Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

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Long-term ecological time series

Long-term ecological time series are essential if we hope to understand changes caused by various pressures impacting marine systems. This knowledge is required to develop policies and actions to sustainably manage natural systems, particularly for climate adaptation. All time series collected by NIOZ are stored in data portals and findings are published in scientific articles, and used for policy decisions.

Dynamics of the Marsdiep

Dynamics of the Marsdiep

Collaboration | Since 1998 NIOZ and TESO collaborated by equipping the TESO ferry with high-tech measuring instruments to get a picture of the Marsdiep inlet.

Wadden Mosaic

Project | In the first sub-project, researchers from the RUG and NIOZ will map the variation and biodiversity in the underwater landscape.

Effects of oil polution

Effects of oil polution

Project | Since 1997, each winter coastal areas has been monitored on the occurrence of oil pollution in seabirds by NIOZ and the Dutch Seabird Group.

Sediment composition

Sediment composition

Results | Since 2008, the intertidal sediment of the Wadden Sea has been sampled. Over the years, clear differences between tidal basins are present.

Shorebirds

Program | Since the late 1980's, the NIOZ shorebird group launched a colour-ring program on shorebirds along East-Atlantic Flyway (Europe and West-Africa).

Intertidal benthos

Intertidal benthos

Results | Since 2008, the intertidal macrozoobenthos of the Dutch Wadden Sea has been sampled. Most areas showed a dip in biomass in 2011.

Fish fauna

Results | From 1960 onwards, kom fyke fishing has been carried out at the southern tip of Texel. Main result: a negative trend from 1980 to the present.

Breeding birds

Results | Since 2006, a colony of breeding Gulls are followed with a novel (GPS) tracking technique to figure out where the birds were foraging.

Sea water temperature

Sea water temperature

Results | Since 1860, the seawater temperature of the Marsdiep has been measured daily by hand. So far, 2014 has been the warmest year.

Macrobenthos

Results | Since 1970, NIOZ is studying the macrozoobenthos at Balgzand. During the 45-years, important changes occurred in the species spectrum.

Phytoplankton

Results | Since 1974, NIOZ has been studying long-term phytoplankton dynamics in the western Wadden Sea by taking 40 samples per year.

Spoonbills monitoring program

Spoonbills monitoring program

Program | Combining long-term demographic with life-time tracking of young and adults from the The Netherlands in cooperation with UvA.