WATLAS - tracking regional movements
With WATLAS (Wadden Sea Advanced Tracking and Localisation of Animals in real life Systems), we follow where birds go in the western Dutch Wadden Sea. By investigating where birds go and why, we can identify whether and how they can deal with threats such as sea level rise and habitat destruction. So far, we have tracked the most abundant species of shorebirds in the Wadden Sea such as dunlin, red knot, bar-tailed godwits, oystercatchers and curlew, but also other abundant water birds such as common terns.
General information
Millions of birds depend on the Wadden Sea that offers relative safety and an abundance of food, such as the shellfish, worms, and shrimp. Some bird species use the Wadden Sea temporarily for breeding or for fuelling long-distance migrations, and others are resident nearly year-round. With WATLAS, we study how birds move with the tide, how individuals differ in where they feed, what they feed on and why, and how long they stay in the Wadden Sea on their migratory journeys.
Project news
Hete Zeeën: NTR Focus zoekt met NIOZ-wetenschappers naar oplossingen
De opwarming van de zee heeft grote gevolgen voor dier en mens. NTR Focus bezocht het NIOZ-wetenschappers en vroeg hen: wat kunnen we doen? Kijk de aflevering
When slow explorers are fast: Personality-related differences in timing of migration in Red Knots
Slower exploring Red Knots departed earlier from the breeding site and were more likely to fly non-stop to the Wadden Sea than faster exploring birds Read the paper
Hoe beïnvloedt zeespiegelstijging de activiteiten en leefbaarheid voor dieren in en rond de Waddenzee?
6 August 2023
Allert Bijleveld en Evy Gobbens - Klimaat helpdesk