainly found in the areas along the coast, where sediments are muddy, whereas Scoloplos armiger occurs broadly across the tidal flat areas where sediments are more sandy.
SIBES TEAM
Theunis Piersma, Henk van der Veer, and Jaap van der Meer (Project leaders)
Tanya Compton (analyst), Anita Koolhaas (data manager)
Anne Dekinga, Sander Holthuijsen, Job ten Horn (Field and lab managers)
SIBES is funded by the ZKO Wadden Sea programme for monitoring of the western Wadden Sea and by NAM for the ecological monitoring of the gas drilling areas in the eastern Wadden Sea.
Back to top
Waddensleutels
www.waddensleutels.nl
Back to top
|
