Since the finalization of the storm surge barrier (1986), however, the Eastern Scheldt is suffering from a sand deficit problem. This causes the plates to erode, which in its turn, has an effect on foraging space and time for birds. Moreover, the lower intertidal plates are less effective in buffering wave energy, causing more wave exposure on the dykes. Rijkswaterstaat is looking for approaches to diminish the negative effects of the sand deficit. One of the solutions are sand nourishments.
After a sand nourishment, all benthic life is destroyed. The recovery of this life is being monitored in two different ways: quantitatively and qualitatively. In the "Qualitative benthos survey" (a relatively new approach) the entire project area is divided in to 50x50m squares. At each corner the presence of worms and shellfish is being determined by looking (visual) at the soil surface and into the soil. With this method the spatial abundancy of species and the recolonization of the nourishment can be determined fast. In the quantitative approach (the classical approach), field samples are taken using a core sampler, and all life in these samples are assessed (biomass and no. of species per m2). In this assignment you will compare the two methods, by means of a (GIS) data-analysis for the data collected in the period 2013 -2016. The analyses will include some spatial statistics. In this assignment you will also be asked to make a field protocol for the Qualitative method. The protocol will include species descriptions, determination characteristics and photos. A number of days in the field will be necessary.
Research type: Desk and field research, data processing
Research level: Water management or related fields; final thesis.
Prerequisite: Interest in ecology and biology of estuarine ecosystems
Partners in the project: HZ, NIOZ, Imares, RWS
Client: Edwin Paree, Carla Pesch, Tom Ysebaert
Qualitative benthos surveys; data analysis and development of a survey protocol
Research type: Desk and field research, data processing
Research level: Final thesis (Water management or related fields)
Prerequisite: Interest in ecology and biology of estuarine ecosystems
| Start date: | augustus 2016 |
| End date: | februari 2017 |
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